Can't Take You Anywhere

Entry 33
Saturday, December 25


Harry went for his first outing since having had the catheter removed.

No More T----

Entry 32
Thursday, December 23


Gayle, the urology nurse at the Manitoba Prostate Centre pulled the last t--- out of me on Thursday morning. It went well,  almost anti-climatic. There was the slightest burning sensation as my indwelling Foley catheter came out. The entire process took less than fifteen minutes. I'm now back to being my old self without things dangling from me and that's a big deal to me.


After two weeks of relying on it, I'm happy to see the last of the catheter but have mixed emotions about my new best friend called Men's Depends, a kind of protective underwear. It feels bulky and "frilly" even though it's designed to resemble men's briefs.  The other option I brought along to the appointment was a man's Depends pad similar to those used by women during menstruation.  


I think I felt the urinary sphincter muscle trying to contract itself several times during the day. We've been advised that with time and my Kegel exercises, any incontinence should steadily decline. I'm going to be as patient and persistent as I can be.


I came home with another informational DVD (Telling It Like It Is : Sex and Prostate Cancer) from Dr. Anne Katz who continues to offer her support. 

This didn't happen!

More About Catheters and Prostate Cancer Patients

Email contact: hdstimson at shaw.ca

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When We Were Young

Entry 31
Thursday, December 23


See the 40 year old photo below? That's not Buddy Holly, that's Graham Fuchs with me before we imagined that I'd have prostate cancer and he'd be my doctor who would first twig to the fact. We've been friends since we were kids together in Churchill, Manitoba. Thanks, Graham.

This is Going to Feel Weird

Entry 30
December 22


Yesterday my pelvic drain was removed at the Manitoba Prostate Centre. When the urology nurse began to extract the tubing of the pelvic drain she remarked, "This is going to feel weird." Picture someone pulling a long, chubby worm through your skin. There was no pain.


The contraption consists of a transparent plastic bulb often compared to a grenade that is attached to a rubbery tube. The idea is that the fluid that builds up around the site of the surgery seeps into the tube, through your abdominal skin and collects in the bulb. The bulb was loosely attached to my shirt with a clip. Once or twice a day we poured out the lymph that collected, measured it and logged it in the journal.


Each time we emptied the fluid from the bulb, we had to squeeze the air out of it too. The vacuum created that way caused the suction around the surgery site. The day before the pelvic drain was removed, Gayle, the urology nurse told me to release the vacuum and see what amount of fluid still accumulated during that day. When output is minimal, as in my case, the drain can be taken out.


The pelvic drain never hurt but it did feel odd. It also impeded my movement at night slightly.


Tomorrow, the catheter comes out.

 Removal of a JP pelvic drain from a female patient

Good to Be Home

Entry 29
December 20


We are not surprised the medical folks encouraged Harry's rapid exit from the hospital. In his case, almost everything is better at home.. food, peace&quiet, view, company, and amenities. He's been home a week today. Here's an excerpt from one of his recent e-mails:


Below are some notes I jotted down for friends who are connected with or have some familiarity with the medical profession. I salute you all.

As I think I may have mentioned this was my first experience with the business end of a hospital in 45 or so years. Boy, did I get my eyes opened! The Health Sciences Center in Winnipeg is a large inner city hospital and in retrospect I can assure you, is not the place for rest and recovery. I now understand why the urology nurse told me, "leave as soon as you are able." The Urology/GI wing was right over top of Emergency and our ward wasn't full, consequently we got the spill over from down below. I got a taste, just a taste mind you, of the equal parts of regimen and chaos that plays out on the weekend in a big city hospital. There were times when I was lying in bed (we were 4 to a room) listening to what was going on beside me (separated by a mere curtain) and I'm sure my eyes looked like poached eggs! I have nothing but thanks and the most sincere admiration for the people who staff those wards and the way they treat the transients like me that blink in and out of their lives on a daily basis.   I couldn't do it.

Insofar as the operation was concerned the surgeon on repeated visits told me it went very well. I lost a lot of blood but appeared to bounce back pretty well once in recovery. As expected the nerve bundles took a hit, but I'm not sure of the extent of that yet. He removed the pelvic lymph nodes and said they looked and felt healthy so he is hopeful that the earlier CT Scan is correct and the cancer has not migrated. The lymph nodes are at the pathologists as we speak and he of course has the final say. I await the results.

I got home December 13th and have been recovering daily. I stiil have the catheter and JP bulb hanging off me but go in Thursday, December 23rd for assessment by the urologist's nurse. I assume it will come out if she likes what she sees. I receive home care nurse visitations 3x a week to change the dressing on the JP drain as well as watch for any other potential complications. Thus far I get an A grade!

I'm walking a good 1 1/2 hours a day, drinking lots of liquid as suggested, and have not taken any pain medication since the weekend. My appetite has returned along with my strength, indeed I have to stop myself from wanting to do more than I should at this stage. So to the best of my knowledge I'm bouncing back. I don't want to come across as too positive because it's early and there are more shoes to drop as you well know, but that said I'm pretty positive.

Once again my thanks for your friendship and good wishes. Last summer Buck told me how important that was - now I get it.

Some Things Change

Entry 28
December 18


Harry is doing well (dare I say, really well). Some things have changed since his return home from the hospital:

• The pup seems to sense that she has to be calm around him.
• Harry is bored. Walk-read-walk-read-eat-walk-read
• His weight has dropped a few pounds. 
• His ablutions take considerably longer.  He still hasn't been in the shower because of the bandage covering the pelvic drain. When the home care nurse comes, she will be replacing that with a water resistant bandage.
• He has increased strength. Now he can wring the washcloth dry. Even though he was asked not to feed the fire when I went out, he added wood because he was enjoying the fire so much. Lifting is a no-no.
• Sleep has become satisfying for him. Getting up from a prone position has become a lot easier.  He doesn't sleep during the day.
• Harry's walks around the house jostle the catheter which then rubs the bladder causing minor irritation, so threads of blood have appeared in the bag. Initially we were worried about it, mainly because it was something new. We contacted our doctor and read a couple of forums on the topic all of which alleviated our concern. Harry says there's a technique to working with the catheter otherwise it can be uncomfortable and inhibits the freedom of movement.  As Wayne J put it to Harry, "You're like a deer with one antler and it has velvet on it - sensitive."  [ Blood in urine forum thread ]
• Other than drinking less coffee and eating more prunes, Harry's diet is becoming quite normal. He craves fruit and vegetables. I didn't tell him there are mixed nuts in the cupboard. He wouldn't be able to resist those. [ What coffee does to your brain ]
• Harry is confused about the pain that came along with this operation and recovery. He had a hard time defining it right from the day of the prostatectomy. There was an adjustment at the hospital when they removed the epidural and IV and then again when he got home with his Tylenol 3s. He experiences only the slightest pain if he presses on his abdomen or leans forward. He hasn't taken any pain killers today.
• The dining room has turned into a dispensary for the home care nurse. A box of 100 pairs of gloves and some abdominal dressing pads arrived via courier yesterday. They've been added to the pile of twenty or more different products. The pile is not shrinking one bit. We've only had the one home care visit in the five days since Harry's been at home.  [Update: The home care nurse visited for the second time in the late afternoon on Saturday. She said Harry is a "stellar patient." ]

Relieved in More Ways Than One

Entry 27

Wednesday, December 15

Caution to blog readers  =:0

We decided to be forthright and write about today's success...

We had been worrying about Harry's bowel function. You would too. After all, it had been a week since his last BM.  Success came today.  All it took was a bearable two day regimen of Senokot (laxative) and Docusate (surfactant used as a laxative and stool softener) with a single dose of Milk Of Magnesia not to mention prunes, prune juice, lots of water, and some bran cereal in addition to regular small meals. The Foley catheter presented only minor logistical problems.  According to Harry, this event was not big on the Richter scale, but was big on the relief scale. 

The home care nurse came for her first visit to change the dressing on the pelvic drain and to answer our questions. We're keeping a log of everything that we observe or measure including temperature, blood pressure, fluid amounts and colors. The home care nurse was complimentary about our notes. There will be home care visits three times a week for a couple of weeks until the foley catheter and pelvic drain are removed.


Harry continues his mini treks around the house, probably pretending he's on the Mantario Trail.

Getting Home After Prostate Cancer Surgery [pdf]