Prepping for gall bladder surgery tomorrow. :(

[John Schmidt]

That junk you have to drink would gag a maggot, is it impossible for them to make something that at least has a tolerable taste? Surgery scheduled for 11:45, hope to be home by late afternoon if no problems arise. The bad part about all this....I'm scheduled for a prostate biopsy next month and will have to do this all over again. When I mentioned that to my wife, she started giggling. I told her it wasn't funny....she said it was to her and the fact I have to do it again proves her point. I'm sure you can figure out where she was going with that comment. 

Plus, no food until sometime tomorrow afternoon, it's not like I'll starve judging by the difficulty tieing my shoes. 

[G-Man]

Hope everything goes well!
 

[old2soon]

            Prayers up fer ya John from Illinois and Missouri.  Your Wife has a wonderful sense of humor. Give her a hug from me and tell her what I said-PLEASE.  RIDE SAFE.

[bassman]

Wishing the very best John with a positive outcome.   

[Jess from VA]

Best of luck John. 

Get yourself a pint of peppermint schnaps to help with the taste of that stuff.  I'm not a big fan of peppermint schnaps, but it will take the bad taste edge off anything.  (and it drinks better than mouthwash)

Also, I always take a paperback with me for surgery (all the way to the OR).

One time in the Air Force, they left me all prepped on my gurney in the OR hallway for about two hours to deal with some emergency, and I was happy to have something to read instead of listen to the emergency (and my imagination about my upcoming vasectomy).  Might as well bring the pint too.   

[98valk]

https://drjewilliams.com/prevent-prostate-cancer/

http://www.mrisusa.com/dangers-prostate-biopsies.php  can give cancer whereas one didn't have it in the first place

https://www.outsmartyourcancer.com/can-biopsies-spread-cancer/

and search a high % of prostate problems are due to deep bacterial infections of the prostate.  there are supplements and natural treatments that will cure it.

God Bless

[Bigwolf]

John, Wishing you the very best and quick healing from your surgeries.

[DDT (12)]

John,

Best or luck to ya, my friend! Tell Rita for me that I agree with you... ain't funny nary one little bit!!! Hope the good luck holds through the rest of your upcoming 'procedures', as well... Looking forward to some good reports!

DDT

[John Schmidt]

https://drjewilliams.com/prevent-prostate-cancer/

http://www.mrisusa.com/dangers-prostate-biopsies.php  can give cancer whereas one didn't have it in the first place

https://www.outsmartyourcancer.com/can-biopsies-spread-cancer/

and search a high % of prostate problems are due to deep bacterial infections of the prostate.  there are supplements and natural treatments that will cure it.

God Bless

I've already had an MRI and the area was pointed out to me. One good thing about having an MRI first is when he goes in for the biopsy, the dr. isn't just blindly taking samples, he's able to go direct to the area in question. He also told me at my age they won't entertain surgery, only radiation which I believe are the little seeds implanted in that area. At least that was what I took from his conversation. Guess I'll find out soon enough.

[..]

Good luck     

[cookiedough]

Plus, no food until sometime tomorrow afternoon, it's not like I'll starve judging by the difficulty tieing my shoes. 

best of luck tomorrow and tonight drinking all that crap.  NO worries,  I have not tied my shoes in decades.  I leave my tennis shoes tied loosely and just pull them on.

[Ken aka Oil Burner]

Hope all goes well tomorrow, John.

It's good that you and the wife have a solid sense of humor, too. It can definitely make miserable times less miserable.

[Flrider]

It will be over before you know it John

Hope all goes well 

[f6john]

It takes a tough old bird to become a tough old bird, you’ll do great.

[shortleg]

   Believe me I know how you feel, I get to go through it every 18 months or so.
 I have found it easier to start clear liquids a day or so before.
    It may be less hard on me because I am missing a large amount of
my small bowel., so things go through me faster.

[Farside]

  Prayers John for you. All should go well as this surgery has been smimplfied with a small incision and a quick recovery. The info 98 Valk shared is good info to know. 

[larue]

Wishing you good luck John, prayers your way for a speedy recovery

[Oss]

Best of luck and speedy recovery John

[Pappy!]

John, am late to the party tonight (11:45) but best wishes for a great outcome to this. Tell Rita that Lesa and I said hello as well.
Hope to see you soon.

[Art708]

[I've already had an MRI and the area was pointed out to me. One good thing about having an MRI first is when he goes in for the biopsy, the dr. isn't just blindly taking samples, he's able to go direct to the area in question. He also told me at my age they won't entertain surgery, only radiation which I believe are the little seeds implanted in that area. At least that was what I took from his conversation. Guess I'll find out soon enough.


  John, I had the prostate seeding done back in 2012 and my PSI has been .001 ever since. They gave me 3 choices....surgery, external radiation, or seeding. My urologist and oncologist both said that they would choose seeding if they were in my situation....so that's what I went with. I am glad that I took that route.  Best of luck to you whatever the biopsy shows.

[henry 008]

Best of luck and speedy recovery John

+1 

[Charlie McCready]

John, thinking about you this afternoon. Hope all goes well and you're home healing very soon.

[98valk]

Prayers John for you. All should go well as this surgery has been smimplfied with a small incision and a quick recovery. The info 98 Valk shared is good info to know. 

if u want more info, research the doctor/researcher who developed the PSA test and wish he never had, for how it is used to scare men into all types of horrible procedures which are needed. it was never invented to indicate cancer.

every man needs at least 100 mg of zinc just about every day. Zinc citrate and Zinc picolinate the two most absorbable types.

[98valk]

Praying for a perfect procedure and quick healing for you.  In Jesus' name. Amen!
God Bless
 Jeremiah 17:14
Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed;
    save me and I will be saved,
    for you are the one I praise.

[John Schmidt]

Surgery went great with only two problems cropping up; one incision at the top of the abs on the right is kicking my butt, and due to the meds administered under anethesia I couldn't relieve myself. The incision is one of four, the other three are no trouble at all. It's like a broken rib....you don't want to cough, yell, sit up without helping with your arms, clear your throat or especially sneeze. I took half a hydrocodon soon as I got home this evening, they let me stay overnight due to not having anyone at home to help me if needed and my being unable to pee and the extremely sore cut. Dr finally ordered a cath be inserted about 4:00am this morning....OUCH! Hurt like the dickens, hurt just as much taking it out this afternoon. I was up and walking around within a couple hours of waking up from surgery, two long walks yesterday, four today mostly out of boredom. I feel fine, just that one incision is real sore and it burns like fire when I hit the bathroom. Our lady helper cooked up some chicken noodle soup and corn bread this evening, two bowls and three pieces later I was full. She's a sweet black lady, about 57, known her a long time and comes in twice a week to give me a break. She's staying over tonight to help me with Rita....and can that woman cook. Costs us $12/hr. for her help but well worth it. Just glad this is over but for the following pain in the two areas. Next, lower plumbing probably next month. Between inserting a cath last night and a biopsy of the prostate next month, I guess I can hang up my dignity for a while.  

[Ken aka Oil Burner]

Glad to hear from you John.  Dignity takes a backseat to getting what needs to be done, done. Think of it this way. It's another person other than you who took ahold of it. 

After your post, I now have a hankering for cornbread. Cracker Barrel for breakfast, I guess. I doubt I'll get the ambition to make one.

[baird4444]

I had mine out several years ago. I thought the recovery time was fairly quick. Fortunately I had a co-worker warn me about what she called "the dump factor". your digestive system will not be the same. There may be some foods that can cause an almost "explosive" reaction. for the 1st month or 2 pay very close attention to what you eat and how your body reacts. after eating, stay close to the house for a bit or if you eat out, don't get up right away; you'll know....
    none of the docs bothered telling me aboot this BUT i tmay have been the best advice during the process that I received.   I have since been very open about sharing this.
          Just pay attention to what you eat and how your body reacts.
                  goodluck - Mike

[bassman]

Good to hear John.......

[John Schmidt]

System sure is messed up from all the stuff they pump into you while under. Up 5 times during the night first night home, can't sleep on my side cuz it pulls on the one sore spot. Explosive is an appropriate term. A little nauseous this morning, going to try some home-brew coffee, the hosp. stuff was similar to what an old Air Force buddy described once...he called it "toenail coffee." So weak you can stand in it up to your knees and still see your toenails. 

[Willow]

Long walks.  Encouraging news, John.

Dignity.  I can identify.  Insertion and removal of the cath steals one's dignity regardless of the nurse's gender.  There is a worse.  At least you didn't have both hands disabled and have to have a nurse wipe your ass.

Get better, John.  You're a tough guy.  You'll do fine.

[old2soon]

             Uh John-P M me and I'll send ya my addy so you can send me some of dat corn bread you speak of!   Glad to hear you iz up and about.   Ross and i were startin to git a wee mite concerned. Glad yer on the mend. And-B T W-a certain times didnityt IS Highly overated.   RIDE SAFE.

[larue]

Glad it's over john, rest up buddy

[John Schmidt]

Long walks.  Encouraging news, John.

Dignity.  I can identify.  Insertion and removal of the cath steals one's dignity regardless of the nurse's gender.  There is a worse.  At least you didn't have both hands disabled and have to have a nurse wipe your ass.

Get better, John.  You're a tough guy.  You'll do fine.

A couple anecdotes: Re. the cath, the head nurse was called in to help since the the younger gals were having trouble getting the tube in...and I was leaving permanent fingerprints on the bed rails. The head nurse asked what size the tube was then sent a helper for a smaller tube kit. I looked at her and had to laugh, she asked what was funny so I simply told her going for a smaller kit was a personal insult. The young nurses giggled but the head nurse just dryly answered "truth hurts sometimes"...winked and in it went.

As for the wiping business, I had that 6 1/2 years ago following my heart attack. I didn't have the strength or control to even feed myself for a time, the attending female dr. criticized me for having the nurses take care of the paperwork following a bathroom visit. So the next time I was determined to do it myself but had a male nurse in attendance just in case. Result....I fell off the commode. He got all over the dr. after I told him what she had said, never heard another word from her about again.

[RP#62]

When I had mine out (the old way with the big incision), I was laying in recovery and the nurse came by and said when you get up to pee, do it in the cup provided in the bathroom and don't dump it.  Then she came by about 5 minutes later and asked if I had peed yet.  I thought that was odd, the last thing I want to do right now is get up and pee, but when I had to I would.  After she left my wife said do you know what that was all about.  I said no.  Wife said the nurse is going to give you about 15 minutes to get up and pee on your own and if you haven't, she's going to put a catheter in, then she explained how the catheter works.  I thought about this for a few seconds and told my wife to get up and pee in the cup.  She did.  The nurse came by and checked it and then left me alone.  I got up and peed later when I wanted to.

-RP

[Jess Tolbirt]

the hardest part for me was the incisions healing,i was up and at em after about a week but had to take it easy for about a month or so,, i thought the pain was never going to end, but it did and would go through it all over again if i had to.. and as stated, after you go out to eat, dont be in a hurry to leave, sit a drink you after dinner coffee or what ever.. also due to the pain meds, you will be stopped up, take the laxative pills and softener pills and when you finally got to poop, dont let anyone get in your way.

[DDT (12)]

John,

One down and one to go! Best of luck to you, my friend!!! Now, all this talk of dignity dispensing and/or disregard, has caused me a little... distress! Dang, I think I'll request the smaller tube right from the git-go! At this stage, I ain't bothered with trying to impress anybody, and it ain't like I could hide that anyway... Nope, I'm more than a bit tender, especially 'down there', so they can laugh if they must... I just don't want to cry... Glad things are progressing for ya...

DDT

[The emperor has no clothes]

When I had mine out (the old way with the big incision), I was laying in recovery and the nurse came by and said when you get up to pee, do it in the cup provided in the bathroom and don't dump it.  Then she came by about 5 minutes later and asked if I had peed yet.  I thought that was odd, the last thing I want to do right now is get up and pee, but when I had to I would.  After she left my wife said do you know what that was all about.  I said no.  Wife said the nurse is going to give you about 15 minutes to get up and pee on your own and if you haven't, she's going to put a catheter in, then she explained how the catheter works.  I thought about this for a few seconds and told my wife to get up and pee in the cup.  She did.  The nurse came by and checked it and then left me alone.  I got up and peed later when I wanted to.

-RP

  now, that’s a good wife !

[solo1]

Glad that everything went well, John. I don't even like to talk about catheters. A catheter gave me MRSA. The second catheter clogged.... twice and I drove myself to the ER, 15 miles at 3AM ,twice in one night to get it unclogged. The Doc said if it clogged once more, they would need to go to a larger catheter. My bladder in both cases, expanded fully before unclogged.  I can't describe when they pulled that !@#$% out for good.  I hugged the nurse, Jody.

Catheters can be friends or enemies.

[John Schmidt]

Wayne, it hurt like the dickens going in but it drained off over 700cc within a few minutes. That felt really good. Taking a walk a few hours later I began to understand how a dog on a leash feels....cath in one place and IV in the arm. It came out about 1:00pm, another ripping good time....at least that's how it felt. But it worked and the also removed the IV. To say I was sore in there would be an understatement but after a couple days all was normal for all bodily functions. Only trouble has been one incision at the top of the abs on the right side....extremely sore and tender. Move the slightest and it feels like it's ripping apart which almost puts me to the floor. The bad part....I still have to get up numerous times during the night to help my wife use the potty chair next to the bed. Today is probably the best of all days since last Wednesday, stiches come out Thursday so hopefully the searing pain from moving wrong will go away. As for diet, so far I haven't found anything that bothers me; nuts, meat, chili, fruit, cereal, lettuce. Taking it a step at a time cuz I know something will backfire eventually.

[solo1]

John, having surgery with all its attended pain and problems AND taking care of your Rita, is a monumental undertaking. I have a slight feel for that.

You, Rita, and your family are in my prayers.

Wayne, solo1