REZUM--HAVE YOU HAD THIS DONE???????

Nisvan, I agree with your suggestion to self-cath as long as you want to. I did that for several months until I did my due diligence in researching the options available.

I did eventually opt for the Rezum, and after a quick and easy procedure almost a year ago now, my prostate is half the size that it was, and ALL functions are perfectly normal. Actually it only took a few weeks after the procedure and my flow was like 40 years ago.

If I sound like I'm trying to convince guys to go with Rezum, there's a reason for it: it works. And it's perfectly logical: only prostate tissue is removed (by your body's natural processes). While there have been a few reported issues with RE on here, the actual statistics are that about 6% may get it.

I would have had no problem self-cathing for much longer, but when Rezum became available to me, that was the 'magic bullet' for me.

Again, I strongly agree with you on the self-cathing. It also made it so much easier after the procedure to continue to self cath for the short recovery time after the procedure.

@ken19524: Nisvan, I agree with your suggestion to self-cath as long as you want to

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Just to 2nd Nivan and Ken's comments.

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1st self-cathing for a sometimes long period of time is an important part of the healing process as if your BPH was accompanied by AUR and your bladder wall muscles were damaged by being stretched out for too long, self-cath is the best (and only) thing that you can do to exercise your bladder wall muscles by expanding and contracting them as long as you consistently stay under 400 ml. Going over occasionally, is not the end of the world

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While, I disagreed with the 1st urologist that I saw about doing a TURP, I did agree with him that "self-cathing is the best thing that you can do for your bladder" which were his exact words, and not mine. Nivan has a point that many urologists will advocate for the procedure that they do. The 3rd urologist that I saw and eventually did my Rezum has done a range of procedures over their career so knew the pros and cons of them.

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2nd, as Ken said, while you are self-cathing for several months, you have the time to do your due diligence in researching the options available. If you want to dig deep into the various BPH treatment options, both surgical and non-surgical, Google Scholar is by far the best search engine. Any of the other search engines will work for more general information. This forum was invaluable for helping me to find the urologist who eventually did my Rezum.

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I chose Rezum for the same reasons as Ken. I was very fortunate to have a close family member who I have known for over 60 years and has been an MD for over 40 years to guide me through the process. Together we reviewed the various surgical options and he steered me towards Rezum for the same reasons as mentioned by Ken and me. I realize that most on this forum do not have this advantage so I have tried to share what I learned from the family-member-MD.

//

Tomorrow, I will be one week post-Rezum so the verdict is still out for me. Last night, I did a load of laundry and the lifting resulting in more bleeding. There is a lot less blood today. I did not think that the laundry was all that heavy but it was over the 10 pound limit given to me by the doctor. The moral of the story being to follow the doctor's orders and don't over do it too soon.

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Good luck to all!

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Steve

After reading some accounts from guys whose Rezum procedures were less than fully successful, I would suggest that anyone thinking about getting a Rezum procedure insist on an imaging of their prostate by the urologist doing the procedure. I don't believe that a cystoscopy by itself is enough. I've read about a couple of situations where the urologist proceeded with a Rezum procedure using only a cystoscopy. Evidently the manufacturer doesn't require that the urologist use an image prior to the procedure, but IMHO it just makes sense, and should be part of the procedure. My urologist used a TRUS (TransRectal UltraSound), which is a quick and easy way for him/her to more precisely locate the steam injections for maximum benefit and less chance of problems. A high resolution 3T MRI might be better yet, but probably isn't absolutely required.

As a reminder, these are only my opinions as a non-medical person. But I think that they do make sense.

Steven

I know you know better but you have to listen to the doctor. What you feel is not heavy activities. It's the bending and the moving off the arms and legs

Just be careful you do not want yo jeopardize your recovery.

Take care and watch what you do. Think before you do it........

All the best......................Ken

Hey Ken,

//

Yup, I should have known better and I screwed up and lifted too much weight last night. I just emptied my bag and the color is almost back to normal so I am back on the road to recovery.

//

Thanks for your support,

//

Steve

ken,

i totally agree that the dr doing the procedure does the trus.

CJ

No problem

Ken

Well I went to my urologist this morning for my frequency of urination problem, and feelings of urgency, and it's pretty clear based on previous testing that my likely issue is an overactive bladder/cystitis, and not a prostate blocking urine from flowing out the bladder. Initially I was told that I had an enlarged prostate and would eventually have to have a procedure, like Rezum.

So the physical therapy exercises I got "to help with pelvic floor tension," has helped but not entirely eliminated the problem. One theory is that since urine is somewhat acidic, the natural mucous lining of my bladder/urethra may be more sensitive.

Steve / CJ,

Any updates on your Rezume?

Tim

David

Grad that you did the test you needed to find out what the problem it.

I have to call today and make appointment. I have to go for pelvic floor therapy. My doctor thinks it will help.

I'll see.......Ken

Thanks Ken.

It does help, especially if I'm diligent about making sure to do the exercises daily.

It's still not a 100% solution for me but there's still a lot of unknowns out there.

David

Hi Tim,

.

I see the urologist for a follow up on Thursday, December 13. I will post a progress report soon after that.

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So far so good but I am having daily cycles of blood in my pee. I have blood in the evening and then I am OK by morning. After talking with the family-member-MD, I have now become a total couch potato 🥔 and I am doing nothing but channel surfing 📺 and snoozing 💤. I have stopped any exercising for now.

.

The family-member-MD says that we have daily cycles with our blood pressure and it goes up just enough in the evening to get a damaged blood vessel bleeding. He said that if it was a nose after 2 weeks he would find it and cauterize it so he assumes that if this continues, they will do the same by way of a cystoscope.

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The Rezum FAQ says that you can bleed for up to about 2 weeks. I am just one of those lucky bleeders.

.

Steve

David

Glad it is helping I will see if it helps me.

Ken

Hang in there buddy.

David,

.

You seem to be pretty conscious of what you eat and drink. I am assuming that you are not taking in anything in that is increasing the acidity. My current cat has chronic colitis so she is on a very restricted diet as part of IBD is an extreme food sensitivity.

.

Steve

Hello Steve,

I am conscientious and perhaps I need a more alkaline diet, which would mean being practically vegan. I can do that, I've done it before. But I do like to each some salmon, and some chicken. I think one thing to make my diet more alkaline is just to insure enough Potassium, Magnesium and Calcium is in the diet, i.e. lots of vegetables, beans.

In your situation, if you have the condition with too much iron in your system, your bleeding might actually be helping you.

David

@nisvan: Hang in there buddy.

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Thanks. I am not used to adopting such a suddenly sedentary lifestyle over the last few days and I am already feeling a bit stir-crazy.

im also have a drop of blood at the start of every pee. im close to where i was prior to rezum. told it could be a few weeks or months till i notice major improvements.

David,

I am in a similar situation. I have to go to the bathroom about every 1.5 hours, day and night. In Feb I was scoped and told my bladder was OK. I then tried PTNS and the pelvic floor exercises, which I still do. Nothing helped. I am getting up 5-7 times per night and it takes me a long time to clear my bladder - don't really know if it's cleared or not. I had a couple of PVR ultrasounds and I am retaining 170ml in my bladder. So, at night, my bladder wakes me up frequently. My uro doesn't think treatment of the prostate will make much difference. So, I really don't know what to do at this point. I measured my urine flow at night and it's about 100ml per hour. So, after an hour and a half that's 150ml, then add the 170ml of retention and that's 320ml, and at that point my bladder wakes me up. If I could just clear my bladder completely that would buy me some time sleeping. I would be happy only getting up 2-3 times per night.

Just wondering if this sounds familiar given your situation?

Tom

Hello Tom,

I'm not retaining much urine. So today for example at the urologist I only had 17 ml in my bladder after peeing.

If I had as much urine retention as you did I would have definitely taken up self-cathing by now. Nisvan talks about his experience with learning self-cathing.

My frequency has something to do with maybe an irritation of the bladder rather than urinary retention.

If urinary retention were the cause of urinary frequency than self-cathing would have been a clear and obvious path to take.

David.

By the way it's always helpful to get a second opinion from a 2nd urologist, preferably not in the same practice as your current urologist. Try to find a 2nd opinion from a urologist that went to the better medical schools.

Any discomfort ? burning, aching, etc

@tom86211: So, after an hour and a half that's 150ml, then add the 170ml of retention and that's 320ml, and at that point my bladder wakes me up.

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For over 9 months, I kept detailed records of self-cath times and volumes in an Excel spreadsheet and 320 ml will definitely wake me up. Before I went to bed, I would self-cath even if I did no feel the need to pee and my output was often 150 ml or less. That would definitely buy me a few hours at night.

.

I recommend that you consult a urologist about self-cathing before going to bed as a possible solution. Getting a 2nd opinion from a 2nd urologist as David suggested is a good idea. I saw 3 urologists until I chose the one who did my Rezum. I did not find self-cathing to be difficult after the 1st few days.

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Good luck,

.

Steve

Hi, have you considered CIC (self catheterization)?

I was in a similar situation and self-cathing really helped me... now I only get up once a night to cath (I cath right before bedtime and a total of 4X, sometimes 5X/day if I have a glass of wine or 2)... what a relief and MUCH better sleep.

yes, but Is cic a reasonable long-term solution?

For some it is... and yes, it IS a hassle of sorts... but it sure will give you better comfort, health and sleep while you figure out what to do to fix the problem...

I know... I am in the same boat... considering a Urolift... but need a few more tests and opinions first... so for now... CIC is far better than getting up 6 times/night and carrying around a lot of residual... always.

😃

agree. thanks

cic can be a hassle, sure, but once you've done it a handful of times, you'll see it takes about as much time as it does to pee (about 4 1/2 minutes). It allows you to continue to "practice" regular peeing, with the original equipment, any time you want to. I had AUR 3 times during September and October; because I didn't know anything about self-cathing, it meant 3 trips to the ER, and wearing a Foley for 60 days. Had I known how to self-cath, I could have avoided all that. If you have BPH, if you're peeing is sometimes dribbling instead of streaming, if you're waking 2 or more times a night, then know, you're a millimeter away, maybe less, from getting AUR - acute urinary retention, as in, you cannot pee at all. And when you get AUR the first time, you'll wander around your house a few hours like a deranged monkey, wondering what to do; hopefully you'll go to the ER. But you can avoid all that. You can learn from a nurse, or, learn on your own, how to self-cath, and you can buy these catheters - they're pretty cheap - a couple of bucks per cath, online. Have them with you whereever you go. They can save your life. And like they do as many have stated on this board, they can let you deal with your BPH, (and maybe even overcome it), for as long as you want, while you weigh the pros and cons of having a procedure and learning more about them. Overcoming BPH, without drugs, and without a procedure, is doable. Herbal remedies are no joke - clinical studies show they can provide the same amount of relief from symptoms over a 4 month period as tamsulosin and finasteride, without the side effects - as can a change in diet (less sodium, sugar, and alcohol).

Steven,

My nocturia is getting worse and the idea of doing CIC is worth serious consideration until I can get my retention issue solved. A few years ago I had radiation for prostate cancer (cured) and a side effect was prostate swelling, that required Foley catheters for 5 weeks until I could pee on my own. Toward the end of the period I did get some hydrophylic catheters and learned CIC. At first it was impossible for me to push the catheter up the urethra without some blood and pain - actually my first attempt was a complete failure. But, I did learn how to complete the process and it really helped me out on a few occasions. I still have some catheters ready to use in an emergency. But, the process wasn't something I would want to do again unless it was absolutely necessary. The way things are going, it might come to that. As for a second opinion, I have HMO insurance and would have to pay out of pocket for any other uro - perhaps that would be money well spent. I have been considering a bipolar TURP as a solution - had a PAE with limited success, and have considered Urolift. At this point I just need to get a good nights sleep. Getting up 5-7 times per night is beginning to wear on me psychologically.

Thank you for your excellent advice,

Tom

@tom86211: My nocturia is getting worse and the idea of doing CIC is worth serious consideration

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Hi Tom,

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You are welcome. I am glad that I have been able to help.

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This time last year, my noctunia was getting really bad and I was getting up 4 or 5 times a night and getting no sleep so I hear what you are saying. On the afternoon of New Year's Eve, I passed a kidney stone and the seriousness of my BPH and AUR soon became evident. I would put my IPSS at 29 at the time but I did not know what the IPSS and AUR were at the time. When they put the Foley in 2 weeks later, they took out 2 liters of pee.

.

I bled for about a week when they put the Foley in and then 3 1/2 weeks later when they took it out and I started self-cathing, I bled a little during the 1st week and then I had no problem after that. I have always used the red latex reusable catheters with the curved tip size FR 14 and a tube of lube. I soak the catheter in isopropyl alcohol before and after each use after getting a minor UTI.

.

I know that selecting catheters has been a topic on this forum, but I never had a problem with self-cathing so it was never an issue for me. We are all different though. I must have a Cast Iron C__k (CIC) 😁

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My insurance is with an HMO (Kaiser) and the Kaiser urologist only did TURP so I ended up on spending out-of-pocket to see the urologist who did my Rezum. I have a high deductible so I would have to spend out of pocket either way. I do not regret making the decision to see a urologist outside of my HMO when the HMO only offered a procedure that I did not want to do.

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At this time, I am less than 2 weeks post-Rezum so the jury is still out. n Thursday, December 13, I see the urologist next and I plan to post a report soon after that.

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Take care,

.

Steve

Steven,

I read a post by someone on this web site, last summer, about doing rezum with a Kaiser doctor in Oakland California. I know this is late and you would have had to travel to have it done there. Perhaps some others would use this information.

Thomas

Steve,

My IPSS score is also near 30, and I am also with Kaiser. I had a PAE at Kaiser in Oakland, CA a year and a half ago and it was a minor success. For a while I went off the Flomax, but am back on it now and the nocturia is worse. So, I am now seriously considering a bipolar TURP. I really just want to be able to sleep at least a few hours at at time. CIC would be an emergency measure for me if I were to go into full retention. I am happy I have the catheters and know how to use them just "in case", but wouldn't want to make this a regular thing. All of this has an effect on my mood - my wife doesn't want me to complain anymore and I can understand her concern.

Tom

Hi Tom,

.

Kaiser approves the procedures that they do on a state-by-state basis. I talked to someone with NxThera several months ago and they said that Kaiser of California was looking into Rezum. Personally, I would not want to get on an airplane wearing a bag and I would probably have to go through some additional security hoops too.

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The family-member-MD and I looked into PAE and we dismissed it in favor of Rezum. The family-member-MD did not like the potentially dangerous complications of any embolism based procedure. Bipolar TURP appears to have similarities to Greelight Laser TURP in that they both cauterize and vaporize the prostate.

.

If your IPSS is near 30, you are probably beyond the effectiveness of Flomax, Finasteride, or any herbal remedies, at least that was the case for me. At IPSS 30 you probably need surgery. So the question now becomes which surgical option to choose. With the guidance of the family-member-MD, I went for less invasive first.

.

Before any further surgery, I assume that you have done a cystoscopy and measurement of your prostate's size so you and the urologist know the type of obstruction (lateral, median or both) and the size of your prostate so that you have that information when you decide on the next surgical step.

.

I hear you on the lack of sleep and how it effects your mood and quality of life. I was there for several months and it was miserable. When the Foley was put in me last January, it was wonderful to wake up after getting a full night's sleep again. Then, I had to empty the bag...

.

There are now 2 more days left until my post-Rezum follow up with the urologist.

.

Take care,

.

Steve

Hey David

Sometimes we have to change what we eat to improve our body.

It is not all the time what you eat it is also the amount your eat to. This morning I got a e-mail that was talking about this.

1. Stay away from Red Meats and Chicken
2. Eggs
3. Dairy
4. Sugar
5. Can Foods ( That have Biesphenol in it )

I try to stay away from red meats don't by them for myself. But if my son what a steak I'm not going to stop him. If he buys it I will cook it for him. We do eat some Chicken I do like Fish which is good for you.

Eggs I have once in a while. You read many reports some say there good and some say there bad about eggs. It is up to you. When I bake sometimes if you do not want to use eggs you can use 1 Tablespoon of vinegar and 1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda. This will work for substitute for 1 egg

Dairy I try to stay away the only time I use milk is in cereal. One or twice a week.

Sugar is my down fall. I use to bake all the time. The kids loved it. Made cakes, pies cookies. ( My wife was not a home body ) I think that is how I ended up weighting 340 pounds. Don't do it much now. I may make a apple pie once in a while but when my 7 year old grand daughter spends the night. She loves to peel the apples. ( I have a apple peeler that peels and cores the apple )

I think this is the most important. Watch the can foods that you are buying because of the Biesphenol that they use. There are like 79 products that you can find that in. It can cause anything from cancer to ED in men ( That is what the study said ) You can find it listed on some cans and plastic bottles.

The best thing is to look before you buy any cans and buy things in glass. Try to eat a lot of fresh vegetables they are good for you. There are some that are good for your prostate. Bell peppers, Kale, Broccoli, Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts are some of them.

Some Oils, Fish, Nuts, Fruits and Garlic can help with inflammation there are other stuff you can find. It will help a lot of your body and they do have Anti-inflammatory Diets.

Well good luck to all. We have to do what we feel is right for us. If changing the diet will keep me healthy so be it. Over the last few years I did change the way I eat and what I eat. Down to 185 but I just went off the diet in the middle of the summer and I am going down hill. You can't do that you. You have to keep up what is helping you

Take care and Good health to all...........................Ken

steve,

good luck with your upcoming visit.

its 12 days out for me also. after an amazing day 4( the day they took out my foley) things went down and are now back to about where i was prior to the procedure. ive been told it takes time, so i feel the worse is behind me.

fyi,

getting on a plane with a leg bag was no problem whatsoever. no extra security issues at all.

Thank you Ken. I have been having a pretty health diet as you described. I don't eat canned foods. I stay away from sugar, processed foods, and red meet. Occasionally, I have chicken, eggs. I hardly ever have dairy. I mainly eat nuts, beans, vegetables, fruits, olive oils, some grains like rice, steel cut oats, ground flax seed, etc.

Changejobs,

.

Good thing to know that airport security is OK with leg bags. It has been a long time since I was on a plane. So I take it that you had to fly in for your Rezum?

.

Thursday morning, I cut the tube for the water balloon on my Foley and take it out. Then I have breakfast, drink, hangout at home for a few hours and see if I can pee before the 1 hour drive to the urologist. Better to try peeing before the 1 hour drive then after.

.

I am still getting some blood in the overnight bag or in my bladder when I use the plug so that I can exercise my bladder. I pull the plug again in about 1/2 hour.

.

Steve

David.

No problem. What ever works for you.

I have to stay away from pasta, rice and potato's to much starch.

Take care..........Ken

Steven,

There was a person named Stan, on this web site who had FLA done in Texas and four days later flew to Austria with a foley catheter. He said it was not to much of a problem.

Thomas

i also still get blood when i start peeing.

as i said, when the foley was taken out, i peed great right then. however, have not peed that well since but at least back to where i was before the procedure.

Are you having any pain or discomfort still?

no. only discomfort was the first day or 2.

the foley was uncomfortable but you get uaed to it quickly.

Just to second, no discomfort here other than during the procedure which was really not that painful. Just still some blood in my pee. CJ and I had our Rezums the same day.

Steven,

Did you get your cath out? How are things going?

Tim

Hey Guys,

.

Here is my 2 week post-Rezum report.

.

I had my Rezum procedure around noon on Thursday, November 29. Before the procedure, I had 1 Valium and Percocet. I had a total of 10 steam injections (4 each lateral lobe and 2 median lobe). The pain was never that bad for me with the worst part being the initial insertion of the Rezum instrument as it is rigid.

.

Honestly, the pain never felt that bad. When I have dislocated my shoulders skiing it has always felt a lot worse. After the procedure, I had a Foley put in me for 2 weeks. My driver and I went out to lunch at a place that Al recommended and then I was driven home. I never took the remaining Percocets.

.

The main problem over the 2 weeks that I had the Foley in me was bleeding. I took it easy the day of the procedure but the bag was very red. By morning, it was a lot lighter. The next day, I walked about a 1/2 mile at the grocery store. The next 2 days, I did 2 mile walks each day. Each day the bag got lighter.

.

On Sunday, I did my laundry and carrying the laundry basket started my bleeding again. By Monday at noon, I had a lot less blood so I took a 3 mile walk to get more Finasteride which started the bleeding again. The next few days were spent experimenting with my activity level and resulting bleeding.

.

On Friday, after taking a 1 mile walk, I decided to end any exercise and just be a total couch potato until I saw the urologist for the follow-up the next Thursday. The bleeding definitely had a daily cycle of more in the evening and less in the morning. The family-member-MD and the urologist said that this cycle is common.

.

On Thursday, November 13, I had my 2 week follow-up with the urologist and I could not pee. After having the Foley in for 2 weeks, I took it out at about 8:00 AM and then drank 2 cups (about 550 ml) of cranberry blend juice with breakfast which was 1 egg and 1 slice of toast with jam so it added a little more water.

.

Before I left for the 1 hour drive, a little before noon, I tried to pee but I could not. About half way down, I felt like I needed to pee so as soon as I got there, I went to the bathroom and I could not pee when standing or when pooping (sometimes I get a few drips when pooping).

.

My appointment was at 1:30 PM and I had a bladder ultrasound which showed 463 ml. I had a good talk with the urologist and I like her. The next steps are for me to continue self-cathing and try to pee before I self-cath and try to self-cath when I feel a definite urge. I usually feel an urge at 200 ml and a good urge at 270 ml. I need to focus on not stretching the bladder again. I am getting a little blood when I self-cath.

.

While I am not happy that I could not pee today, I know that the Rezum process takes about 3 months to complete so 2 weeks is 1/6 of the time. NxThera says the average time is 28 days before you can pee again so 14 days is about 1/2 of that. From some PM's, I know that others on this forum could not pee at 2 weeks but could later. Since I was in complete AUR, I suspect that I may be on the long end.

.

My big concern and that of the 2 urologists and the family-member-MD has always been the extent that my bladder was damaged as 1) last January, I was in complete AUR and 2000 ml of pee was taken out, 2) I failed my urodynamics test, and 3) the cystoscopy showed moderate bladder wall trabeculation.

.

From what I have read, the trabeculation is the big problem no matter what procedure you choose whether it be Rezum, Urolift on one of the TURPs. If you bladder muscles are damage, then they will have trouble pushing the pee out and you will start to accumulate pee in your bladder again even if the obstruction is cleared.

.

If that is the case, then as discussed with the 2 urologists and the family-member-MD, self-cathing 1 or 2 times a day (before bed and in the morning being good) is part of the solution. This sure beats self-cathing 4 or more times a day and will help to prevent the bladder from getting stretched out again or having UTI's.

.

I am taking this one day at a time and I will keep everyone posted on my progress.

.

Take care,

.

Steve

Steve,

Thanks for the thorough update. Hopefully things will improve soon.

Tim

Good luck Steve. I'm sure that the self-cathing will rehabilitate the bladder as JimJames described in previous posts.

It sounds like my bladder condition was not as severe as yours. However a trick that I used (without a cath) when I had difficulty getting my pee to start was manually pushing up on the taint regain (area between the rectum & the scrotum) and at the same time manually pushing down on the pubic region above the penis. I can't explain why it worked for me but it did.

David,

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Thanks for the positive thoughts. JimJames and I PM'ed on this. His bladder was not as bad as mine. He passed his urodynamics test. Does anyone know what he is up to? The last I heard was the Ken from FL was in touch with him.

.

Because of my multiple shoulder injuries, for over 20 years, I do 11 different exercises 2 days a week with light weights and therabands. I am starting to look into what is available for rehabbing the bladder beyond self-cath and so far, I am not finding much at all. It is pretty much self-cath and hope that it works. Trabeculation of the bladder may not recover.

.

I found one study where they pumped air into the bladder and then pumped it out to cycle the bladder muscles. It reminded me of when they pumped air into me for my colonoscopy. The doctor encouraged me to fart when I woke up 🙄

.

Steve

Andrew,

.

Thanks for the info. At this time, it is probably still to early in the post-Rezum healing process to do any significant pushing. Once I stop bleeding, I plan to do some sitz baths and gently drumming of the fingers over the bladder area as that is a gentle way to stimulate the bladder. Right now, self-cath is no big deal.

.

Steve

Be patient. It took Jim James a couple of years to be able to get to something close to normal (I don't think he passed his Uro dynamics test - he was distended and his doc said there was no chance his bladder would recover). I had Rezum done almost 3 years ago, definitely had bladder issues and things are actually still improving for me.

Your prostate will shrink all its going to shrink at the 6 month mark - after that it's all bladder, but without the obstruction things may well improve a lot.

It takes 30 days minimum to see any improvement from Rezum and 6 months for the full effect - longer for bigger prostates. Bladder muscles can rehab over time. I don't understand why they had you in a Foley for 2 weeks rather than have you self cath. Seems like irritation for no reason

Hi Oldbuzzard,

.

I hear all that you are saying here in your 2 posts above.

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The doctor wanted me to have the Foley in for 2 weeks so I followed her directions but is was probably the cause of the irritation behind my bleeding which is getting better now that I am self-cathing again.

.

I am expecting improvement once the obstruction is reduced when the Rezum necrosis process completes itself and I am patient about this. Because of the moderate bladder wall trabeculation, I am expecting that I may have to self-cath once a day to play it safe and avoid any retention again. This is not a big deal though. I can do it after I brush my teeth 😁

.

I will have to dig back though the threads to see exactly what Jim said. I do recall that the urologist said that his bladder would not recover and he successfully rehabbed it. In a PM, he told me that he did OK in his urodynamics test but I lost all of my old PM's due to a glitch on this website.

.

So I have a few questions for you:

.

What was your bladder trabeculation?

.

How big was your prostate and how many shots did you get?

.

Also, does anyone know what Jim is up to and how he is doing?

.

Thanks,

.

Steve

I had Rezum on Friday morning. I was out for the procedure. Dr said it was bigger than expected, and she had to be a little more aggressive, so have to wear the Foley until Thursday . No pain pills needed and not much blood in urine. Hoping for good results.

Tim

keep us informed on how things are going.

Hey Tim

Hoping for a good outcome for you

Best Wishes.....Ken

tim,

wishing you all the best.

cj

tim815...Best wishes. Take it easy!

Allen

Hi Tim,

.

I hope that your Rezum results are good. How many injections did you get and what was your prostate size/length? It seems like a bunch of us just had our Rezums done recently.

.

Take care,

.

Steve

Not sure, I think 8, but will check when i go back. Length 5.4 cm, overall 72ml.

To All,

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Tonight, I had my first pee in almost a year. So if my Rezum was on November 29, then it took 19 days to begin to pee on my own again. The stream only lasted for a few seconds before I finished with self-cathed.My total volume after self-cath was 455 ml, so I was over the 400 limit which may have played a role. Going over 400 once and a while, is not a problem though and I do that once every few weeks anyway. There is still some blood in my pee. Time to celebrate 💦🎉🎊‼

.

Steve

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PS: If anyone is interested, I found a good journal article on bladder trabeculation classification and associated urodynamics test results.

Steve

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PS: If anyone is interested, I found a good journal article on bladder trabeculation classification and associated urodynamics test results.

.

I'm interested, PM me when you have time.

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Congrads on your first pee post Rezum procedure!!!

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Allen (Al)

Congratulations Steve. Wow a whole year!

Maybe then the surgery is working, and you're going to get better and better.

Hoorah!!!

Good to hear .Wishing you all the best in the new year as healing continues .

Post 12/14 Rezum one week update. The Foley was taken out this morning and I was able to pee 325ml (250ml put in for test).No issues for the rest of the day, and no blood in urine. Stream about where it was before, maybe a little slower. I'll report back when (and if) there are in changes.

cool. I'm 90 days out. off meds and stream mildly better. still significant PVR.

John - do you know if the PVR is caused by a blockage still, or is your bladder not contracting as it should? Is there a way to test this?

Thanks,

Tim

John,

.

I was about to ask the same question about your PVR being due to any remaining blockage or bladder damage. What did your urodynamic test results say about detrusor response? What did your cystoscopy report say about trabeculation?

.

Another cystoscopy will show if the blockage has been removed. Another urodymamics test will show if the bladder muscles are working. These 2 procedures can be done again after Rezum, TURP, etc.

.

Steve

i only have Mild trabeculation of bladder. i think its cuz these gentle procedures don't really open up the channel so you still get PVR. the studies I've looked at show that the aggressive procedures like turp Have harder recovery, but they really open things up in a major way so the pvr is much less.

John,

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Yup, more invasive procedures like TURP will open you up more at the cost of greater morbidity and complications while less invasive procedures like Rezum may not open you up as much but then they have less morbidity and complications. I decided to try the less invasive procedure first. Again, a cystoscopy will see if the blockage has been cleared.

.

I have moderate trabeculation, so consider yourself luckier than me. How did you do on your urodynamics test? I flunked mine. Today is only 3 weeks post-Rezum which is not that far out, so time will tell if it worked, given my bladder damage.

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Steve

i never had urodynamics.

..

I thought to wish all my friends on the board here a merry christmas and a happy new year, and that for christmas, Santa may bring you, at least one or more of the following gifts...

• strong healthy pees,

• quick pees where you're not standing there waiting and waiting,

• standing pees, in lieu of sitting,

• good straight streams, which you observe most admiringly,

• no dribble pees where you don't have clean up afterwards with a tissue,

• long, sleep-filled nights, without having to get up too many times to go pee,

• successful procedures, if you elect that route, where your recovery is short, and your subsequent pee streams are like you haven't seen in years

• learning to self-cath, if that's a partial remedy you courageously pursue, overcoming the mental hurdles thereto, finding a type and brand catheter that works for you, every time, with little time and apprehension involved,

• and continued heart, and good courage, and strong nerve, to ultimately overcome and prevail over BPH, so that the rest of what life offers may be yours, to enjoy & pursue to its fullest.

• nisvan

nisvan,

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That is a great Christmas wish list!

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I am now 7 months post my Rezum procedure.

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I am blessed and have achieved your bullet points 1 thru 5 and 7. I have not fully achieved point 6 because I have a severely stretched oversize bladder with >999ml PVR. However last month, I stopped taking my Flow Max Rx and now my nightly "get ups" are 1-3/night depending on when & what I drink.

.

On 11/12/18, my Uro did another systoscopy to see what was going on with my bladder. We saw that Rezum had successfully removed all my prostate blockage! We also saw the inside of my bladder and below is what She added to my history report.

.

• The patient returns today for DRE, cystoscopy, Uroflow, and PVR. Enlarged prostate with no nodularity appreciated on DRE today. Cystoscopy shows mild residual bilobar prostatic hypertrophy but prostatic urethra nicely open w/o obstructive appearance. Bladder obviously full upon introduction of the cystoscope. Mild bladder wall trabeculation. Small diverticulum off the right posterior bladder wall. Small amount of debris. Post cystoscopy Uroflow Q max 17 mL/sec with 186 mL voided volume. Voiding curve normal bell shaped curve. PVR > 999 mL. Bladder compliance likely permanently compromised.*

  .

  The last sentence is my big concern now. She also wrote a Rx for me to take to reduce the possibility of additional UTI's due to the large PRV I have.

  .

  It has been more that 20 years ago when I first noticed that I was peeing less often compared to my drinking buddies. So it took many years for my bladder to enlarge. So I have to "hope" my bladder will, recover over time.

  .

  It is significant to know that my prostate was only 22g and I was in total blockage, so size doesn't matter when it comes to blockage.

  .

  MY next Uro follow up is 2/11/19, if there is no reduction in my PVR by then, I plan to ask her about self cath twice per day as a possible help for bladder recovery. She previously told me that "was a theory but there is no clinical studies to prove it".

  .

  Merry Christmas to all and to all, a Happy New Peeing Year!

  .

  Allen (Al)

Al,

Thanks for sharing - hoping things improve for you. Wishing you all the best in the new year. Merry Christmas!

Tim

@allen98488: Merry Christmas to all and to all, a Happy New Peeing Year!

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Al,

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Thanks, since the emergency lights went off for me last December 31 when I passed the kidney stone, I am really hoping that 2019 is a good year.

.

Self-cath will solve the PRV problem because it will drain you down to almost nothing each time that you will do it.

.

Regarding "was a theory but there is no clinical studies to prove it", I have been digging through Google Scholar to find information on self-cath for bladder trabeculation rehab, and so far I am not finding much. I am finding information on BPH leading to bladder trabeculation though. So while I am finding information about the cause of the problem, I am not finding information about the solution to it.

.

I probably started seeing BPH symptoms about 7 or 8 years ago and then it got really bad in 2017. This slowly getting worse over time could have lead to the bladder slowly stretching out over time until it held 2 liters and I got moderate bladder trabeculation.

.

I have not peed again on my own since I briefly did 3 days ago when I was at 455 ml and since then, I have stayed below 400 ml. Also self-cathing has less internal resistance. This suggests that the Rezum process is starting to work, but maybe my damaged bladder is not.

.

Steve

Steve I think there's a strong likelihood that your bladder will recover. Muscles recover. The bladder is a sac surrounded by muscle.

cj,

Did you have any issues with voiding post Rezum? My foley was removed on Thursday and I did fine that night. Last night 2am however it took me an hour and many attempts to void. I paced the floor trying to get things moving. This is the first time and now I'm worried about tonight. Any suggestions?

Tim

get some single use catheters. it'll get worse before it gets better.

tim,

it will get better. after my foley came out i peed 225 and left in less than 25 ml. i had extreme difficulty peeing the next few days. i did a cic(took me five attempts). if you can cic try that, if not you may need foley back in for a few days. im 2.5 weeks past mine and im about baseline prior but was told by dr it will continue to get better.

John's advice to get some single use catheters is the best advice there is - if you don't have any w/you, and if you've never done it before. If you're pacing the floor for an hour and it takes many attempts, you're flirting with the devil, a/k/a AUR (you cannot pee, at all). After another hour, you won't be pacing anymore - you'll literally be bouncing off the walls instead. You'll feel bad pain in your stomach and you'll not be able to stand up straight. Sometime between Hour 3 and Hour 5 of this it'll dawn on you you're going to die unless you get professional relief, so you either 1) call 911 for an ambulance, or you 2) have someone drive you to the ER, or you 3) drive yourself. If you choose options 2 or 3, you will either be screaming at your driver to illegally pass other vehicles and go through every single red light you come to, or if you're the one who's driving, you'll think how nutty it is that you're going to die in a car accident because you're going 85 (I was, easily), instead of dying from all the mayhem going on in your stomach and groin. When you finally hobble madly into the ER after parking right in front of its entrance doors, you'll say something like, Help Me, I'm Going to Die. How do I know this? It happened to me THREE times in October. It finally dawned on me (by reading this forum right here, and not from any doctor) that unless I learned how to self cath, and always have a few of these Two Dollar miracles with me, in the car, in the boat, whereever, at all times, AUR could one day kill me. Plus, you will find I think (I have), that just knowing you can self cath, at any time, if need be, will so calm your state of mind on this matter, that you're going to be able to pee naturally, much better.Good luck.

When I had AUR, it was never that bad as my bladder had slowly stretched out to hold 2 liters of pee over time. When I passed the kidney stone 2 weeks before they took all of that pee out of me, it was the most painful experience in my life. I crawled on the floor in pain, and barfed in the sink 3 times.

.

Having some catheters around is probably the best thing to do but I did not know that a year ago. I know that now and I have a stash of them 👍

.

So after my 1st post-Rezum pee event last Tuesday that involved a stream for a few seconds when my self-cath volume was 455 ml, I have had 2 more post-Resum pee events that were just a few drips before my overnight self-caths when my self-cath volumes have been under 350 ml.

.

The bleeding is now significantly reduced and I have resumed my athletic activities to OK but still reduced levels, having done a 7 mile cross-country ski on Thursday and a 6 mile one today. The snow has been very good ⛄

.

I am now at 3 1/2 weeks post-rezum. What are others seeing in their post-Rezum recovery?

.

Thanks,

.

Steve

I dont have a prescription for catheters, so I decided to take me chances. I walked 10000 steps yesterday and reduced liquids after 2pm. Went to bed at 11 and slept til 4, still had slow stream but not as bad as the night before. Will do similar today. Thanks to all for the help!

Tim

Tim, Glad you got 5 hours in of sleep; that's pretty good; the downside though is that over time, the dehydration effect on your kidneys may cause kidney stones. Still, I get it, as far as needing to balance that with getting good shut-eye. Re needing a prescription for a catheter, my first time ordering online, I didn't have a prescription, and to the question of "Is this on the advice of a doctor?" I lied and clicked Yes. That's all that they wanted. I figured lying on that kind of question was worth saving my life someday. Have been fortunate tho in not having had to self cath in past 18 days. Still, in the back of my mind lurks a voice saying, "It can happen again. Be ready." I can tell you that the pain of having a Foley shoved into your vitals, at the ER, after undergoing 4 to 5 hours of AUR, is one step beyond horrific. You will howl like you never have before. Better instead to do something a bit strange that only feels mildly funky, with not even half the aggravation of a mosquito bite, that only takes a few minutes with a 2 buck lubed-up piece of sterile plastic, which provides almost instant painless relief.

Nisvan

Yes it is better to have them ready just in case and do it yourself.Because you can feel it. They can't.

Good luck...........Ken.

your urologist office will have some free catheters to give away. JUST ASK THEM.

ALL,

Thanks for the advice. Went in for two week checkup and they gave me some catheters to use. I've been having more urgency, frequency, higher pvr and blood over the last several days. He assured me it will get better. The second week after Foley came out has not been fun. Happy new year to all!

Tim

Tim,

.

Catheters will be your friend! This week, which is 4 weeks for me, I really started opening up from what has been total blockage for almost a year. The blood is almost all gone now too. I still have a significant PVR which appears to be dropping, but that may be more due to bladder damage than prostate blockage.

.

Steve

the blood is normal and should be gone by week #4.

The first effects from Rezum don't begin until roughly week 4. You'll get a lot better - most of the improvement comes between weeks 6 and 12 and things will get somewhat better for a total of 6 months, My guess is that your PVRs are normal by week 8.

Steven,

What is your PVR value? How did/does this effect your sleep at night? How often did/do you have to get up to go to the bathroom?

Tom

Hi Oldbuzzard,

.

I hear what you are saying.

.

At 4 weeks, I am definitely seeing the effects from Rezum each day in terms of peeing (more periods of short streams) and ease of self-cathing (noticeably less resistance when inserting). My big concern about my PVR is the moderate bladder trabeculation which was obvious when I observed my cystoscopy and if my damaged bladder can push the pee out.

.

One question, yesterday when I had no blood in my pee, I decided to do sit-ups (with 20 pounds of weights on my shoulders) for the first time in over a month and later that night, I had a lot of resistance when self-cathing to the point that I had to use a different catheter. Has anyone observed a relationship been sit-ups and increased blockage in their post-Rezum?

.

Thanks,

.

Steve

Tom,

.

Remember, that I have been in complete retention for almost a year. Now, when I can go on my own, I get about 25 ml out before I finish with self-cathing. Therefore, to date, my PVR values are between 345 and 270 ml with the values dropping each day.

.

I have been getting about 6 to 7 hours of sleep before I have to go to the bathroom as I am extending my self-cath times and not drinking anything after dinner. In the morning, I give myself a few minutes to pee on my own in which case I either get a short stream and then self-cath or I get nothing and then I self-cath.

.

In the late afternoon to early evening, I have been doing a 20 minute sitz bath while drumming on my bladder which creates a strong urge to pee. This is usually followed by a little bit of peeing over a few minutes and then I self-cath to fully empty.

.

Steve

12/4/18 yearly physical Urine sample showed UTI which was sent to Dr Huff indicated.

Citrobacter freundii: Greater than 100,000 colony forming units per mL

.

Rx given to fix was causing a rash and did not seem to fix UTI.

.

12/28/18 @12:45PM Friday- So, I took a trip to leave a urine sample for the urologist office . PA tool a look at under the microscope, she said looks like it is infected. .

.

Then I asked about self-cath and she got some samples and wanted to show me how to do it. The first one I could not get it to go in even with her helping, turns out it was curling up outside below the penis. Then she opened a rubber one which we got in and drained 950mL PVR out.

.

Since Dr. Huff was not there, she took me over to the left side of the building to see what a Dr could give me to try for the UTI. After reviewing my history, he said I must have an IV injection for the UTI. So he called The ER doctor at Castle Rock Hospital to get me in and told PA to put in a Foley with a leg bag and a night bag, so that I would be in a constant draining state, no plug except to shower with.

.

By 3:40 PM, I was checking in to the ER. After they did their stuff, I got the injection (ertapenem (INVanz)) and was told by the Dr there I had two chooses 1. I could stay there for three nights and check out in the am of the 4th day(and Medicare would pay for it. Medicare will not pay if a Dr admits a patient for observations) 2. I could return 24 hrs later on Sat and Sunday for more injections( which I selected). The ER Dr said that there was no sigh of the infection in my blood and that is a good thing.

.

12/31/18 After 3 IV injections, The Urine looks in the bag and doesn't smell when I dump it, so hopefully the UTI is gone.

.

My Rezum was on May 24, 2018 and the stream is good but I still have greater than 900mL PVR, so that is my remaining problem and it looks like there is no proven/known way to restore my bladder muscle atrophy.

.

So I guess I will have to reluctantly join the self-cath men to help prevent colony forming infections.

.

Al

Hey Allen

Sorry that you are having a problem. I had to look back on my papers but that antibiotic they gave you ( Ertopnem ) was one of the ones I had back in 2014 when I had sepsis. They use to inject it into the IV. I had others to.

Take care and I hope all goes well.

Happy New Years.........Ken

It’s possible that self cathing may be the thing that helps restore the bladder

just an update. im about 5 weeks post rezum. First the good news - i do not have RE. thats still working fine.

most days my flow is slightly better than before i started. i still have times where i have a number of start and stops. also i am not fully emptying when i pee.

i spoke with someone today who had the procedure with the same doc as me. he said his floodgates didnt open until months 3.5 - 4.5.

i pray your friend is right. in at 3.25 months and still only slightly better than before procedure.

John what are your symptoms like now?

davidaami,

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Self cathing empties the bladder but it does not exercise a bladder muscle that has atrophied, since it does not have to squeeze out the urine.

.

I did the same thing as self cathing for 19 months by using a Foley cath with a plug that I removed to dump bladder and a night bag but there was zero improvement in my PVR.

.

I have spent a lot of time searching the internet for a cure for how to repair/fix an expanded bladder but have not found anything.

.

Allen (Al)

john,

can you refresh my memory ho w big you prostate was and what you were like before the procedure.

my gland is small....40 gm. i had bothersome symptoms before with frequent and nocturia. never had severe retention.

stillstill having some of frequency and getting up at night. I'm using a catheter now so I can get some sleep. Flow is a little better but not much

The procedure doesn't start to work for 30 days at the earliest. I turned a corner at 6 weeks. Sit tight - a few weeks from now you'll probably be much bett