More Steve so far...

[Guest guest]

Damn!

I had just spent 15 minutes writing up my situation to date, but

somehow hit the wrong combination of keys, and pffft! Gone!

Let's try again:

Surgery was on 1/14/08

Catheter removal was on 1/22/08

I went in to work (only half a day) for a client meeting on 1/23/08

(!)

I went back to work, full-time as of 1/28/08

Over all, I've been pretty continent. I might even say that I'm

fairly content with my continency. I wear one Depends per 24 hour

period, and it's still pretty dry when I throw it away. I tried

just using pads one day, but that was a day I also had 3 cups of

regular coffee in the morning...not a good combination for me yet.

After spending the first 2 days post-catheter going to the bathroom

every 2 hours (doctor's orders)--including when I would have been

sleeping!--it's nice to be able to sleep through the night.

Well...almost. I still get up once or twice a night to go to the

bathroom; whether it's from habit or need, I'm not sure.

Not to say that things are perfect. I still feel like I can never

really empty my bladder. It almost always feels like there's just

this little bit left I have to void. And if I wait a few

seconds...I'm normally right. Add to that the feeling that I get as

if I'm leaking a little bit, off and on, during the day...but when I

check, it's all dry. But i also realize that I'm less than 2 weeks

post-catheter, and I think that, over all, I'm doing well.

I'm also now on DETROL, for " Overactive bladder treatment " . Either

it's working, or the lack of caffeine is working, but I was able to

span about 3 hours this morning without needing to go, or leaking.

For a few hours, I felt...back to normal. I'll have to see if I

have the same benefit tonight, while I'm sleeping.

But I've found another downside to working (besides, of course,

actually having to WORK!). While I was home, recuperating, I was

walking up to 9-1/2 miles a day! Now that I'm back at work, I have

to push to make 4-1/2 miles a day. But I'm feeling pretty healthy

for all this walking, and it's even helping me shed a few pounds! I

do my Kegels while I'm walking (and while I'm on the toilet, or in a

meeting, etc.)

Alas, no erections. I'm still taking 50 mg of Viagra a night, but

there's no real " activity. " Every once in a while I get

the " feeling " that I'm having an erection, but when I

check...nothing. This can be very embarassing in corporate

meetings, though, and I would recommend against it. The

nurse/practitioner said than in a week, or " when I'm ready " , I

should " try to have an erection. " I hate to say it, but I had to

ask her just what she meant (I never really had to " try " before).

Basically this: keep taking the 50 mg Viagra. About an hour after

taking it, see if you can get an erection (at that point, she didn't

really need to be specific, thank goodness). If that fails, try 100

mg next time. If that fails...then (I guess) wait a few more days,

and try again.

As before, I hope this detailed account helps a few people out by

making at least one person's trials and tribulations real. I

understand that different people will be at different points in

their recovery, and some here are still in the stage where they're

considering what options to take. I'm figuring I'm doing better

than some, and worse than others. I also realize that I have the

benefit (HA! Benefit!?!) of having the surgery when I'm young

(46). That supposedly improves my chances, though of course it

means that I'll have to live with those " chances " a lot longer than

someone who was first diagnosed at, let's say, 80.

Have a great week-end everybody! I'm off to try and have an

erection.

--Steve