Perineum pain is still here, grows on me when driving or after walking or standing for a while. Rest seems to calm it down – the pain is more of a burning sensation. It is also aggravated when I do my pelvic floor (kegel) exercises, which I must keep up each day. These exercises are keeping me at between 1 and 2 incontinence pads a day. I say between 1 and 2, its only 1 pad when I reduce my fluid intake and reduce exercise, I have been drinking less than 2 litres and more like 1 litre a day. I am working this week on increasing fluid intake back up to over 3 litres a day (my correct intake) and will be starting a new exercise regime.
Am still suffering from the left arm pain that was diagnosed at the ultrasound as muscular. This has restricted my exercise ability. Ran out of the naproxen tablets the GP had prescribed and have had problems getting in touch with my GP so have gone back to 400mg ibuprofen 2 to three times a day. This seems also to be helping with lower back pain that I have and also some upper back pain. The upper I assume to be posture as I have been sitting too much. The lower back pain is the same pain I had pre operation for a couple of months. If this stays I will ask the consultant about it in January. Hopefully exercise will help.
Internally I am still having the healing pains – especially when any pressure is placed on my abdomen through sitting in the car, going up and down stairs or stretching. Been sneezing again this week and the towel has had to come out again to apply as a pressure pad in my abdomen. Lower right gives the same severe pain I had post op and when I left hospital. I had hoped it had got better but it has come back again. Time can only heal all of this. Early days I think, but another reason why I am not back at work or doing long distance driving.
Erectile dysfunction - no change since I started on the 5mg daily Tadalafil (Ciailis) - increased blood flow and can get engorged but not sufficient for any form of penetrative intercourse. Can feel the expansion and nerve sensations I assume due to the blood flow and the drugs relaxing the muscles. Studies say that this might be the case for anything up to 2 years - longer if I am unfortunate. Maybe things will be better with both nerve bundles saved. This blood flow induced by the drugs helps the nerves recover and I believe will help prevent atrophy - celluar death! ( More about this on a later blog ) - Quality of Life is a major concern for me and there is a very good medical article that covers this ... "post-surgical quality of life is becoming a greater concern for patients seeking treatment for prostate cancer in the era of early detection"
See - Penile Rehabilitation After Radical Prostatectomy: Important Therapy or Wishful Thinking?
Getting very tired by mid-day, need to nap\sleep – really need to get some more exercise done I think to help get me fitter – maybe this will combat the tiredness. Have bought a Pilates beginners DVD on Amazon which should be here Thursday and can start to do those exercises in the house. - Thanks to Helen at Occupational Health who has recommended I try this.
Lots of stress this week which has not helped. Spoke to work and told them I would sort out a new ‘fit note’ – the one the GP had given me previously was only for a month. My ‘fit note’ for work ran out on Sunday, also the tablets for blood flow and to combat atrophy as part of penile rehabilitation run out Wednesday so I contacted my GP surgery Monday morning at 8.30 am. Was told to phone at 11 am. Phoned then and gave them all the details, including the pain details above and asked for a GP phone back. Nothing happened to I phoned at 3am. At 3am they told me the Dr would call back later that day but then told me for the prescription renewal I had to take a letter in. Too late for today so I said I would do it next day. Waited all afternoon into evening and didn’t get a GP call. That’s when I decided to self-medicate with the ibuprofen. Sent an email to work to tell them the position.
Following day, phoned surgery at 11am and told to phone after 3pm as the GP’s pass the paperwork out to reception after lunch and the note would be there then. Drove to GP’s and dropped in a letter for the repeat tadalafil prescription. At 3.40pm I phoned the surgery. No note for me and my GP was no longer at the surgery. Lovely girl on the phone said she would put a note in the GP’s in tray to have it dealt with the next day. She told me I needed to phone back after 3pm the following day. Did explain that this would now be 3 days since my first request – nothing she could so – not work getting worked up about, so I was really calm with her on the phone – but my blood was boiling when I put the phone down. If I worked like this I would be out of a job. This is why this week I have increased my premiums on my private health care with Bupa. I need to make sure I am covered every way so I don’t have to rely on the NHS. I pay a fortune each month for NHS services in my tax\NI and this is the service I get. Another reason why for years I didn’t get sick!!!!!!
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