One of the indicators of prostate problems is having to get up at night and go to the bathroom. Frequent urination is something that many men learn to live with as they get older.

I have been working too many hours lately. I have been lucky to get 4, maybe 5, hours of sleep a night. With only 4 to 5 hours in bed it is not difficult to make it through the night without having to get up.

For the last several days I got a break at work. I was able to leave work early for several days in a row. I was even able to get more than 8 hours of sleep every night. That was a welcome change.

On the second morning I was in the bathroom taking care of business. I stood in front of the toilet and it just kept flowing. I then realized I had made it through the night without getting up to urinate. I remembered that i slept through the night the night before, too.

It was not that long ago when I was getting up a couple times a night to go to the bathroom. Before my HoLAP surgery 18 months ago, I never slept the whole night through. I don't miss those nights at all.

After almost 18 months after my prostate surgery, I am thankful for the benefits of the surgery.   Read more . . .

I wrote previously about having to wear a Foley catheter.  At the time I wrote those posts I could not recall the analgesic that I used to relieve the irritation and pain of the catheter.  Well, I found a pill bottle with my leftover stash.

During each of my two emergency room visits the doctors inserted a latex catheter. The latex irritated me. Most likely I had an allergic reaction to the latex.  Also, the latex catheter was stiff. Every time I sat down or bent over, there was a pain where the catheter bent inside my groin.

During my second ER visit, I pleaded with the doctor to give me something for the irritation and pain. He wrote me a prescription for Pyridium. Pyridium is a tradename for phenazopyridine. It is an analgesic for the urinary tract. The drug is a tablet taken orally, preferably with food. It is quickly secreted through the kidneys and relieves pain and irritation from the catheter. Read more . . .

As noted in my last blog, I was scheduled for prostate surgery. I was told to be at the hospital at 1:30 that afternoon. The surgery was as an outpatient and I was supposed to be able to go home in a few hours. I could eat and drink only up until midnight the night before. I got to the hospital nervous and hungry. Thirsty, too.

The surgery was to start at 4:30 that afternoon. Talking to the check-in nurse, I found out that my urologist had several patients before me that he was operating on. I was to be the last. I hoped he was not going to be too tired. But, I thought, he should have lots of practice by the time he gets to me. My wife and I waited in the waiting room for about an hour before they called us back. Read more . . .

Finally, after 2-1/2 weeks I got in to see a urologist. This guy is highly recommended. I found out later that other urologists chose to go to my urologist.

The first thing they did was remove the catheter. It was not painful at all, this time. I was either used to it or the nurse was much more experienced. I think it was the level of experience. The doctor did the usual things, digital rectal exam, ultrasonic probe up the butt. He said my prostate was about 50 grams. He prescribed a stronger antibiotic, told me to come back in a week.

He wanted me to continue wearing a catheter. He said my trouble with the catheter I had was because it was a latex catheter. He put in a silicone catheter that was a lot more flexible. It felt much better.  Read more . . .