Rest
This doesn’t just mean getting eight hours a night, it’s about listening to your body throughout the recovery period. This means taking naps and resting whenever you may feel tired. It may even be slightly uncomfortable to sleep normally for an extended period. That’s why midday naps and smaller periods of rest will be your saving grace throughout this time. And if you’re helping a loved one through this time, be sure to encourage rest and help make them as comfortable as possible.
Appropriate Activity
Some activities during recovery can be helpful to the recovery process. Some light walking around the house or a brief excursion outside will do the trick, typically, for no more than fifteen minutes at a time. Our next section will explain this more, but you need to treat this like any other wound or injury you’ve had. It’s in a sensitive location and usually has stitches present. This means no straining, no over-exertion, and 10-20 minutes of icing here and there can do wonders for swelling. Do be sure to keep some fabric between the ice pack and the affected area.
Treat It Like a Wound or Injury
It is important to keep any wound or injury to the body dry and cool. For the first two weeks after the surgery, you should only take a shower, not baths. You don’t want any kind of wound waterlogged, especially in the scrotal area. Once you’re done with your shower, you want to gently pat the area dry and wear comfortable clothing that breathes. Our doctor may recommend compression shorts or a format of supported briefs or boxer briefs to give you additional support.
If you’d like to know more about testicular cancer recovery, please don’t hesitate to call us at the Greater Hartford Urology Group in Hartford, CT, at (860) 522-2251.
