Surgery - Open Radical Prostatectomy with Bilateral Nerve Sparing

What a week so far.
I didn’t sleep at all on Monday evening as I was full of nerves - I have since found out that my wife described me to a relative as terrified. I had tried to conceal this but obviously I am not good at that type of thing. Anyway, back to Monday - went and did bits of shopping and had a roast chicken lunch with Helen. Also in the evening I was under hospital instruction not to eat after 2am. We decided to have a roast lamb ... like lamb to the slaughter comes to mind - lol fabulous meal cooked by my lady wife. Food over by 7.30 pm just enough time to go to a Shropshire Scouts meeting to help organise the county gala, then home by 10pm.

Glass of water before bed - couldn’t sleep anyway so I just lay there until 4am and then got up for my shower. Must have been in that shower for about 30 mins, just so much going through my head about what was happening to me. Got changed and downstairs to Helen who was enjoying a coffee – I had a sip of water with an Amlodipine (hypertension).  I was panicking about the time. We had to be at the hospital for 7am and after last week taking over two hours to get there I didn’t want to be late. Sat nav on and into the car we went - well, leaving at just after 5am we sailed through arriving at The Priory for 6am  - early for a change. At least it made me calmer, I think Helen may have been more nervous than me, bless. We hung around in the car until 6.50 and then went in.

I must say the staff at this hospital are fabulous. Lovely smiles when you arrive and the porter so friend and chatty. We were shown up to my room with a copy of the morning paper. There were only three of us booked in that morning, two for quick day procedures and me for what was described as something a bit bigger. Oh well. I unpacked and then was told that this ward may close and I may go back to a different ward – so packed again. All this helped to take my mind of things. Did paperwork with the Staff Nurse who joked away with me, she was the lady who was here last week. Got unchanged and into the fetching hospital gown .. backside covered by dressing gown.

Shortly before 8am, Alan Doherty arrived. He just oozes confidence – when I read the book, Dead Men Don’t Have Sex, the author described how you have to have confidence in your medical team and urologist – this is exactly what you have with Alan. Just talking about the operation and nerves didn’t come into play. When assessing the operational needs – risk etc. I even said ‘Heavy Bleeding’ without a quiver – I had read a lot about this from Dr Patrick Walsh when researching Prostate Cancer and its mentioned in his excellent book Surviving Prostate Cancer.  I joked with Alan about the possibility of a photo for my blog in the theatre -  not really when an open procedure is being done. Alan went away and a few moments later. Dr Singh came in ( replacement for Dr Farouqui ) – was to be my anesthetist. He described all the pain control that would be done. Again, something about the air of Dr Singh that puts your mind at rest. He left and I was joined by the nurse who would take me to theatre .. woops .. forgot to mention, I donned a lovely pair of long green stockings – combat DVT and clots post surgery.

It couldn’t be described as the long walk, more a walk and a lift . When we arrived at the ante room there was just enough time to give Helen a hug and in I went.  I think I must have said a whole Rosary ( The Roman Catholic in me ) on the way down . The nerves really did kick in and I am glad Helen didnt see me.

Nervously I took of my dressing gown and they undid the ties on the back. I climbed onto the operating table. Name and date of birth checked again, whilst one person put a blood pressure gizmo on one arm Dr Singh was slipping a needle or two into my other hand for the tubes . Something went in as I remember telling the nurse I felt weird. So many people had said that you go out in seconds, I can only guess that I had been given something to calm me down – excellent.

Then talking to the other chap without looking at Dr Singh, that was the last I remember .. until waking up in ITU ( Intensive care – the Priory has 6 dedicated critical care beds and all people who have major surgery end up there for monitoring ). … see next entry…