Prostate Surgery in Mexico City
Bipolar Transurethral Resection of the Prostate in Mexico City
Two weeks ago, in a dramatic turn of events, I had Bipolar Transurethral Resection of the Prostate.
Transurethral Resection of the Prostate or TURP is a surgical procedure used to shrink the prostate by physically cutting away areas of excess prostatic cell growth (hyperplasia) to improve urinary function in men.
Transurethral Resection of the Prostate or TURP is a surgical procedure used to shrink the prostate by physically cutting away areas of excess prostatic cell growth (hyperplasia) to improve urinary function in men.
Let's rewind a little to September 13, 3 weeks ago, when I arrived off an Aeromexico flight from London to Mexico City. Everything was ok. Well, everything was NOT OK, but I'll get back to that at the end of the post.
It was, of course, great to be reunited with Miss CDMX. But by the Sunday night/Monday morning, I had problems to pee, in that I couldn't pee. And I tell ya, it was fucking painful.
Miss CDMX spent Monday trying to find an English-speaking Urologist, a medical doctor who specialises in conditions that affect the urinary tract.
Luckily, she found one. She booked me an appointment for the next day, called me an Uber and off I went alone as she was snowed under with work.
How to describe the issue? I could hardly pee. It was coming out in tiny dribbles. If I peed more than 20 cl, the size of a regular shot, that was going some. The pain in my bladder was crazy.
I had ultrasound on my belly. Just like they use on pregnant women. I could see the black mass associated with a full bladder and infection. The doctor confirmed I had a prostate issue.
He inserted a catheter, which brought immediate relief and tears to my eyes.
I am familiar with all this. My dad had the same issue. But he got bad during COVID, and they couldn't do any ops, and he ended up with a catheter inserted for many months. Infection after infection followed.
If the pee is not flushed out immediately, you are likely to get an infection, either in the bladder or in the urinary tract. Perhaps both. Yes, it's not only women who get urinary tract infections. And you can't have a catheter in for too long. This also causes infections.
My bladder drained. The pee was very dark. The doctor did the ultrasound again.
The prostate is a part of the reproductive system. It’s a small gland positioned in front of the rectum, just below the bladder, surrounding part of your urethra. The prostate generates the fluid that transports sperm, known as “seminal fluid.” Quote: Healthline.com
In a healthy adult, the prostate weighs around 20 to 25 grams and is approximately 4 cm wide, 3 cm high, and 2 cm thick, about the size of a walnut.
Mine was super enlarged. About 3 times as big as it should be. I had Benign prostatic hyperplasia.
The prostate is a bit like a donut. And through the hole passes the urethra, and as the prostate expands, it's expanding inwards and well as outwards, thus tightening around the uretha and making it harder to pee.
The prostate grows as men get older. They are not entirely sure what causes the prostate to get bigger, but the Mayo Clinic website talks about Benign prostatic hyperplasia.
One of the things you can do to reduce the size of the prostate or at least, to stop it growing so fast, is to adopt some lifestyle changes.
Like a lot of medical conditions, things can be helped along by stopping eating crap (processed foods, beer, coffee, sugary drinks and food) and eating things like leafy green vegetables. So, if these things can help reduce the size of the prostate, it goes without saying, that a crap diet can compound the problem.
I saw and ignored posts saying that you can shrink an enlarged prostate in just 5 seconds with some simple pelvic exercises. WTAF.
Never self-diagnose or think that you are immortal. Always seek professional medical advice.
I hobbled off and caught an Uber home, armed with a prescription for some antibiotics and numerous other meds I needed.
Miss CDMX went off to get the meds and called the clinic where I would get more ultrasound on my bladder and kidneys and have a whole series of blood tests.
Without her, I dunno what I would have done. She is an angel. Imagine if it had all kicked off when I was travelling around. It doesn't bear thinking about.
The blood work came back.
My triglyceride levels were down compared with the previous blood tests I did more than a year ago, back within the normal range. I had stopped drinking beer when I was still in Malta, 11 weeks earlier.
My bad cholesterol was still up. It was up back in 2005 as well. As were my Bilirubin levels. But nothing too drastic, and more importantly, I didn't have a kidney infection.
Back at the doctor's. With the prostate, 3 times a big as it should be, it was clear I needed surgery. No amount of spinach was gonna help me. The drugs available do not reduce the size of the prostate. They can help to stop it growing so quick.
It was suggested I had the BiPolar surgery over the laser surgery. We made some fast choices. I would need to overnight in a hospital. A date was given.
We returned home.
The doctor called. My operation was brought forward by a day. We prepared for my 24-hour stay in a hospital in the south of the city.
We arrived at 1 pm. There were reams of paper to be read and signatures to be added.
At 2.30 we went upstairs and shown my room. A saline drip was inserted. And there we waited. I cannot fault the way things worked.
At around 3.30 pm, I was wheeled into the operating room. I climbed up on the bed. Everything takes twice as long when you have a catheter and drip attached.
I laid on my side, had a nasal cannula set up, and a needle jabbed into my back and from then on, I gladly remember very little.
The surgery took ages. I started coming around but was still mostly out of it.
The operation was over. I was stretchered into an observation room, where I spent a further hour. Miss CDMX told me that the surgery had taken more than 3 hours.
I had the drip in. I had a bottle of water set up to clean my bladder and the catheter. It was a long and uncomfortable night.
And with some unwanted added drama.
The hospital was located in the southern part of Mexico City, 1 neighbourhood away from Plateros-Mixcoac fault. At 00.39, there was a 2.5 M earthquake. The first of many that day. I was jolted from my slumber. Not exactly what the doctor ordered a few hours after surgery.
A 2.5 quake normally ain't that bad, but when it's just a few blocks away, I felt like a truck had rammed into the hospital at high speed.
I was in excruciating pain for the rest of the night.
I don't do laying still very well. The recovery was worse than the op. Lying in one position for 18 hours is my kind of hell.
Eventually, my doctor said I was good to go.
I needed to rest. I wasn't to go out. I needed to drink water and take my meds.
The excess prostatic cell growth (hyperplasia) that was cut away during surgery was tested and the results showed I was cancer free.
Miss CDMX cared for my every need. After some days she made an appointment for the catheter to be removed.
Having a catheter removed is, thankfully, a lot less painful than having one inserted. I was feeling good.
We had dinner. Miss CDMX had to go out, but I was under instructions to call as soon as I took my first pee. It was heaven. I sat on the loo, relaxed, and I peed. I was so relieved. Pun is very much intended.
The doctor was informed. I was told I must drink a lot of water. And water I drank. I peed normally twice more.
By 9 pm, I peed blood. The flow of urine had stopped. The bladder was full. And I couldn't pee. Another long night ensued.
At 8 am, I called the doctor, At 10:30, I was having a 3rd catheter inserted. I still had a massive infection in my bladder and urinary tract. Most likely from before the op. The antibiotics had not been strong enough, or I had the surgery too soon. Or a combination of both or just that it can happen. No point in asking why. Just that it did.
Miss CDMX was back at work. I had to fend for myself. Next door was a Farmacia Similares. I bought more antibiotics, much stronger ones this time and in the consultorio next door, had the first of 5 injections in my butt.
Another week on recovery.
It's now 2 days until I am back at the doctors to have the catheter removed again. Am praying that there won't be any further complications.
It was, of course, great to be reunited with Miss CDMX. But by the Sunday night/Monday morning, I had problems to pee, in that I couldn't pee. And I tell ya, it was fucking painful.
Miss CDMX spent Monday trying to find an English-speaking Urologist, a medical doctor who specialises in conditions that affect the urinary tract.
Luckily, she found one. She booked me an appointment for the next day, called me an Uber and off I went alone as she was snowed under with work.
How to describe the issue? I could hardly pee. It was coming out in tiny dribbles. If I peed more than 20 cl, the size of a regular shot, that was going some. The pain in my bladder was crazy.
I had ultrasound on my belly. Just like they use on pregnant women. I could see the black mass associated with a full bladder and infection. The doctor confirmed I had a prostate issue.
He inserted a catheter, which brought immediate relief and tears to my eyes.
I am familiar with all this. My dad had the same issue. But he got bad during COVID, and they couldn't do any ops, and he ended up with a catheter inserted for many months. Infection after infection followed.
If the pee is not flushed out immediately, you are likely to get an infection, either in the bladder or in the urinary tract. Perhaps both. Yes, it's not only women who get urinary tract infections. And you can't have a catheter in for too long. This also causes infections.
My bladder drained. The pee was very dark. The doctor did the ultrasound again.
The prostate is a part of the reproductive system. It’s a small gland positioned in front of the rectum, just below the bladder, surrounding part of your urethra. The prostate generates the fluid that transports sperm, known as “seminal fluid.” Quote: Healthline.com
In a healthy adult, the prostate weighs around 20 to 25 grams and is approximately 4 cm wide, 3 cm high, and 2 cm thick, about the size of a walnut.
Mine was super enlarged. About 3 times as big as it should be. I had Benign prostatic hyperplasia.
The prostate is a bit like a donut. And through the hole passes the urethra, and as the prostate expands, it's expanding inwards and well as outwards, thus tightening around the uretha and making it harder to pee.
The prostate grows as men get older. They are not entirely sure what causes the prostate to get bigger, but the Mayo Clinic website talks about Benign prostatic hyperplasia.
One of the things you can do to reduce the size of the prostate or at least, to stop it growing so fast, is to adopt some lifestyle changes.
Like a lot of medical conditions, things can be helped along by stopping eating crap (processed foods, beer, coffee, sugary drinks and food) and eating things like leafy green vegetables. So, if these things can help reduce the size of the prostate, it goes without saying, that a crap diet can compound the problem.
I saw and ignored posts saying that you can shrink an enlarged prostate in just 5 seconds with some simple pelvic exercises. WTAF.
Never self-diagnose or think that you are immortal. Always seek professional medical advice.
I hobbled off and caught an Uber home, armed with a prescription for some antibiotics and numerous other meds I needed.
Miss CDMX went off to get the meds and called the clinic where I would get more ultrasound on my bladder and kidneys and have a whole series of blood tests.
Without her, I dunno what I would have done. She is an angel. Imagine if it had all kicked off when I was travelling around. It doesn't bear thinking about.
The blood work came back.
My triglyceride levels were down compared with the previous blood tests I did more than a year ago, back within the normal range. I had stopped drinking beer when I was still in Malta, 11 weeks earlier.
My bad cholesterol was still up. It was up back in 2005 as well. As were my Bilirubin levels. But nothing too drastic, and more importantly, I didn't have a kidney infection.
Back at the doctor's. With the prostate, 3 times a big as it should be, it was clear I needed surgery. No amount of spinach was gonna help me. The drugs available do not reduce the size of the prostate. They can help to stop it growing so quick.
It was suggested I had the BiPolar surgery over the laser surgery. We made some fast choices. I would need to overnight in a hospital. A date was given.
We returned home.
The doctor called. My operation was brought forward by a day. We prepared for my 24-hour stay in a hospital in the south of the city.
We arrived at 1 pm. There were reams of paper to be read and signatures to be added.
At 2.30 we went upstairs and shown my room. A saline drip was inserted. And there we waited. I cannot fault the way things worked.
At around 3.30 pm, I was wheeled into the operating room. I climbed up on the bed. Everything takes twice as long when you have a catheter and drip attached.
I laid on my side, had a nasal cannula set up, and a needle jabbed into my back and from then on, I gladly remember very little.
The surgery took ages. I started coming around but was still mostly out of it.
The operation was over. I was stretchered into an observation room, where I spent a further hour. Miss CDMX told me that the surgery had taken more than 3 hours.
I had the drip in. I had a bottle of water set up to clean my bladder and the catheter. It was a long and uncomfortable night.
And with some unwanted added drama.
The hospital was located in the southern part of Mexico City, 1 neighbourhood away from Plateros-Mixcoac fault. At 00.39, there was a 2.5 M earthquake. The first of many that day. I was jolted from my slumber. Not exactly what the doctor ordered a few hours after surgery.
A 2.5 quake normally ain't that bad, but when it's just a few blocks away, I felt like a truck had rammed into the hospital at high speed.
I was in excruciating pain for the rest of the night.
I don't do laying still very well. The recovery was worse than the op. Lying in one position for 18 hours is my kind of hell.
Eventually, my doctor said I was good to go.
I needed to rest. I wasn't to go out. I needed to drink water and take my meds.
The excess prostatic cell growth (hyperplasia) that was cut away during surgery was tested and the results showed I was cancer free.
Miss CDMX cared for my every need. After some days she made an appointment for the catheter to be removed.
Having a catheter removed is, thankfully, a lot less painful than having one inserted. I was feeling good.
We had dinner. Miss CDMX had to go out, but I was under instructions to call as soon as I took my first pee. It was heaven. I sat on the loo, relaxed, and I peed. I was so relieved. Pun is very much intended.
The doctor was informed. I was told I must drink a lot of water. And water I drank. I peed normally twice more.
By 9 pm, I peed blood. The flow of urine had stopped. The bladder was full. And I couldn't pee. Another long night ensued.
At 8 am, I called the doctor, At 10:30, I was having a 3rd catheter inserted. I still had a massive infection in my bladder and urinary tract. Most likely from before the op. The antibiotics had not been strong enough, or I had the surgery too soon. Or a combination of both or just that it can happen. No point in asking why. Just that it did.
Miss CDMX was back at work. I had to fend for myself. Next door was a Farmacia Similares. I bought more antibiotics, much stronger ones this time and in the consultorio next door, had the first of 5 injections in my butt.
Another week on recovery.
It's now 2 days until I am back at the doctors to have the catheter removed again. Am praying that there won't be any further complications.
This post is very personal, but the story needs to be told. Prostate issues are largely NOT talked about but Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia affects almost half of men more than 50 years of age and as many as 90% of men more than 80 years of age.
The story goes back to Oaxaca 2021 when I first noticed I was having issues to pee.
At this stage, it was only in the morning and some self-discovery revealed it was only really noticeable after I had drank a beer or soda the day before. It was manageable but stupidly I didn't do anything about it sooner. I didn't wanna believe there was anything majorly wrong.
It didn't really get any worse until the last weeks in London when peeing started getting progressively worse. But not all the time. Some days I just peed normally. Other times, I couldn't fully empty my bladder (exactly how it started with dad).
So for all you guys out there, if at anytime you develop problems when peeing at anytime, what ever your age, get it checked out, sooner rather than later.
I am 56. And it happened to me. So forget all your male bravado that it won't happen to you. 50 is the key word here. If you are over 50, it's 50-50 that you will suffer from an enlarged prostate.
The story goes back to Oaxaca 2021 when I first noticed I was having issues to pee.
At this stage, it was only in the morning and some self-discovery revealed it was only really noticeable after I had drank a beer or soda the day before. It was manageable but stupidly I didn't do anything about it sooner. I didn't wanna believe there was anything majorly wrong.
It didn't really get any worse until the last weeks in London when peeing started getting progressively worse. But not all the time. Some days I just peed normally. Other times, I couldn't fully empty my bladder (exactly how it started with dad).
So for all you guys out there, if at anytime you develop problems when peeing at anytime, what ever your age, get it checked out, sooner rather than later.
I am 56. And it happened to me. So forget all your male bravado that it won't happen to you. 50 is the key word here. If you are over 50, it's 50-50 that you will suffer from an enlarged prostate.
Always seek professional medical advice. Never self-diagnose or think that you are immortal.
A big thank you, more than you will ever know, goes out, especially to Miss CDMX, the doctor who treated and operated on me, and the nurses at the hospital.