Post Rezum: Week 8

Hey Roderick,

Two months prior to having the Rezum procedure I had to hurry to the Urgent Care center with Acute Urinary Retention. It came on unexpected and by the time I waited to see the Doc it had been over nine hours since I peed. That was why I had the Rezum. I had to wait two months for insurance approval and scheduling so I wore a Foley for the two months. I had general anastesia and it was quick (less than 30 minutes) and painless but I was nervous anticipating the results. I went home wearing a Foley for two weeks. The first attempt to remove the Foley after two weeks was unsuccessful. I went home and peed ok for about four hours and then it blocked up and I had to rush back to be catheterized again. A week later I returned to have it removed again and I had four nurses insert a #24 Foley and irrigate my bladder for an hour. They showed me a large amount of bloody clot-like clumps as they flushed my bladder repeatedly and sent me home with the #24 which was somewhat uncomfortable. They said the larger size diameter would allow any additional clots to flush more easily. A week later I returned to have the #24 removed successfully. I am 2 months post Rezum now and have been peeing pretty much OK. My urgency, frequency, and control are improving. It seems like the bladder has to learn how to respond to the peeing urge and needs retraining after wearing a Foley for three months. At this point I am still recovering but am happy with the results so far. I wish I was better informed about the potential post procedure complications, but everyone is different. I think the excessive clots were parts of my prostrate that were "steam cleaned" and they were blocking my flow along with swelling that is normal after poking around in there. Sorry for the long winded post but I hope it helped you. Any other questions just ask. There is also a lot of information in this forum and I hope it helps. Much luck in moving forward.

very helpful.. thank you

I think I'm more anxious about the catheter for 3 days after than the procedure so hearing your story makes me feel a little silly I have concerns..

thank you and wish you a full healthy recovery

Roderick,

It certainly is not silly to have concerns. We vary in age, size, health and other conditions that cause a difference in healing. The road to improvement can have some surprises as I am finding out. The catheter was not as bad as I thought it would be. Good luck to you as well.

Hey Ken,

Thank you for your response. I have been taking the Flowmax for 3 1/2 months once a day. This doesn't seem very long compared to some of these posts I have been reading. Hard to say how effective it was since I also had a Foley put in the same day I started Flowmax. The Urgent Care Doc prescribed it after his nurse catheterized me.

Thank you for getting back to me. Your going to have to just try it. Don't that the flomax for a 3 or 4 days and see how you do. If you have a problem you can always take it again.

Good luck......Ken

Thank you for responding. I have the plastic beaker but never timed my flow rate. I have measured the volume at around 100 ml - 125 ml. and it doesn't take very long to get that much out. I am going in for a follow up next month to measure retention. It is difficult to measure success as we are all different. For me this is an improvement since I had AUR for two months prior to Rezum and had a Foley in for almost three month total. I am hoping that the absence of Flowmax does not inhibit my improvement process and I am concerned about the possibility of AUR again. Currently I get 4 to five hours of continuous sleep before I have to void and that depends how much Gatorade I drink in the evening.

James,

Gatorade is loaded with electrolytes - lots of sodium, and that causes tissue swelling. Try water or something else. Look at the sodium content on the label. Gatorade is meant as an electrolyte replacement after exercise and sweating. Also, normal Gatorade is loaded with sugar. Again, look at the label.

Tom

Tom,

Thank you for your reply. The Uro nurses sent me home after my Rezum procedure and told me to drink 16 oz. of water per hour to be alternated with Gatorade at the same rate. That's a lot of liquid if you ask me, but I complied with their directive. I guess they though I was dehydrated a bit, but with all that sugar I did feel energized. I have a few bottles left and occasionally have one.

OK - I understand you are just doing as the nurses suggested. Some people drink Gatorade as a regular beverage, and it's loaded with sodium and sugars, so it can cause some bloating and weight gain.

Hey Tom,

I realize that Gatorade should not be included as a regular dietary supplement. At 72 years of age I am 6'-1" and 183 lbs. I am not concerned about weight gain but I hate to put garbage into the old body. I drink absolutely no soda pop and might have 2 beers per month when out for dinner. I do have a weakness for donuts though. Anyway, I would like to find a healthy beverage to drink regularly and all the nutritional labels I read are discouraging. Aside from natural juices, maybe water is the only option. Any suggestions are much appreciated.

James,

I am also 6'1" and weight about 185, so almost identical to you. I drink filtered water, have a couple of blender drinks per day that include some soymilk, high protein powder, a piece of a banana, some honey. Have been doing that for many years. Drinks have varied over time. I also drink high protein supplements. My wife wants me to drink more pure water, and less soymilk. Stopped regular milk a few years ago. Also, no more soda or diet soda. I have to watch my sugar intake as my fasting glucose is slightly above 100. There are a lot of great tasting, zero calorie diet drinks - love em, but have to watch the sodium.

Tom

Tom,

Your diet sounds a lot healthier than mine. I better stick to plain water since I do take meds for hypertension and the sodium is something I try to avoid. The blender drinks sound good but I am too lazy to start that with any regularity.

James,

The blender drinks are fast and easy. Just mix some milk, or soymilk, some high protein powder, a piece of a banana, some fruit, honey if you like or some other sweetener (or none), and zip...a great way to start the day.