CapeMayRay Surgery Update

[CapeMayRay]

Thanks for all the well wishes prior to going in for my surgery.

Thought I would take the time to give everyone update. My Prostrate removal surgery it self, went pretty good. Normally it is in one day and out the next but I was one of the rare exceptions.

Talked to the surgeon after the operation and all looked good. When they moved me to my room I started bleeding internally at a pretty good rate and my hemoglobin count started to drop along with my blood pressure and I was bleeding pretty good internally.

Middle of the night my blood loss and pressure was a main concern. It was down to 55 over something and my surgeon came in and moved me to intensive care. Told me this condition rarely happens and wanted to do a Cat Scan to make sure I wasn't bleeding from and internal organ and that if it was a real problem they would go in again to fix. (Found it was just a rare internal bleeding problem so no additional surgery was needed.

Spent two days in intensive care where I needed 4 units of blood and good number of fluids and spent a total of 4 days in the hospital before I was good enough to go home.

Having a belly button hernia taken care of at the same time I had a few more stitches normal and with all the absorption of the blood for the abdominal cavity I looked like I was hit in the ribs with a baseball bat. I am told that is normal. It just looks worse than it really is.

Home now and a little stiff form the stitches and swelling. No real pain that have to take anything. Use to the catheter now which I should get removed this Thursday.

Only other complication was that being weakened by the blood loss and blood condition I developed a chicken pox rash on my back that really itched like crazy. ( Had Chicken Pox when a kid) and thought immune system was run down enough to cause this problem.

Sounds bad, but it could of been a lot worse. They really took very good care of me the whole time I was the hospital and each day I am feeling better and can be a little more active.

Prostrate surgery is usualy pretty uneventful. I am the only one of the guys I have talked to that have had all of the complications that I have. I am feeling pretty good Now!

Able to post on computer, trade a few stocks, and tie some flies and will be back 100 percent for spring fishing.

ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE! It will take a lot more than this to slow me down.

[brad regan 01]

glad you made it out of surgery ok.

[fishsalmon]

glad to hear that you are home and recovering. Hope you are well enough to enjoy the holidays. Rest and Get well !

[CapeMayRay]

I am doing just fine! Was up to Jefferson in Philly yesterday and got the catheter remove and they did a couple of tests.

I feel I am right on schedule for full recovery by fishing season. Now it is just a matter of time till I regain full bladder control.

Feel good enought that I could go out fishing if they would let me. Condition will not effect my enjoyment of the holidays at all and if I had an office type job that I could be back to work and function 100 percent.

Worst is behind me now.

Bottom line is go for those yearly health check ups and catch problems early. Health problems don't go away and can be treated so they do not become big problems.

[Dave Sikorski]

Great news Ray!!

The strong survive for sure!

Before we know it the fish will be back and you'll be out there tearing them up.

Happy New Year.

-D

[CapeMayRay]

Great Way to start the year. Just got back from the post op meeting with the surgen today and he gave me the go ahead to start going back to the gym and resume normal activies. Just have to take it slow to start, but all systems are go. The tissue biop's all came back negative so no cancer was outside the prostate. I should be good to go.

[gottaflylee]

Ray, thats wonderful news. Glad you back up and running...

[fishsalmon]

great news!