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Our new member SEPPBURGH has a question

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Posted 11/13/2009 11:19 PM (GMT -5)
Knowing it's Friday night, and who knows what gaiety our moderators may be up to, I'm usurping again to bring forward into a thread of its own a question asked by SEPPBURGH who has just joined us.  In the thread started by plugedup here's what SEPPBURGH had to say:

That is great news.  Can you say what surgery you had and how long the cat. was in?  My own robotic surgery is schedule for the end of January.  Need to figure out how much leave to take.  Though after 2 or 3 works, could return to work, but work out of my home.  Leaking is one of my main concerns with the surgery.

Thank you.

Posted 11/13/2009 11:42 PM (GMT -5)
Seppburgh, welcome to healing well. This is the club that nobody really wants to belong to, but once here you will now find the most supportive and knowledgeable bunch of folks that you could every hope to find.

There will be many along soon that can answer you questions from their own experiences. You will find that those experiences are as different as you can expect.

My experience was such that I was nominated (for a while) as Poster Boy of Catheter Success.

First, my doctor does not use the typical Foley catheter, rather he uses the Supra Pubic. This is a tub that exits from the abdomen and is connected to the collection bag. As far as I know, I am the only one in recent memory here that had this. I did not have any of the discomfort issues that you will read about from others. While you will also read that to many of the other Foley users there experience was not all that bad.

Secondly, my catheter was removed at only 6 days post surgery. In this you will find many differences also. There does not appear to be a cut and dried answer to your question as to how long.

And lastly, I have been done dry since the day the catheter was removed. Somewhat of a rarity, but then again so am I.

So there you have it.

You say you work from home. If that is the case you will find that working with the cath is not an issue. Unless of course your job is splitting logs by hand or rebuilding engines or such.

So welcome to the board. Jump in a talk with any of us on any subject, anytime. We are always open to questions and having someone new to look at things through a different set of eyes.

Welcome to the brotherhood,

Sonny
Posted 11/13/2009 11:56 PM (GMT -5)
I took two weeks -- one with catheter, one after removal. I could have gone back after ten days if needed. You can live with pads if you can get to the bathroom every two hours. It is very strange to be giving a presentation while peeing in your pants, but it is only strange for you.
Posted 11/14/2009 6:47 AM (GMT -5)
I missed seven work days AND had my catheter in for five weeks.
Posted 11/14/2009 8:06 AM (GMT -5)
I had my catheter in 10 days so I took off 2 weeks from work. I travel locally and also do work from home part of the time. Did not want to travel with the catheter in place. Now some people have had their catheter in longer and some shorter periods of time. Since you work from home it will be your call. Good luck and keep us posted.

Michael

Posted 11/14/2009 9:32 AM (GMT -5)
I was really fortunate. Danced with the robot on Wednesday, catheter in until Monday, home in two days, no incontinence or leakage. Now, if I can get the playground equipment to fully function, I will be just fine.
Posted 11/14/2009 10:00 AM (GMT -5)
I too work from home. Cath was in for two weeks. I had robotic surgery on thursday was released from the hospital on Saturday and did some work on Monday. rember that you have had major surgery, TAK IT SLOW. Work until you feel tired then stop and rest for awhile.

Len
Posted 11/14/2009 10:04 AM (GMT -5)
Greetings, everyone.  I had open surgery so the healing process is somewhat different.  I had the surgery on Monday, went home with the cath on Wednesday, and had the cath and staples removed the next Wednesday.  So I had the cath about 10 days.  I was basically dry from the start but wore a pad for 2 days just to be sure.  I had an erection the Saturday after cath was removed.  I went back to work the following Wednesday for a special event and started back to work every day the following Monday - 3 weeks to the day post surgery.  Everyone is different - I have contended for some time it all comes down to the skill of your surgeon.  Get the best surgeon out there and you'll do fine.  Mine was great and I'm eternally grateful.  David

Posted 11/14/2009 10:05 AM (GMT -5)
Hi SEPPBURGH, first, welcome to the group, but sorry you have to be here.

I found returning to work to be more of being mentally ready than having the energy. I was lucky, being able to slide into it by having managers come to the house for meetings and to give me updates etc. While I was sharp enough while they were here, or at least I felt sharp enough, I found when they left I was glad to see them go and quite happy to sit in a recliner chair on the verhanda and have a snooze.

On the leaking, it is amazing how well the pads work. Like Geezer says, if you've got a bathroom available to make a pad change you're good to go. Some people dry up near instantly. Others can take months and months. Assume you're going to be in the months and months group. If you are, it's just as expected, if you dry faster, that's great.

Before surgery I too was concerned about not having control. But, if you can see the humor in standing at a check out counter, dealing with a nice young lady who is ringing up your purchase and having a nice chat with you, while all the while you're squirting into your pad and working on keeping conversation normal, then you'll do fine. Again, wise Geezer has nailed it. The experience is yours and only strange to you. Other people have no idea and it's situation normal for them.

Sheldon AKA Sleepless
Posted 11/14/2009 12:52 PM (GMT -5)

Hi Seppburgh, new member here I had robotic surgery on Oct 29, 2009 1 week with cath which I found to be very uncomforatable. I have been on the pads for 10 days now and getting a little better everyday.I do the exercises all the time and at this point I'm at 1 pad per day,it's not so bad and is more mental than anything else.I just have some leakage it's not like your are full streaming peeing in your pants just a leaky faucet .

                                                Good luck

                                                 Charlie  

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