Recovery after robotic surgery
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From: Sweet Old Bob on 15 Aug 2008 21:24 It's been almost a month since I had a radical prostatectomy with the DaVinci robot. Subsequent pathology was very good, very encouraging, cancer wholly removed, very low chance of later complications, etc. How long until I even feel like riding the bike again? I'm a daily rider, commuter, and enjoy log distance touring. But frankly, at this time, because of the residual pain I'm not even tempted to ride the bike! How long is this gonna last? Would a different type saddle help? Is there a danger of doing harm by attempting to ride the bike too early? Am I being to impatient and expecting to rapid a recovery? My surgeon isn't a biker. The best he could offer is that I could start riding the bike "about two weeks after you're back to work." Anybody gone through this that would like to offer words of encouragement? Thanks. -- Bob Kastigar; mailto:R-Kastigar ->at<- neiu.edu Home: http://www.neiu.edu/~rkastiga
From: Ken T on 15 Aug 2008 22:23 Sweet Old Bob wrote: > It's been almost a month since I had a radical prostatectomy with the > DaVinci robot. Subsequent pathology was very good, very encouraging, > cancer wholly removed, very low chance of later complications, etc. > > How long until I even feel like riding the bike again? > > I'm a daily rider, commuter, and enjoy log distance touring. But > frankly, at this time, because of the residual pain I'm not even > tempted to ride the bike! > > How long is this gonna last? Would a different type saddle help? Is > there a danger of doing harm by attempting to ride the bike too > early? Am I being to impatient and expecting to rapid a recovery? > > My surgeon isn't a biker. The best he could offer is that I could > start riding the bike "about two weeks after you're back to work." > > Anybody gone through this that would like to offer words of > encouragement? > > Thanks. > > -- > Bob Kastigar; mailto:R-Kastigar ->at<- neiu.edu > Home: http://www.neiu.edu/~rkastiga Welcome to the club, Bob. I went DV in May and I'm only now comfortable riding a bike for short distances. But I was sitting in a donut on my desk chair for a month or so. I wouldn't rush it. A friend of mine warned me about sitting on anything narrower than a sofa. He tried a bike and rode a block before he stopped for the pain. I did see an old feller riding a bike with a special split seat, allowing a space where your "taint" can fit in without pressure. You might try a bike shop. If I were a serious biker, I'd be putting one of them on my bike. Good luck with your recovery.
From: Luca on 16 Aug 2008 13:34 I have used one of these since after my robotic. They are great. http://hobsonseats.stores.yahoo.net/easyseat.html On Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:24:51 -0700 (PDT), Sweet Old Bob <Kastigar(a)gmail.com> wrote: >It's been almost a month since I had a radical prostatectomy with the >DaVinci robot. Subsequent pathology was very good, very encouraging, >cancer wholly removed, very low chance of later complications, etc. > >How long until I even feel like riding the bike again? > >I'm a daily rider, commuter, and enjoy log distance touring. But >frankly, at this time, because of the residual pain I'm not even >tempted to ride the bike! > >How long is this gonna last? Would a different type saddle help? Is >there a danger of doing harm by attempting to ride the bike too >early? Am I being to impatient and expecting to rapid a recovery? > >My surgeon isn't a biker. The best he could offer is that I could >start riding the bike "about two weeks after you're back to work." > >Anybody gone through this that would like to offer words of >encouragement? > >Thanks.
From: len on 16 Aug 2008 20:44 On Aug 15, 8:24 pm, Sweet Old Bob <Kasti...(a)gmail.com> wrote: > It's been almost a month since I had a radical prostatectomy with the > DaVinci robot. Subsequent pathology was very good, very encouraging, > cancer wholly removed, very low chance of later complications, etc. > > How long until I even feel like riding the bike again? > > I'm a daily rider, commuter, and enjoy log distance touring. But > frankly, at this time, because of the residual pain I'm not even > tempted to ride the bike! > > How long is this gonna last? Would a different type saddle help? Is > there a danger of doing harm by attempting to ride the bike too > early? Am I being to impatient and expecting to rapid a recovery? > > My surgeon isn't a biker. The best he could offer is that I could > start riding the bike "about two weeks after you're back to work." > > Anybody gone through this that would like to offer words of > encouragement? > > Thanks. > > -- > Bob Kastigar; mailto:R-Kastigar ->at<- neiu.edu > Home:http://www.neiu.edu/~rkastiga My surgeon wanted me to wait six weeks before riding my bike, but I had no problems when I started. The only concern I've had is impotence. Some urologists maintain that spending a lot of time on a bike can affect erections even without the additional complication of prostate surgery. But so far, I'm doing pretty well in that regard. I don't really understand what should be hurting. Unlike my open RP, presumably the incisions in your abdomen healed quickly. Was there any problem with your rectal wall during the surgery? Could you have developed some adhesions? You should ask your surgeon for an explanation and suggestions about what to do. I don't think it is normal to hurt so much after prostate surgery. I don't know if it will help---since I haven't had the pain you describe---but I can tell you what I do. My saddle is set up so that the points of support are my skeleton, not soft tissue. In addition, I've tilted the saddle slightly downward, and that reduces any addition pressure on the soft tissue. This is the opposite of the usual recommendation, which is to have the saddle level or even pointed slightly up. I've considered getting one of those saddles with a split in the middle which is supposedly designed just to avoid this problem, but so far my old leather saddle has worked well. In addition, I'm careful to get up off the saddle every few minutes or so. Years ago, long before my RP, I would develop `numb penis' syndrome after riding for a while, but I haven't had anything close to that for quite a long time. Finally, I'm careful to make sure my saddle is not loose. A loose saddle will definitely lead to discomfort and other problems. I have been riding more or less continuously since my RP 8 years ago, and I hope to continue for some years to come. I am 75, and spinal stenosis has caught up with me, so I can't get much exercise walking. The stenosis affect mainly the quadriceps muscles, so with cleats and using the muscles on the bak of my legs as much as possible, with some pain killers added, I've managed to cycle 50 minutes every other day at a reasonable pace. Don't give up on cycling. Find out why you are having a problem and get back to it as soon as possible. Good luck.
From: El Woody on 22 Aug 2008 13:22 On Aug 16, 8:44 pm, len <l...(a)math.northwestern.edu> wrote: > On Aug 15, 8:24 pm, Sweet Old Bob <Kasti...(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > > It's been almost a month since I had a radical prostatectomy with the > > DaVinci robot. Subsequent pathology was very good, very encouraging, > > cancer wholly removed, very low chance of later complications, etc. > > > How long until I even feel like riding the bike again? > > > I'm a daily rider, commuter, and enjoy log distance touring. But > > frankly, at this time, because of the residual pain I'm not even > > tempted to ride the bike! > > > How long is this gonna last? Would a different type saddle help? Is > > there a danger of doing harm by attempting to ride the bike too > > early? Am I being to impatient and expecting to rapid a recovery? > > > My surgeon isn't a biker. The best he could offer is that I could > > start riding the bike "about two weeks after you're back to work." > > > Anybody gone through this that would like to offer words of > > encouragement? > > > Thanks. > > > -- > > Bob Kastigar; mailto:R-Kastigar ->at<- neiu.edu > > Home:http://www.neiu.edu/~rkastiga > > My surgeon wanted me to wait six weeks before riding my bike, but I > had no problems when I started. The only concern I've had is > impotence. Some urologists maintain that spending a lot of time on a > bike can affect erections even without the additional complication of > prostate surgery. But so far, I'm doing pretty well in that regard. > > I don't really understand what should be hurting. Unlike my open RP, > presumably the incisions in your abdomen healed quickly. Was there > any problem with your rectal wall during the surgery? Could you have > developed some adhesions? You should ask your surgeon for an > explanation and suggestions about what to do. I don't think it is > normal to hurt so much after prostate surgery. > > I don't know if it will help---since I haven't had the pain you > describe---but I can tell you what I do. My saddle is set up so that > the points of support are my skeleton, not soft tissue. In addition, > I've tilted the saddle slightly downward, and that reduces any > addition pressure on the soft tissue. This is the opposite of the > usual recommendation, which is to have the saddle level or even > pointed slightly up. I've considered getting one of those saddles > with a split in the middle which is supposedly designed just to avoid > this problem, but so far my old leather saddle has worked well. > > In addition, I'm careful to get up off the saddle every few minutes or > so. Years ago, long before my RP, I would develop `numb penis' > syndrome after riding for a while, but I haven't had anything close to > that for quite a long time. Finally, I'm careful to make sure my > saddle is not loose. A loose saddle will definitely lead to > discomfort and other problems. > > I have been riding more or less continuously since my RP 8 years ago, > and I hope to continue for some years to come. I am 75, and spinal > stenosis has caught up with me, so I can't get much exercise walking. > The stenosis affect mainly the quadriceps muscles, so with cleats and > using the muscles on the bak of my legs as much as possible, with some > pain killers added, I've managed to cycle 50 minutes every other day > at a reasonable pace. > > Don't give up on cycling. Find out why you are having a problem and > get back to it as soon as possible. Good luck.- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - I am a biker too. I started back to spinning class about 1 month after my open RP in October 2007. I had few if any problems with soreness other than occasional twinges around the incision. My stamina had suffered a bit on the month I was off the bike so I was very tired after about a 1 hour class. Started back with serious training in the spring, logging about 150 miles a week. Am doing the Livestrong Challenge 100 mile ride on Sunday. The only complication related to the surgery is that I am still carrying about 10 lbs extra weight gained immediately post surgery (mostly from too much food and wine!) and that impacts my ability to go uphill fast. Have not needed to change the seat. My recommendation is to stay on the bike, get a new seat if you feel that necessary but just continue to ride. Also, work those core muscles gradually. They really help your cycling.
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