Four days out, but who's counting?

Thank you all for helping me keep a strong mental outlook with your wishes of support. Today, four days after my operation, my abdomen is swollen and painful but knowing those "rebellions" in my body have been defeated, it is just a matter of healing. I can tolerate the pain for that!

Although robotic assisted prostatectomy is considered "non-invasive", the surgical team did sink six rods though my abdomen to my pelvis to perform the procedure. I entered the operating theater at 7:30am and was wheeled out at 2pm. Oddly enough, I was less swolen and in less pain the day after the procedure and was allowed to go home after just an overnight. Dr. Frankel, my robotic surgeon's weekend attending physician, said that only happens in about 2% of the operations they perform. It was when I got home Saturday evening I kinda forgot that I had major surgery a day earlier. I stressed myself out physically by Monday. I think, however, I am past the threshold where I can only feel better and I'm playing it a bit smarter. As much as I want to "will" my healing, it will only occur in nature's time.

Right now, my daily exercise is punctuated by a catheter as a "fashion statement". If I keep moving, however, I feel so much better so I'm okay with lugging it around. I go back to Sloan on Friday to have it removed. It's not something you get used to!

No driving for three weeks, no heavy lifting for 5 weeks, but I plan to be back at work well before that. In heavy lifting, I'm sure they were not referring to my mind!