I do five sets of five. I usually hold each contraction for about fifteen seconds.
Are you registered on patient.info under the same log in? If so I can try uploading the PDF to you there?
Now I know immediately after holep, standing will lead to uncontrollable leak.
Thank u, Buster, ur utube and post gave very detailed instructions on Kegels. Not sure if I need additional info.
All the info u and Blayneb provided are extremely helpful to me. Without it, I may be in difficult situations.
Hopeful such detailed info will be useful to other readers as well.
Hello DL0808:
I have been away sailing for the summer so I missed your posts.
I had Holep last January at Nashville by Dr Miller.
I wanted to mention a few things.
+ You should expect the irrigation catheter, that is in place while in the hospital, to be very uncomfortable. I personally found it to be one of the most uncomfortable experience of my life. But I managed to grin and bear it and did very well.
+ The doctor will prescribe a laxative to be given the evening after surgery. No worries, it is a mild medication that will facilitate your going after getting out of the hospital.
+ What worked for me:
I did not take any pain medications while in the hospital. Reason: They cause constipation and most importantly can make it hard to void once the catheter is out.
As soon as the catheter came out I pushed my fluid intake. Reason: I wanted to flush my bladder out and get my two voids out of the way so that I could get out of the hospital as soon as possible.
FYI: Your first void will be very bloody and have some clots - Don't freak out. No worries - this will clear rapidly and is the reason that they want you to drink fluid. The accumulation of clots can cause major problems (such as obstruction) if they are not eliminated as they develop.
Take the hospital urinal with you when you leave the hospital. Initially you will not be shooting straight and having the urinal eliminates the sprinkler effect and messes.
+ I strongly recommend that you stay in a hotel close by the hospital/clinic the first night after discharge!! At Vanderbilt it is required and I am glad of it. That way if any postop problems develop (and they most likely will not) you are only a short distance from knowledgeable help. Also, it will allow you to depart the following day at a time that is good for you. This is not a time to pinch as few pennies.
+ I strongly recommend that you travel by car and have a companion along for the ride. A car will give you independence and control over your situation if you need to stop along the way, etc.. A companion will give you moral support and be there as backup.
+ When I left Nashville I drove 12+ hours back to my home in Florida without any problem. However, I did sip on fluids all the way and stopped frequently at rest stops and truck stops to void. You do not want clots to accumulate in your bladder. Personally I found the soft drivers seat of my car slightly uncomfortable as it bulged up and put some pressure on my perineum. Postop I found firm surfaces to be much more comfortable although that does not seem to be the case for most people on this site.
+ Not everyone has major incontinence issues post op. I personally had none. But be prepared for the worse case and you will do fine.
+ Yes Kegels are very important. You can do them any place and every time you void. I continued to do them postop with good results.
+ Yes, having retrograde ejaculation is a significant let down but all the other benefits and comfort gained by the surgery far out weigh the negative ones.
+ I believe you will find that having Holep will be one of the best decisions of your life. Best of luck to you.
I truly appreciate Ur exceedingly detailed post which must have taken u a lot of time and which I have read several times.
Yours, Blayneb’s and Buster’s posts covered, in my opinion, all aspects of how to prepare for holep. I have saved them in a file for easy reference.
About retrograde ejacualtion, I heard a surgeon Marc Laniado in UK is offering HoLEP with ejacualtion preservation and I hope that US surgeons would soon offer that option too.
Once again, thank u for ur support!
Any idea What foods irritate baldder?
I did not find that all of the above bothered me.
Hope this helps.
I was on a road trip and feeling good. It was about 2 weeks after surgery. I ate three “halo” oranges. Wow did I know it. In short order I had to stop frequently, very quickly.
You will know!
It is better now. I can drink coffee where I couldn’t before. I will have to try the oranges again.
I would say spicy foods and those that are acidic could be particularly problematic.
Good luck, it does get better after you heal.
So initially eat plain food without spice, stimulant or acidic. Later trail and error to see if the urine system behaves differently.
Remember my surgery was quite extensive. For several months it felt like I had electricity throughout my prostate. I presume that was the nerves healing. So I was very careful about what I ate and drank.
Following the advice from Phillip, Blayneb and u, I have modified my plan. To be on the safe side, I will be cautions and recognize that complication is unpredicatable. I should assume the worse and not the best scenario.
Safety comes first. I will stay in a nearby hotel the night before holep and will stay an extra night in hotel after being discharged from the hospital. Will continue to stay in hotel until I am convinced it is safe to go home. No more train ride. Will use car. My wife will accompany me throughout my stay in Philadelphia. There is a hotel town called Mt. Laurel, NJ. 12 miles from the hospital. Rate is inexpensive.
Since catheter is so exceedingly uncomfortable and making the patient miserable while he suffers from other complications, I have a question.
The original plan of my doctor is to remove the catheter before I leave the hospital because “I am out of town”. Thus my catheter time is less than 23 hours. For in town patients, however, the catheter time is 2 days.
Since I will be staying in hotel after being discharged from the hospital. I now have the option to let the catheter to stay in me while I stay in hotel.
Just wandering how long was your catheter time and if there is any advantage of having the catheter for 2 days instead of one day.
Are the following steps to be done simultaneously or sequentially?
“I. While you are urinating attempt to stop your stream by squeezing your pelvic floor muscles.
II. When sitting in a chair squeeze your muscles to lift your scrotum in toward your belly button and lift it off the chair.
III. Squeeze your pelvic floor muscles as if you are trying to stop from passing gas. “
Thanks.