434) The Postponement of TURP

June 20, 2012

Thursday

Report:  My TURP "procedure" which was formerly scheduled for July 23rd is now scheduled for December 10th.  Here is the story.

Back in April (Post # 430) at our meeting with Dr. Bruce we found that he wants to do a trans-urethral resection of my prostate (TURP) to shave the prostate around the urethra to allow it to pass more urine more easily.  This is a fine idea in theory.  On our way out of the office we stop to meet with Becky to set an appointment for the surgery and select July 23rd because it is open on mine and Liz's calendars and because it is after I go back on Medicare.  We are as happy as the people on the cover of the Patient's Guide pictured here: we understand the operation; have decided it is a good idea to have one; and have selected a date for this overnight stay in the hospital for this procedure that will help me avoid future bladder stones, pee better, and such.


Back at work I add the July date to my calendar and leave several days afterwards for staying home to rest and recuperate and resume my work-a-day life.  On May 21st I am beginning to schedule things for late July and email Becky to find out if I am going to stay overnight at the hospital.  She checks with Dr. Bruce and emails me back, saying that "He does plan for you to stay at least one overnight.  Hopefully only one night."  I am fine with that and think to myself... "I also better leave a few days for resting up at home..." so I schedule a trip down to Wharton to do training for them for August 3rd.


By June 20th Liz and I have talked and she says, "The doctor said you have to stay home for some WEEKS to recuperate"  and I say, "Nah.  Becky says I'm only in hospital overnight..." and Liz shakes her head at me and tells me to get back in touch with them cause she remembers several weeks... So, I send Becky the following email:

"Becky ~ another question has popped up in a conversation with my wife last night.  She remembers that Dr. Bruce said something about ‘down’ time after the procedure.  I didn’t remember that at all and need to let my work know how much time I will be home recuperating.  Liz (wife) said she thought Dr. Bruce said something like 2 weeks.  I have an out of town trip for a training gig scheduled for August 3^rd, 10 days after the I go home.  And, unless I put time out of the office on my calendar, they are very likely to schedule other trainings for me to conduct.

"Please ask the Doc how long he wants me at home post procedure, and any other kinds of restrictions that may keep me from traveling (usually by car, but sometimes by air) or doing trainings (standing up and moving around for hours at a time).  Thanks in advance.  You have been very helpful so far.  Jack"

Well, this one has to move up the line to the nurse, who has to call me cause nurses don't really email people for some fairly obvious reasons. Nurse Joann calls me and clarifies that usually the home recuperation time is 2 to 3 weeks and it isn't a problem with lots of people because they're 'retired'!  I say that it will be a problem with me cause I work and didn't think it was that big a procedure.  She reports back that she'll ask the doctor and call me back.  She does and a couple days later she calls and says that Dr. Bruce wants me to stay home for 4 weeks post procedure cause I'm a transplantee and such.  I really can't remember exactly what all she said then cause I was SO freaked out about spending so much time away from work; and about the possibility of going stir-crazy sitting around the house all day long!


So, I generate the following parts of an email back to Becky; asking her to copy it and share with Joann and Dr. Bruce. 

"My training event in Wharton on August 3^rd (1 week & 3 days) is possible to re-schedule so that is not a problem.  However, I also have a major conference that my network presents in San Antonio for 4 days from August 14^th thru the 17^th.  This event I really cannot miss: it is 3 weeks & one day post surgery.  If I cannot be 100% (or, at least 89%) by then I will need to postpone the surgery.  Since finding out that the recuperation time is so long, I have done a lot of reading about this TURP and really have no symptoms right now that seem to make this an immediate need (such as having to get up at night to pee; feeling urgency during the day; or poor or interrupted flow) and I recall that when the doc and I discussed this we selected July because by then I will be back on Medicare.

And,  "My Fall semester of teaching at UT begins September 10^th and gets out on December 3^rd, and I have a month off til January 14^th, when Spring semester classes begin.  There is no way I can miss 4 weeks of class, since this graduate-level class only meets once a week."

On June 19th Joann calls me back and matter-of-factly says that I must stay home for one month post procedure, period.  So, there is the story of my postponement of TURP.  Liz seemed relieved, but truth-be-told, I am now concerned about being down and housebound during the holidays.  Oh Well.  Such is life.