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I am 3 days post op now. It’s not as bad as I thought, reading all your stories have really helped me understand and know that better things are coming. I took my first shower today and I really struggled with that. I have a very weak stomach, so seeing the tube made me feel very light headed. I think ever since they forv e the catheter in my urethra the first time I couldn’t void really just stays in my head. They tried three different sizes catheters and finally got one in but it was forced and actually created a whole new opening which I was able to pee through for about six weeks until it closes back up. I don’t know if you guys have any advice for me on how not to freak out over the seeing the catheter.
I know how you feel, I think we probably all do. Even now I look back on it and I can’t believe I went through all of that. I had a suprapubic for six months, and a urethral for a short while after my surgery. The entire ordeal causes a lot of mental stress and trauma, so you’re not alone.
The thing to remember is that it’s temporary, and before you know it it’ll be gone. The penis is one of the most resilient parts of our body, because biologically it’s the most important part. It’s made to handle some brutal stuff and still function once it heals, so as horrible as it might look right now, it will heal and return to normal in time. Better than normal actually, since it will no longer have a stricture.
Try not to think too far ahead, it’s a day to day process in the beginning, with every day better than the last. Even when you start having nerve spasms or aching down there, it’s actually a sign that everything is healing.
Clayton
The advice given by Clayton is the best you can get, actually. Although I would add that you’ve got to focus on everything else rather than the tube being there. Find some distraction during the shower. For me, it was just the simple sensation of taking one. I would just do my things, get clean very methodically, and if I was too rough I would just take a break, let the water run over me for a while and concentrate on that and then get back to whatever there was to be done. And after being done with it, I usually treated myself with taking a few minutes of just letting the water flow. After a rough start, this method made me love showers when having a tube in. It was one of the few really pleasurable things I was able to do while being catetherized..
Hang in there, and remember that better days are coming. I’m 5 weeks post-op, the flow is great and uncomparable to anything I’ve ever experienced. Still forbidden to do some things – be sure to ask your doctor about ANYTHING – but slowly getting better and better. It takes one day at a time. Good luck!
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