Bladder removal on Tuesday

Hi again Ann ( Cloudsurfer56  ). Not had this myself but you can see from your previous post that others have tried to reassure you re this op. I am sure people will be along to offer some advice as you go in to this. I hope all goes smoothly for you. Best wishes.

I hope everything goes well on Tuesday. We will all be thinking of you.

Hi Ann,You can expect to feel extremely tired after the op.If you can find someone to help you for the first few days after you come home that would be a good idea.I was able to wash and dress unaided and my sister fetched food and drinks and went shopping for me.She also made sure I could get up the stairs safely as I was very wobbly.Weight loss is usual.I lost a stone in hospital.You may not feel hungry to start with.Eating little but often is best.I was given a low fibre diet sheet and introduced my normal diet gradually.The bowels can be erratic post op.
If you can get moving post op even if it’s just walking around the bed it will help to kickstart the bowels if they are sluggish.I didn’t find the pain that bad post op  and managed on Paracetamol though had Morphine in Intensive care.If you are having a stoma then the stoma nurses should show you how to look after it.
Pack clothes that are loose around the waist and slippers/shoes that you can slide into to save bending.The key is to take it slow and steady.Build up the distance you walk gradually and listen to your body.Rest when you feel like resting as it takes a few months to recover fully.There are several of us here who have been through this surgery and will help to support you.I hope it all goes smoothly and you will update us on your progress.Best wishes Jane x

Hi Cloudsurfer,

I had mine out aged 70 and can tell you I recognise the nervous feeling as the day drew near. I was lucky perhaps that they had delayed it for a couple of weeks (I had a clot in my lung which nearly stopped the operation completely) so I was relieved when they rescheduled it and very glad to be having it.

What to expect? I walked through the door into the operating theatre accompanied by the anaesthetist, said hello to an enormous team of people all of whom were there to make me better. Lay down on the bed, had an injection and woke up several hours later in another bed in the ITU in a very good mood. I'm sure it'll be very similar for you

Over 3 years later life with stoma and bags is just how things are, no big deal. And I'm still doing things that make life worthwhile.

Tell yourself this is just something you have to get through so you can get on with life without being ill.

Of course you'll have some qualms beforehand, you've never done this before. But your doctors do this all the time with excellent results.

All the best,

Latestart x

I looked on it in much the same way it had to be done and you have to trust your surgical team.

Hi, I was 57 when I had my op. It's natural to be apprehensive - fortunately my surgeon had given me confidence that all would likely be well for me, as a 'young' patient. Beforehand, I kept busy putting things I might want in accessible positions, sorting out suitable clothing & entertainment etc. 

On the day, all the hospital staff were so calm and supportive, I just put myself in their hands. The preoarations take a little longer than for TURBT, but all of a sudden I was waking up afterwards. I felt extremely weak and tired, with tubes all over the place - hardly had the energy to lift an arm. Day by day you will improve, though some ups and downs along the way. In hospital, just go with the flow - they will get you up and walking (slow shuffle) and you should be out of bed every day. 

I had neobladder and was in the minimum 7 nights. By the time i got home I could do all my personal care, but no household tasks. You will need plenty of rest, but try to walk a little more each day (in short bursts rather than one long walk), eat little and often (at least a few mouthfuls every hour or two) and drink plenty. Recovery may seem frustratingly slow - I kept a little diary of each new achievement (task resumed) to see how far I'd come. You need to allow one month for each hour in surgery for complete recovery. So for me, although I started going to leisure pursuits at 6 weeks and back at work at 3 months, it was 8 months before I was doing all usual activities without end of the day fatigue. 

Hope you get some  pleasant sumemr weather to enjoy while you recover.

A diary is helpful.I found mine recently and it was interesting to see how far I had progressed by the end of 3 months.I didn’t find the surgery as bad as the recovery process.

Hi Ann, 

I can’t help it I am a man! So not quite the same. Had operation in Nov 24. I was very apprehensive but kept telling myself that I had no choice it was to preserve my life. I had a great team doing the operation, and had complete confidence in them. The fear of the operation was far worse than the actuality. I woke up in quite a chipper mood and was discharged home 5 days later.

The path to recovery was quite long, however I was doing normal things fairly soon after. I had a few bumps a

ong the road in my recovery, but had a great specialist nurse to support me. As I write I am CANCER FREE and just getting on with my life.

any question please ask.

Thank you so much for your response, im usually the one supporting others and was a little apprehensive about it all, you have settled my thoughts and im grateful. Xxx

My goodness you are all so inspirational and have calmed my thoughts so i thank you xxx