It was a bit like coming home from the Royal show. They gave me a show bag with a few pills and other goodies inside that I had to take to help my body recover quickly. They even allowed me to take home a catheter and
collecting bag that they had attached to my penis while I was asleep having the operation. It was great I could pee anytime I wanted and I didn’t have to go to the toilet. I was told to drink two litres of water every day for the next few weeks to help flush my system.
The first few days I
didn’t want to do too much apart from doing a few walks around the house and up and down the garden path but I did get a lot of writing done, so I was right in my element. The best thing though was that Jenny did most things for me, I didn’t even have to stack the dishwasher. After a few days’ though, she got wise.
A week later it was time
to say goodbye to my catheter bag. When I lost the bag at least I felt a little freer. (I had thoughts of doing a long race or paddle with the bag on and I wouldn’t have to get out the kayak to go to the toilet which would save a lot of time.)
By now my body had healed significantly but once the catheter was out I had to start wearing pads
in my jocks to catch any dribble. I was told that leakage would get less as time goes on.
I was also encouraged to walk 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon which Nikki was pleased about. I also was told that I should lie down on the sofa in the afternoon for an hour which would help with recovery. I don’t usually
relax in the afternoon but it was great, I could have a rest and not feel guilty. When Nikki takes over the sofa though, I have to go to bed.
So things are going well, I have had lots of chats about prostate problems and other medical issues to people I meet. It’s a good conversation opener. When people ask ‘how are you today’, I used to
say, ‘okay how are you’. Now I say ‘I can’t do much I’ve just had an operation’ or ‘just a minute I’m doing my pelvic floor exercises’ or if I really want to get down to some finer detail, its ‘oopps I have just dribbled in my pad’. It’s surprising how easy it is to talk about it.
I still can’t lift more than 5kgs, paddle, cycle, weight
lift or jump out of aeroplanes for 4 – 5 weeks, but that’s fine, I need to do everything possible to help my body heal. I can’t drink beer, caffeinated coffee or tea or eat spicy foods for a while but I don’t mind, that’s a small price to pay – I’m alive and enjoying doing things at a slower pace.
And it’s given me time to add to my story
‘Across Canada’ with John. So go here if you want to have a read.
https://terrybolland.wordpress.com/across-canada-2017-part-4-short-overview/
