Bladder issues following surgery

Hi Ejax

Glad to hear tat your surgery is all done, its such a relief when you are home and start recovering.

Did they test you for a UTI in hospital? I had a UTI at the time of my operation that i was unaware of and had similar symptom to what you describe. My advice would be to either call your CNS team or send a urine sample to your GP if your pills dont do the trick. I hope it clears up quickly. I good tip i had on here from Madesp was to use a small stool or something to raise your feet up so that your knees are above your hips, ( I think there is a diagram in an earlier post) this really helps to stop you straining if your are a bit constipated.  

All the best for a speedy recovery Robin x

Hi Ejax, how are you feeling today? Hopefully you will be feeling a little bit better each day. I had some bladder urgency post op but I think it was settled within a week. I think it took me 3 days to have my first poo - I kept my food intake low and simple before then, to make it easier, which wasn’t difficult as my appetite was low too, probably because of the anaesthetic still in my system. The shoulder pain should ease once the bowel is more back to normal. Are you managing to take some gentle daily exercise? Just a gentle 5 minute stroll a couple of times a day should help your digestion, bowels etc recover, as well as being good for your mental health! 

Hi Ejax,

I had bladder problems after my operation. Initially I had no feeling at all down there, and went to the loo by time. I also spent a night up every couple of hours to pass a thimbleful each time. I really worried when I stood up after a bath and urine just poured out of me with no control on my part. At that point I went back to hospital to be checked out. That was about day 4 or 5!!! They said it was all just settling down and in about 3 weeks I was fine. I think I was badly bruised. I took Movical on day 2, and that got me moving nicely. I only needed the one sachet.

One tip I learned in hospital if you think your bladder is not emptying. Lift one leg up with your arms, then the other. It squeezes urine out. It worked for me. Ok, maybe I should add do this while sitting on the loo!!! All the best xxxxx 

NannyAnny, you cracked me up with that description! Sounded like the Hokey Cokey! Hahaha. 

Thank you lovely ladies for all for your advice. The bladder issue has improved a lot and hopefully will stay that way once the medication stops. I had 3 bladder scans in hospital and my urine output was measured ...not sure if they tested for a UTI or not

I did a 30 minute walk yesterday which was fine and hope to do a similar distance this morning (before it gets too hot), and will continue to do this daily.

Still not had a bowel movement, thought it was going to happen yesterday but it was just wind, but I don't feel bloated or anything but will take something to get things moving if nothing happens today.

Considering how sore and uncomfortable I was a couple of days ago, I feel remarkably well but also mindful this is the time to be extra careful not to overdo things.

Hi Ejax, glad you’re feeling a bit better. The walking should really help you in so many ways - I’d advise trying to stand up as straight as you can when walking. If 30 mins at one go ever feels a bit much, 2 x 15 min would be good instead. By two weeks post op (when I had my follow up appointment with my consultant), I was walking about an hour a day total and my consultant said as I was that mobile I didn’t have to wear my compression stockings any more which was wonderful! From about 10 days post op I also started rehearsing getting in and out of my car, just to see what it felt like, progressing to starting the engine, and then driving forward and back just within my driveway. Just as preparation and obviously I didn’t go anywhere but it lifted my spirits just to start preparing!  Do you have a date yet for your histology results?

Hi ....no unfortunately I don't have a date for histology just yet - my surgeon said around 4-6 weeks.  As I've mentioned before he's a bit straight to the point and basically said to prepare for further treatment and then if you don't need it so be it.

Ejax I know yours was probably a bit too blunt, but, for me, being told to prepare for the worst and hope for the best would probably have been better than being told he was 90% sure I wouldn’t need any treatment - and then having the shock of finding out that I did.