Hey, Dave, thanks for asking.

Surgery went fine on Monday.  They called me from the ER about 3 times.
They said they would, and I thought that sounded fine, but it was
actually odd.   Called to tell me surgery started at 8:10.  Called
after the lymph nodes were all removed, it went well.  Called when the
prostate was removed, went well.  Now they'd be sewing up the
urethra....  Wasn't prepared to be visualizing it that closely.
Different.

After surgery, the doctor said it went very well.  Lost maybe 150 ccs
of blood.  I asked about margins, he said the seminal vesicles were a
little sticky to the rectum and difficult to ferret apart, but that
could be residual inflammation from the biopsy.  That this hospital was
slower than some on the path reports, between 1 and 2 weeks.  That he
was happy about his nice strong bladder neck (I think I'm getting this
right), and thinking that was a good sign for future continence.

The one thing I promised Steve was about pain.  I just assumed that
pain control was a given in any hospital in America.  Well, (a) no
self-controlled drip, (b) 2 mg dose of morphine.  Doesn't seem enough.

I went off on them this morning becasue I didn't believe they'd given
him any morphine.  I can tell by his face.  The tension and color, I
doubt it shows to strangers.  Also he didn't sleep much last night.
The roommate weighs about 600 pounds, and all his equipment that keeps
him breathing sounded like a freight train.  Was malfunctioning.
People would come in and 'fix' it, in 1 minute it would start again.
Finally about 4 a.m. someone went over there and (we think) just
unplugged it.  Then his IV drip kept doing this "beep.  beep.  beep."
(very maddening with no sleep).  I kept asking them to stop it, they'd
go press "silent" (I think) and it would start back up in a minute.
Finally I just went out there, kind of between crying and yelling in a
whisper, and went on and on.  About them not giving him anything for
pain, about the goddamn defective equipment that kept him from sleeping
and was driving me crazy.  Then I felt bad, went and ate.  All that was
about 5 I think, it had been going on since I got back here at 4:00.
Plus what Steve reported about between 10 pm and 4:00.

The nurse somehow stopped that "beep.  beep.  beep." So the rest of the
time was bearable.  They moved Steve to a room with a guy named Bob who
had a TURP today.  About an hour ago.  He's trying to sleep now.

I talked to the doctor about getting his bowels moving before
discharge.  He said no.  Also he hasn't given stool softeners.  We said
something about that in one of the pre-op visits and he said he didn't
do that, but we didn't really key into that then.  Well, it is a big
big deal to me now.  I think the least we can do is at least try to get
that going.  Unless you don't think it is a big deal?  The doctor said
they weren't anywhere near the bowels and it wouldn't be a big deal.
Maybe I'm reading something into this from my expierence that doesn't
apply to a RRP.

The doctor would send him home tomorrow (he said at 7 a.m.) but I sure
couldn't see that then.  Plus we will stay in town for a couple of
days.  He doesn't want to stay with friends.  I have to find a motel
with a recliner.  Hmmmm.  I think he should be more ready.  He's been
up twice so far today.  Was shooting for 4 times but it will probably
be 3 walks.  Its getting in and out of bed, of course.  Not walking so
much.  But if his pain was better managed it probably wouldn't be so
tough.

This is a volunteer-staffed little library in the hospital and it
closes at six p.m.  It's 3:30 now.  So I'll try to come back right
before six and see if y'all have anything to say.  The doctor does
rounds about 6-6:30 a.m.

I sound stressed but this is a very, very good hospital.  Good Sam in
Phoenix.  I am so happy to be here.  Just, you know, lack of sleep and
lack of power to fix everything.  :o)

laurel

Your CC is the long tent pole. If it were just an RP, you'd be out in
3-4 days. But your ticket out of the hospital after colon surgery is a
bowel movement, which can easily take a week. They must be certain your
bowel is working again before releasing you. (I wish to HELL I had known
that; I'd love to have seen their faces when I showed 'em some plastic
dog doo on about Day Three.)

Told in advance I would be there for 6-8 days, I took some books and
mags. Yeah, right; even light doses of morphine wipe out one's
short-term memory so thoroughly that reading is a joke. Even TV was
challenging to my thought processes, partly because I was so sleepy that
it took conversation or walking to keep me really awake. Even though
they said I was using far less morphine than most people (I just didn't
need it), hospitals are about as conducive to sleep as watching a good
football game ... from front row seats on the 50-yard line.

Take a good lively, brainless -- but not funny -- novel and a few mags
in case you're the exception to morphine's effects, tell anybody who
cares that you'll be home in 6-8 days barring problems, and try to enjoy
your few hours a day of APPARENT lucidity. (You won't recognize your
mental impairment, but your visitors will. Presume you will forget most
details and write down anything you really need to remember later.)

Prune juice!

I.P.

I went in on early Monday morning and was released on Thursday about
noon.  My doc said I could go home on Wednesday, but I begged to stay
another day for the beef stroganoff that was to be served on Thursday.  

It was terribly good.

Cheers,

Dale j.