Dear All,

My surgery is done (one nerve "saved")!  Here are my comments:

- Pre-surgery at USC/Norris Cancer Center went well on May 9.  I was
asked not to eat/drink anything after midnight and be there at 7 am.

- On the day of the surgery (May 10 @ 7 am), all IV tubes were
connected, and I went to pee twice while they were preping me :-)  The
last shot in the IV was pre-anesthesia med with an explaination that I
will be given the "real" thing in the operating room, and this was just
to make me relax.

- Said goodbye to my girlfriend, and told her that I'll see her at
lunch.  After this, all I remember is being wheeled through a
door..................  Next ........ I woke up in the recovery room at
about 1 or 2 pm, I threw up in my respirator!  I guess I missed "it"
completely.  (Last week I learned from CNN that this pre-anesthesia
medication is the "date rape" drug we hear about)

- The doctor came to see me at about 6 pm and ordered me to be on
regular food (they took back the 'broth!).  I was in no mood to eat,
had a spoonful of Jello and felt like throwing up.  I ate 3 meals the
next day - about 30% of what they gave me.

- All day and night, the nurses were busy, doing something every 2
hours or so.....  to keep me hydrated, antibiotics etc. etc.  I had
control of the pain medication ( I could push the button for 1 ml. once
every 10 minutes).  They told me the next day that I pushed this thing
only 3-4 times.  In other words, I had no pain or....  I have high
tolerence for pain.

- On May 11, I started walking slowly....  but could walk for a long
time.  I probably walked a total of 30+ minutes that day.

- On May 12, I walked a lot at 3 am to get my bowls moving.  Once that
happened, I was cleared to go home.  Please remember....  the less pain
killers you take, the better chance one has of not getting
constipation.

- Results:  The path results on my shrunk (harmones) prostate are all
great- Gleason confirmed at 7, Lymph nodes negative, negative margins,
no seminal vesicles involvement. (I had a PSA of 30 with a G7 before
RRP).

- From May 12 to May 21 (today), I have become fairly independent,
although a bit week.  Took me 2 nights before I could get out of bed
un-assisted.  I have not taken any of the prescription pain medication
they prescribed to date.  I did purchase a recliner, I use it during
the day.  I did not sit in it until I had strength (May 16).  I do not
nap during the day, but try to keep active.  I decided to use the big
bag hung on a bucket for my cath rather than small one strapped to my
leg.  I wearing a t-shirt and a robe, and walking around with the
bucket.  The robe is handy with the pockets for the phone.   I am very
careful with my food intake (oats, salads, fruit, juices - Cranberry,
pomegranate - add orange juice to take out the tart taste).

Next: Cath comes out on Thursday, May 25.

I highly recommend USC/Norris Cancer Hospital, my euro Dr. E. Skinner
and two others who came on rounds to see me - Drs. Skinner (no
relation) and Stein are simply fantastic.  What a great team, together
with their interns!

I am glad I changed my euro and the hospital to USC when I went there
for a 2nd opinion - 2 weeks prior to my originally scheduled date.

Sorry for the long post.  God bless you all.