Greg and Clayton,
Thank you so much for the info and advice. Yesterday I had a super public tube change. The size is a 16 which I have had since the start (May 22). Every change takes a day or two to get used to. Over the past 3 years I have mainly been using intermittent caths, but also have had many penile catheters for over a month. They have been more annoying than painful.
Greg it sound like you are doing quite well. I am sure your VCUG will do well. I am sure you will feel great without caths and pain. Please report how that goes.
Clayton, I know you are next on line for surgery (August 28th?). I will follow on September 12th. I will keep my Ipad with me in the hospital and try to report as Greg has. As you, I am looking forward to getting on with my life. Will be monitoring every day for any reports you can manage during your hospital stay.
My stricture came 6 years after prostate cancer and high dose radiation. One day I woke up and could not pee. By the afternoon I was back peeing strong. Went to see Doc and he suggested he do a look see. One week later, still peeing, went to out patient surgery. After surgery Doc told me I was a little closed and that was normal due to radiation treatment. He stretched me a little. Sent me to hyperbaric since I was now bleeding. A month later I stopped again. Pushed hard and peed. Saw many small black dots in toilet. Took samples to Docs office. He was on vacation. Nurses sent samples to Lab. Turned out to be Uric Acid Bladder Stones. Doc said they were due to diet. A month later I stopped peeing. Doc went inside and said all looked well. He put in a cath. After that I rarely peed on my own. Doc back on vacation. He left a cath in me for a month. When nurse went to remove cath I yelled with pain. Another Doc came in and much to my dismay he yanked the cath out. Blood all over. Put in new cath. I went to a new doc. He immediately did cat scan. Showed large sediment stone. Doc removed stone as large as my thumb. Peed for a while. The stream got smaller and smaller till finally I had to use self caths. Turned out prior Doc was part of group of Docs that had sold their business. The Doc was loaded and was more interested in travel rather then patients. Living with penile caths, sentiment had formed at the bottom of my bladder due to lack of complete drainage. Formed large stone. When they removed cath I would start to pee, then the stone moved and blocked me. Telling all this so that other people will learn from my experience.
Now I pray that that this operation and yours will cure our problems for good!
Keep in touch,
Steve