Starting a new Thread (last one ended right before the September 11th
open Benign Retropubic Prostatectomy Surgery after a failed attempt to
use PVP technique on me).

Surgery occurred as planned on September 11th, renowned surgeon and
(by reputation) fine Philadelphia teaching hospital (Pennsylvania
Hospital). Prostate was to be gutted/cored with an additional biopsy
performed on the huge amount of reduced tissue (my prostate was as one
of the docs stated "world championship size" at 158 grams).

Best news was that cancer was ruled out (I had assumed it had already
been ruled-out during the failed PVP surgery but the docs said "we had
much more tissue to check and we weren't going to waste it"). Thank G-
d for that of course.

Gameplan had been do surgery, stick catheter back in, stay in hospital
until 3 days after surgery, remove catheter at Midnight, take 5-6
hours to pee w/o catheter. Out came cath at Midnight of the 3rd day;
3:00 AM I got out of bed and gravity produced a non-voluntary gushing
of uring. I was given a urinal and a decent but not massive amount of
blood-red "red"" emerged. Two hours later I again passed a decent but
not massive amount of blood-red urine. A few minutes after "urination
#2" along came the medical team, heard my story of two "mixed" results
and immediately said the surgery was a success despite my very large
prostate (it had also been wrapped around my bladder) . Discharge
papers were igned at about 6:00 AM Friday Sept. 14th.

Now the horror resumes. After the docs left I again felt the urge to
pee, tried to do so, but NOTHING but drops of blood. Ditto with about
3 subsequent efforts over the next three hours. I called for a nurse
in panic (remember I had been "discharged") and sweet little
bureaucrat thet she was she said very unsympathetically "what do you
want me to tell you the doctors have discharged you". I insisted on
her getting a urologist down to me "stat" 'like that was going to
happen).

About two hours later--I was beyond panic-- a younger doc on my
medical team finally appeared and they did a bladder scan. I was
retaining everything, passing nothing. The young  doc insisted the
surgery had gone well but that perhaps I had extra scarring//swelling
because of the size of my (ex) prostate had made it a little "longer"
after the removal of the catheter to successfully pee. He suggested I
stay "one more night" in the hospital OR see the lead surgeon  in the
doctor's office five days later (catheter back in of course). I chose
the 5 day later option.

Side note: i came into the hospital breathing fine, since the surgery
and continuing until today (September 20th) I've had a hacking dry
cough when I speak and more shortness of breath than I can recall (I'm
a reasonably in shape tennis player) . Things with cough have improved
a bit over time (lead doc prescribed a steroid, Prednisone, to
"address"  the breathing/coughing issue; he never said what caused it
or even what it might be).

5 days after my discharge from the hosp and reinsertion of the
catheter I go to the docs office, catheter removed and again gravity
alone produces a strong leaking to the floor. I make it to the doc's
bathroom and a MASSIVE amount of urine by force, volume and
circumference gushes forth. In the urine was a very large piece of
tissue. The doc says go eat breakfast, drink water/coffee and come
back 90 minutes later to urinate again. At the restaurant I urinate
again (decently, not massively). When I try to go for a Third Time, as
in the hospital, nothing. I'm ready to cry.

I walk back to the docs office, tell  my tale (two good then nothing)
and they do a bladder scan. The doc comes in and says the scan showed
that my bladder was virtually EMPTY and he said go home, be patient
you're doing fine. Home I go.

But when I get home I feel no urge and do not urinate for hours
despite fluid intake. By 8:00 PM in again panicking (no urge but no
output either). At 10:00 PM (12 hours after catheter was removed at
doc's office) I urinate decently. During the night I urinate decently
2 times more. I'm getting a bit encouraged. I should have known
better. It has been 11 hours since my last decent urination.

Though much urine is passing involuntarily through incontinence--oh
yes that comes with the "territory" too--I have had nothing but
dribbles when I try to go. Drinking some water. I feel good (except
for the lingering cough) but until I can urinate three days in a row
in even a semi-normal manner  I know/fear that since more is going in
than coming out it's ony a matter of time until......

Doc's office says we'll watch this until Friday (Sept 21st) then come
in for another bladder scan. I am again ready to cry (I had been
wearing a catheter for 7 weeks up to and after the two surgeries). Any
words of encouragement will be cherished but I just want to pee.....

And that was the short version.