My Bipolar TURP Experience 4/5/19

Have been active here for several years, and after considering all treatment options decided to have a bipolar TURP. My retention issues were becoming intolerable and I was spending hours in the bathroom every night trying to pee - absolutely ruining my sleep. Tried to self cath a couple of weeks ago but pain was extreme so that was not an option for me. Some here do CIC and say good things about it, but we're all different.

Pre-Op:

Was advised to go off all vitamins and supplements for the week prior. Got a call from pre-op nurse and she went over my medical history and meds. Went into the Kaiser Surgery Clinic and received a package of: ClearFast Nutrition Drink and Chlorhexidine Gluconate body wipe cloths.

Last evening did not have anything other than water after dinner. At 10pm, per instructions, showered and shampooed my hair. At 11pm wiped my body with the antibiotic cloths. Wife did my back. No itching, and the Chlorhexidine smelled fresh.

My scheduled arrival time at hospital was 6:05am, so 2 hours before, again as instructed, drank the ClearFast (18oz). Pleasant tasting, like diluted sport drink. Mostly dextrose.

Checked in at 6:05am, went to prep area about 6:30. Tried to pee twice with minor success, then changed into surgical gown. All clothes put in a bag. Wallet checked into their safe. They recommended this.

Spoke with a couple of additional nurses, and two anesthesiologists. Decided on general rather than spinal, which I have had before. My uro came by briefly.

By about 7:30 wheeled into operating room. Some chat with nurses, then woke up, and wondered when we would begin - was told it was over! I had a Foley draining into a night bag, bladder felt somewhat full and a bit irritated. They were doing the saline draining procedure. Uro came by and said the urine color looked good, and there wasn't a lot of bleeding during the operation.

They called my wife, who came to pick me up. She and a nurse helped me to stand up, and the bladder irritation subsided. I actually went home in my hospital gown with a shirt on top - didn't want to attempt to put on my pants or shoes. They give you little hospital socks.

Home by about 10:30m, sooner

than expected. Before leaving the hospital the nurse switched my drain bag to a leg bag and we secured it with tape, straps. At home I padded my underpants and applied Neosporin to increase lubrication and kill bacteria.

Absolutely no prostate pain. Where the Foley inserts into the tip of the penis there is irritation. I have experienced this five years ago when I had Foleys in and out for five weeks after radiation for prostate cancer, so I am "sort of" used to the irritation. It gets better. Took a Tylenol and that helped.

Now been home for 4 hours and urine stream is still pink, but appears to be clearing. Continue to drink water. I empty the bag into my urine measuring beaker, and an hour ago emptied 400ml - that's 1 hour! So, the hospital pumped water into me, and I have been drinking at home, not concerned about retention because of the Foley,

They did give me an antibiotic at the hospital - don't know which one but not Cipro. Also, I believe they gave me something to constipate me, because I am unable to make that happen. Normally, I go in the morning, so I feel a bit blocked up.

There is some blood coming from the penis tip where the catheter inserts, but not much in the urine stream, so that is doing well. That nagging urge to pee is, at least for now, gone away, as my bladder is continuously empty.

I was told to keep the Foley in for 3 days. I know how to remove my own, and will do so on Monday morning, then we will see how I am doing. I was told that if the Foley drain tube gets blocked by a clot I could manually rub the clot and it should then pass. In a worst case scenario there is always the ER, but so far , so good with the Foley. More later....

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