It’s important to move to stay healthy, even if you have prostate cancer. Therefore, if you already engage in regular activity, continue to do so. If not, it’s never too late to add physical activity, even of low intensity, to your daily routine.

Thus, a simple walk of 15 to 30 minutes can be beneficial.

Pelvic muscle strengthening exercises are highly effective in reducing incontinence after radical prostatectomy. You should do these exercises before your operation and continue them after the catheter is removed. You should see improvement after 5 to 6 weeks of regular exercises.

Standing, sitting, or lying down, with knees slightly apart, imagine you are holding back urine or stool. Contract the muscles you would use in this situation.

• Contract the muscles for 5 to 10 seconds
• Relax the muscles for about ten seconds
• Repeat the contractions 12 to 20 times
• Do these exercises 3 times a day

To check if you’re contracting the right muscles

To check if you’re contracting the right muscles, look at your penis; it should tighten and contract inward. You should also feel the muscle around the rectum (the one you use to hold stool and gas) tighten.

When your muscles are stronger and you can hold, you can reduce the exercises to a set of 10, a few times a week. Remember that every man is different.

Physiotherapy in perineal rehabilitation is recommended by doctors and aims to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor to contribute to better closure of the urethra. Your physiotherapist, an expert in perineal rehabilitation (important), can advise you on good hydration habits (water resources), controlling constipation, techniques for controlling urinary urges, and integrating good perineal contractions at opportune moments.

You won’t have a choice but to inform your employer. Planning your sick leave and return to work is important for both your recovery and peace of mind. So, you should address the issue promptly if you’re working. Here’s what to expect:

• For a job without physical exertion and with flexible hours: 3 to 4 weeks
• For a job involving physical effort: 6 to 8 weeks
• For a highly physically demanding job: 12 weeks

After 6 weeks, you can return to full-time work. In fact, the duration of the required leave varies depending on the speed of your recovery and the type of work you do.

If you have private insurance, talk to your insurer or your company’s Human Resources department to manage your absence and minimize your stress.

Although it can be stressful, it’s recommended to quit smoking six weeks before surgery to reduce the risks of lung problems, healing issues, and infection. If needed, your doctor can prescribe medication to help you.

Alcohol can also interact with medications. Therefore, it’s recommended to reduce your consumption and not drink for 24 hours before surgery.

A healthy and balanced diet will also help you recover quickly from your treatments. The energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals provided by your diet help fight fatigue and infections.

Basic advice for you

• Have 3 meals a day and snacks as needed.
• Consume foods from all four food groups of the Canadian Food Guide (low-fat dairy products, fruits and vegetables, grains, lean meats, skinless poultry, fish, and substitutes) to ensure daily adequate nutrient intake.
• Have at least one meal a day with lean meat, skinless poultry, or fish to ensure daily adequate nutrient intake.
• Give importance to vegetables and fruits, which are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals.
• Drink enough water (at least 1500 mL per day or 6 to 8 glasses of water).

If this medication is prescribed by your doctor or cardiologist, check with them for guidance before stopping it. Medications containing acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin) increase the risk of bleeding. It should be stopped 7 to 14 days before the operation.

If you take this medication for pain relief, opt for medications containing acetaminophen (Tylenol) instead.

Since some natural products may interact with the medications you may be given at the hospital, it’s best to avoid them. If necessary, discuss it first with your urologist.

After surgery, you may not necessarily have the energy to prepare your meals, do your daily tasks, or even bathe. If possible, prepare some meals and freeze them. You can then quickly reheat them during your recovery.

Also, ask your loved ones to help you with certain tasks if needed.

You should leave the hospital 1 to 4 days after the operation if everything goes smoothly. However, you won’t be able to drive home. Therefore, it’s best to arrange for someone to accompany you upon your discharge. Also, note that you should not drive for at least two weeks following your surgery.

During this visit, you’ll have:

• Blood and urine tests
• Recording of your cardiac activity (electrocardiogram or ECG)
• Sometimes, radiological examinations
• Sometimes, a meeting with the anesthesiologist. They will ask you about your medical history, allergies, and medications you take. They will tell you which medications you should continue to take and which ones to stop.

All these tests are done on an outpatient basis a few days or weeks before the surgery.

Normally, the meeting with your surgeon has already taken place. If you had other medical problems after your examinations, you may have been referred to another doctor (a specialist) before surgery.

The admission protocol

Blood transfusions are rarely necessary because, in general, you will not lose much blood. Nevertheless, as a precaution, some hospitals ask their patients to donate a little of their own blood before the operation. Thus, if you need a transfusion during or after surgery, your own blood will be used. This is called “autologous” blood donation.

It will be discarded if not used because hospitals are not allowed to store it or use it for other patients.