About that prostate surgery...

It was a success.

The surgery actually took place at 7:30 AM on 5-26-2026 at Omaha's Methodist Hospital...and five hours later, after they reduced my prostate by 100 cm, I woke up in my own room there. I was discharged at 11:30 AM the next day.

Surgery was the easy part...the first robotic radical prostatectomy ever done here in Nebraska. Recovery was the hard part. Very difficult at first to let my body heal...circumstances didn't really permit it.

First order of business was to clean up my apartment...something wearing a catheter made harder (especially when you factor in the use of a vacuum cleaner). Good thing the staff at UROHealth Partners removed my catheter on 6-3-2026. Despite what Methodist's discharge instructions said, I ended up throwing out my bed in four pieces, running that vacuum cleaner, and climbing stairs. (Couldn't help climbing the stairs...I live on the third floor.) I'm trying to eat better than before, though: More fresh fruit, more soups, more salads. And I'm fighting to stay better hydrated than back in April. I'm drinking less pop, more water, and more Gatorade, too.

I actually feel better now than I did before the surgery; in fact, I'd call myself 99.999% recovered from what the robot (and the laser attached to it) put me through.

Now...to do something about those extra bathroom visits...

April...the cruelest month

At least for me, it was.

On 4-16-2026, living with an enlarged prostate caught up with me. That morning, at 3:45 AM (Central time), for the first time in my life, I woke up unable to eliminate.

As a result, I was unable to help out at our church's all-congregation cleanup. Instead of helping to tidy up a church building, I ended up seeing UroHealth Partners (10707 Pacific St., Omaha, NE 68114).

UroHealth's staff took care of the pain in my private parts, all right. By 11:55 AM, the staff put a catheter on me...and I was able to drain.

They had me come back for a pair of followup appointments...4-22-2026 (the day they took the catheter out) and 4-23-2026. I felt all right after the cath removal. Felt able to do my thing on my own. But on 4-25-2026, the pains came right back.

On a freakin' Saturday...and UroHealth isn't open on weekends.

This time, I ended up going to the emergency room at CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center- University Campus (2412 Cuming St., Omaha, NE 68131)...the closest hospital to where I live.

By around 1:30 PM, CHI's staff put a new catheter in me...and that's what I'm wearing at the present time.

Two days later, the UroHealth staff announced that I'll undergo prostate surgery at 6:00 AM on 5-26-2026 at Methodist Hospital (8303 Dodge St., Omaha, NE 68114). The object: To reduce my prostate to a more manageable size.

I'll continue to wear a catheter until at least 6-2-2026. Until that date comes, I'm not about to have that cath removed.

Here's hoping for a successful prostate surgery.