urethroplasty next week..... was okay now terrified

Kidney and urinary tract
1

Hi,

am a 41 yr old male and had a urethrotomy ( 1st every anaesthetic and hosp trip.... why couldnt i have a wonky knee?) following a cystoscopy after a bleed which showed id had a whopping stricture prob most if my life, Am under mr moore at eastbourne and go in next wednesday for a couple of nights, anyway after getting so fed uo over xmas with taking forever to wee and massive backpressure ( to the point of hopping up and down and swearing) was kind of looking forwar to gettin it done. Now a 1139pm am wide awake and terrified, there some horror stories online( own fault for looking) and positives would ne welcome, i know im gong to be off work a while and the graft from my cheek is going to hurt, there gong in through my perenium ( cant wait sad...) if ayones had similair could really do with  some positives to keep in mind and any handy tips on livin with a catheter , washing, pain, etc etc...... many thanks..... cj

2

Hi Chris,  

Hopefully by now you are asleep.  

It is absolutely vital to keep a Positive Mental Attitude.  You have to believe that once the immediate pust-op discomfort passes,  your symptoms of old,  will be much relieved.

I wish you all the best for a favourable outcome and every good fortune.   Do not despair ... You are not alone.

Regards

dudley

3

Hi Chris I'm going to give it to you straight. I had one at the end November without the graft.  If the stricture is under 5 cm they will just cut it out and stitch it together.  If they do the garft its going to be a painful thing and you will wonder why you did it.

Get out a calandar and circle the day you are expected to be over the pain and focus on getting there.  Each day is slow going but it will get better.  But do not fool yourself, so go in with a fighting attitude or your going to complain all the way and thats worse.  You will upset your family and friends if you carry on.  Its a long time for them help you and they will get weary even if its litening to you gripe.

Now keep in mind, if you dont do this operation you are going to get sick.  You have no choice.

Here are some thoughts you must keep in mind.  The catheter is not going to hurt but it is going to get in the way and you will curse it.  You will look and feel like an old man in a nursing home and you will pitty yourself.

When you wake up you have to wait in bed while the wound drains and they have to remove this little vacume bottle hanging in between your legs and needled into the scar.

But you are mobile with the catheter.  Just remember to drink lots and empty the bag.  Make sure the bag is nice and tight on your leg or it will move around and get a bit tangled.  Make sure you have some loose long pants or very long cargo shorts.

To clean, take the bag off and tie it to the shower handle.  Make sure you have a hair dryer so after a shower you can dry it all off (tie it to a towel rail and dry) or you get a wet pants leg.  You can give the tube a good tug and even drop the bag and it wont pull out. There is a big air baloon up in your bladder keeping it there.

To leep you have a night bag.  It attaches to the hose rinsed out each morning with a bit of liquid soap but dont touch the smaller bag.

Each morning and evening use some iodine eg betadine liquid and clean around the end of the penis and clean the tube.  Grab and push and pull the tube and move it in and out about 1cm to stop it sticking and crusting. It wont hurt you.  that will reduce infection chances.

When you go to the toilet make sure you dont strain.  Use stool softener or coloxyl to keep everything easy or you may push too hard causing a urine bypass where you pee outside the catheter.  Its OK to see some pee come out of the penis as long as its a little dribble.  If its too much you might have a clot in the catheter and need a new one.  Oh dont forget some peoplke have to change the catheter tube themselves daily.  It is no big deal to have one and move it.

If you do OK you might get the catheter out in a week without a graft or 3 weeks with a graft.

When its out the flow is absolutely fantastic.

Problems.  You penis may be numb in spots.  Your erections may be sad and sorry.  Sex may be on hold for a fair while.  You are not going to be broken so get that out of your mind now. 

It takes at least 6 weeks to fix the minor small nerve damage.  Your sack will have a cut along it.  The scar is quite quick to heal and quite rubbery for the rest of your life.  While you have the catheter in, you can feel the tube under the skin under the sack.  Thats what is uncomfortable when you sit until it comes out.

Before Surgery

The surgery is long.  Drink a cup of water each hour before the fasting begins for a good day.  You need to be hydrated so you dont recover poorly after the surgery.  Take coloxyl and a stool softener 24 hours before the surgery so you poo easy when you wake up. The endone and other pain killers will constipate you.  Keep that going for a fair while after the surgery.

 

4

Thanks for replies, didnt sleep much but hey!, think i just needed a vent just to clarify ive got two seperated strictures small but tight 2cm apart, the surgeon is seeing me agai friday ouside of clinic hours to fo through any questions again. He said ill be cut on the perenium away from the dangly bits which is a relief.

Oddly enough not that worried about the catheter, just the whole darn lot, am reasonably healthy and quit smoking 2 years ago, weights ok and have been working in the nhsfor the last 10+ years so i should know what to expect.

I'm lucky ive got a supportive partner and friends , i was assauted in 2001 leaving work whe i libed in brighton and had 6 teeth broken and open drains in my mouth for a month, in hindsight its probably the reminder of that thats keeping me nervous!....daft really..... but your right, focus on the positives.... we had what should have been a wonderfull trip to london at xmas, and i spent it making sure i went to the loo all the time so I didnt get uncomfortable..... not great...

surgeon is a really nice chap and is bery upfront.... ill keep you all posted.... tbh its the mouth graft that worries me most lol.... daft really.....

chris

5

Not daft at all Chris !  Of course, we are frail human beings. But In the past you have had to show a lot of courage and you know that to do so takes a certain mind-set which is,   in my humble opinion,   a gift from God.

As you have by Grace received in the past,  so you will receive now and in the future.  You are not facing this alone.  Our Lord said : ' Fear not ' and ' I am with you always '.  And as you believe,  so it shall be.

( Personally,  I can't do anything without His help.   It seems  incredible to me that I've had 2 TKR's,  a Cartablation,  a GSV removal,  a Prostate r-ebore,  a Gleason biopsy,  a mini -TURP and BNI,  42 EBRT's and a urethral lesion removed,  all since 2009.  And I have recovered and am recovering from these extraordinarily well.  But although I do what is expected of me,  I absolutely KNOW that my current well -being is by the Grace of God.  I don't crow about it and I know that I do not deserve it.  But He has preserved me for a reason and I have ultimately come to realise that it is because,  unworthy as I am,  He has nevertheless chosen me to give testimony.  There is no other reason for it.  Based on merit,  I should have perished long ago.  My own Brother died of encephalitis derived from CJD,  when he was 20 yrs 10 months old and I,  17.  And looking back,  I can see that next to what I am,  he was faultless.  So up until it was made clear to me recently,  what my obligation is,  I was  ( and still am to a degree). mystified as to why I have been preserved.  As regards human purpose,  I have been given to understand that all Life is  a gift from God and that in this Earthly condition,  we are on a journey back to God whom we are at liberty to deny and displease,  but who will nevertheless receive us,  just as we are,  if we believe.

So please,  put yourself in His hands Chris and you will endure well and survive and you can become a testament and a scource of hope, encouragement and comfort to others.

I freely admit I would feel scared to be facing what you are about to undertake,  but hand in hand with my fears,  is my trust in God. ' Ask and you shall receive '.  People go :  ' yeah, yeah'.   But these are absolute promises from the Son of God.  And He will not ask you to go through anything that,  with His help, you cannot bear.  I believe He was with my Brother in his journey out of this life ... That He came for Peter ... That where He,  The Saviour is there my Brother is also.  

So please Chris,  trust me in all that I humbly and most reverentially say and believe without wavering and with total confidence,  in Him.

I have prayed the Father,  God,  that He be with you now and keep you  forever in His sight.

Dudley

 

6

That is tremendous advice/info Bootsy.  I've been visiting the PC/Uro Forums since about March 14.  I've never seen better and to have the physical and attitudinal side of things covered so comprehensively from first-hand experience,  invaluable.

I hope I may be excused in that,  in a rather self-conscious amateur way,   I have tried to address the Spiritual side of things.  I would that others could have done it,  but ...where are they ! ?