When the self-pity phase kicks in...

Just to provide an update, I did call the surgeon's office at 5 am to ask for help with the urge incontinence. They called back at 11 and said they'd check with the surgeon. They called back with his recommendation a while later... "get a bedpan". Seriously?!?!? I wanted to strangle his poor office manager through the phone.

so figuring I had done what I should have done - called the doctor in charge when the problem started and gotten a (pardon me) ****ty answer, I contacted my regular doctor. He called back in less than one minute, listened to my concerns, said it can happen when the bladder muscles don't have to do anything for a week and then are told to get back to work. They are sometimes slow to respond. He then emailed me detailed kegel instructions and a study from UCI medical school about post catheter incontinence and how kegels can get you continent quickly. Night and day responses in terms of helpfulness and hopefulness!!

How are you doing? hope you are better! Hang in there... it will be all worth it in a few weeks!!!

Mostly better! It's day 10. My smelly days are behind me, I have two garments to rotate between. I don't need a walker anymore and can shuffle around hunched over pretty well. I still can't pick up anything I drop unless I have my grabber tool. Incisions are healing well. I am no longer in any pain and off pain meds. My friends washed my hair over the kitchen sink yesterday. Heaven! Honestly, if I can just get over the urge incontinence everything will be awesome. The good outweighs the bad, it's just that the bad sucks so much...

Glad to hear those news!! it will get better very soon!!

End of Day 11.

The good: My bladder is waking up again, my incisions are all dry and still stuck together, I can walk without a walker fine (still hunched, but better), I only need Extra Strength Tylenol, two of my 4 remaining drains seem ready to pull, I've started iron supplements (my skin/face is just plain gray). It no longer kills me to cough or laugh. Doesn't feel great, but isn't breathtakingly painful.

The less good: We'll see tonight, but I seem to have one accident a day around 4am. If you hear a hallelujah! echoing in the air tomorrow morning, I had a good night. Still hunched. Still have two drains putting out between 55 and 70 ccs a day. So hating the recliner now. I want my bed. I called my dog sitter and had to ask her to keep my dog longer. There is no way I could reach down to get his bowl let alone take him out.

Anyway improvements are happening, but this is the roughest thing I have ever put myself through and I think with all my reading and planning I still managed to underestimate how much assistance I was going to need for how long. Waaaaaay underestimated. Give a lot of thought to how you'll be cared for if you are single and live alone!