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Prostate Cancer: Hospital Stay

Saturday

I have no idea what time I woke up in ICU, but all that I remember was feeling violently ill and wanting to vomit. I don't know if I did vomit as I had had nothing to eat for more than twenty four hours. According to the nursing staff (and later from the in-house physician), they tried four different medications on me to stop the retching, before they got it under control. I then fell asleep and woke up in the early evening feeling much better. I did retch once or twice after that, but nothing like in the afternoon.

Later in the evening, the ward sister gave me a bed bath (a new experience for me), but what a lovely chatty lady, doing her best to put me at ease. There was a medical emergency in one of the other wards while she was busy, but she carried on with me as she said they would have rung the bell if it was life-threatening (evidently, the ICU ward sister is supposed to go to any emergency). To me the nicest thing about the whole bed bath was getting to brush my teeth! I had a really bad taste in my mouth from trying to vomit.

I did sleep after that, how well I don't know as I had drips in both arms, a catheter, a blood pressure cuff, a nasal cannula and a vibrating "leg-warmer" on each calf (called a leg pump, ostensibly to help with blood flow). With some of these devices switching on and off at certain intervals did make for some strange feelings! Also, ICU is not the quietest place on earth with the constant discourse amongst the staff.

Sunday

The day shift ward sister changed the dressing on the main wound (camera hole) very early in the morning. It was leaking quite badly. Later in the morning the in-house physician came through on her rounds and told me of the shenanigans trying to get me to stop vomiting. She listened to my lungs and heart, then told the ward sister that the physiotherapist should come back and do the basic post-op treatment with some walking exercises. She must also get a spirometer for me (for lung exercises). She was happy to see that I was looking so much better than the previous afternoon. She also said that I could have water and tea if I wanted.

The catering staff brought me a cup of rooibos tea, which was the first thing that had passed my lips in 36 hours, other than a sip of water given to me by the night ward sister.

The physiotherapist came around a short while later and apologised for skipping me out in her early morning session. She pounded my back for a while, while I was inhaling some kind of saline solution through the nasal cannula. After some more massaging, she made me stand up and do some walking on the spot. She said that I must exercise with the spirometer as much as I could. Another really lovely person in her mid-twenties.

Shortly after the physio left, the urologist arrived. He looked me over, checked the charts (the charts in ICU were huge!), he said that the second drip could be removed and that I could be moved to the general ward. He also told the sister that I could be put on a clear fluids diet.

The spirometer arrived while I was waiting to be moved to the general ward, I had a go at the spirometer. I could move all three balls to the max with the sucking exercise, but only two with the blowing exercise. I didn't try too much more after that as it really hurt my diaphragm in the vicinity of the wounds - this pain stayed with me throughout my stay in hospital.

I was moved into the general ward around lunch time, and had my first taste of a clear fluids diet: a cup of soup, 200ml of really foul tasting apple juice and some jelly! That was to be my menu until breakfast on the Tuesday morning.

The physio popped in just before visiting hours to take me for a short walk around the ward. Unfortunately, I felt rather dizzy after the first circuit, so had to hop back into bed. It was here when I noticed the urine leaking out around the catheter for the first time. This was most irritating as it seemed to occur every time I stood up, or sat down from standing up. It got so irritating, that I coined the term pissiness to describe it to family and friends. The staff seemed unperturbed by this and said that it was due to bladder spasms. Fortunately, there was a roll of paper hand towel for the staff at the hand basin in the room. I quickly learnt to take a wad of it every time I got out of, or back into, bed.

Pat and Cindy were my first visitors after the op!

That evening I had my second experience with a bed bath! I also had a very interesting chat with the chap in the bed next to me. He was an independent fibre installer.

Monday

The physio came around shortly after my liquid breakfast and we did two circuits of the ward with no problems (except of course for the pissiness when I sat down!). The relief in-house physician popped around shortly after that and said I was looking good. She also attributed the pissiness to bladder spasms.

Second batch of visitors: Kappie and Zeke.

Shortly after lunch, a sneaky visitor: Elaine. I have no idea how she managed to sneak in, as they are pretty strict on visiting hours at that hospital!

Fourth batch of visitors: Ferdie and Fred. I really must thank everyone who made the effort to come and see me!

That evening, when the urologist did his rounds, he said the drip could come off immediately, and the drain could be removed from my side first thing in the morning. You cannot believe what wonderful news it was to be able get rid of one of my appendages!

The night ward sister came to say hello when she saw I was still there. We had a short chat chat about her fight with her dentist that morning. It was also supposed to be the start of her week off but she was asked to stand in as her relief was unavailable.

Tuesday

A sister took off the drain bag as soon as I had finished my early morning tea. She also removed the staple closing the wound. Removing the stitch holding the pipe to the drain bag in place was the most uncomfortable part of the whole procedure.

At breakfast, the catering staff played a prank on me. They brought me the usual clear fluids breakfast, and when I put up my usual moan about wanting solids, they produced a standard breakfast which included maltabella and scrambled eggs and had a good laugh about it. Evidently, the ward sister from the previous day had, off her own bat, decided after the urologist had said that the drip could be removed, that I was ready for solid foods and ordered the breakfast on my behalf.

The in-house physician popped in and said that I was looking really well, and as far as she was concerned, I could go home. The urologist came around a short while later with the sister-in-charge, and said that I was ready to go home the next day. He had a short discussion with the sister-in-charge and the ward sister, then came and poked and prodded me a bit and said that I could go home that day.

The sister-in-charge checked me out, which is rather strange, as normally one of the nurses do that. While she was talking to me, she did mention that the medical aid had phoned that morning to hear if I was still in hospital! I am sure that did influence the urologist's decision to discharge me. She kitted me out with a leg bag for the catheter and fitted a Foley Catheter Securement Device to secure the bag from pulling out the catheter. I did mention the pissiness to her, but she just reiterated the bladder spasm story.

Before heading off, I went into a toilet and stuffed my underpants with hand towel paper to try and minimise effects of the pissiness which I knew was going to happen.

I said goodbye to the staff I could find and went to the pharmacy to collect my meds. On the way I phoned Zeke to say that I had been released and he could fetch me. After the script was completed, the pharmacist told me that I had a R250 co-payment on the meds (co-payment: portion the bill the medical aid does not cover). I had no money nor credit cards with me so was a bit stuck. I phoned Zeke to ask if he had money or if he could maybe pop into Pat to collect some. He said he had no money on him and he was already more than half way to the hospital. However, he did pop in at Tom's and Tom loaned him the necessary (that's friends for you!).

When we got to my place, I gave Zeke the required cash to pay back Tom. However, the pissiness had really gotten to me with the moving around. The paper I'd stuffed into my underpants was a soggy mess, which had soaked through to my jeans. I was pleased to be back in my comfort zone though!

The story continues here.

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