Tips and advice for any bladder or bowel side effects of treatment
Being discharged with a catheter is not fun, getting the overnight pee bags sorted out properly can be tricky (mine fell over and leaked on the bedroom carpet). Once that's sorted out and you've mastered not turning over all night it's fine.
Catheter removal comes as a, quite painful, relief.
For the first weeks after the catheter was removed I had no control over my bladder whatsoever and went through a lot of pads. (The Tena ones aren't absorbent enough at the early stage, Boots have a bigger and better version).
Gradually the pads I needed to use lessened and control returned. After three months I was able to stop using pads altogether.
As a side effect I noted that I often felt phantom escapes. Obviously a pad can make you feel anxious about leaks, you cough and feel a leak, you feel it leak onto your leg, sometimes as far as your sock! You investigate at the first opportunity and find that everything is dry.
Don't worry, persist wth your exercises and you wll eventually regain control.
On another note while incontinence held sway sex was not on the cards, the old man was too busy with piddle. After six months he began to show interest and currently has regained his appetite and is able to stand up for himself. I do have tablets to help him out but they are not always necessary.
Tips and advice for any sexual side effects of treatment
While incontinence held sway sex was not on the cards, the old man was too busy with piddle. After six months he began to show interest and currently has regained his appetite and is able to stand up for himself. I do have tablets to help him out but they are not always necessary.
Tips and advice for any physical side effects of treatment
My operation was done through five small holes to minimise the traumatic effects of surgery. Nevertheless I felt very beaten up by it and it took me a week to ten days to begin to feel like myself again. You shouldn't let this get you down, you are recovering and you will get rid of the bag strapped to your leg.
How this treatment impacted my life the most
I feel stronger and better for it, knowing that my results are continuing to be negligible is very reassuring.
Why did I give this answer?
The surgeon told me that a radical removal was the best option in my case, since if he ony removed the suspicious part he would probably be back to take out the rest in five years. He didn't have to tell me that an operation at 75 can be far more serious than one at 70. I trust the man who fits my tyres - it's what he does. The same apples when a surgeon tells me I'd be better off without my prostate.
