Will he still be hospitalized while on this pain management?

Either way...ask that the epidural or morphine pump be administered while he is still under the anesthesia. With the pump, he can administer his own pain relief, within reason. The epidural, he won't feel a thing...there won't be that chance of the pain medication wearing off and him being uncomfortable. I had a nerve block, which is basically what an epidural is, on my hand when I had surgery. It was great. That would be my option. The nerve block wore off slowly and I was prepared to handle the pain. Of course, I am sure his surgery is much more involved.

Bless his heart.

Hi Vicki, He'll still be in the hospital while using his pain medication. He's expected to be in the hospital 7-10 days. This is a man who's 69 and has never been in the hospital or had any kind of surgery for his whole life, until the cancer showed up. Then he had some day-surgeries to remove the tumours. Since it keeps coming back, the specialist said it's best to remove his bladder completely.
He honestly doesn't know which would be the best way to handle it, so thanks so much for your advice.

I had the morphine pump and I could administer the medicine when I needed instead of waiting for the nurse to find the time to come in my room, call the dr., dr. call back and then wait for pharmacy to send up drug, then the nurse find time to administer it. It could take up to 2 hours, while I was in agony. For me, the pain(morphine) pump that is best, hands down. I also had a pain pump post op, and it was a relief to know my pain meds where going intravenously. The dr. did the adjustments in the hospital for the amount of dosage.

Blessings to your step father.

I'm not a medico, but I'd prefer the minimal -- the morphine pump as needed. The epidural means your're blocked for X amount of time -- maybe longer than necessary.

I've had two hip replacements -- morphine pump was fine. I know that's nothing compared to abdominal surgery, but...

(I will never forgive the MD who let me wake from an ooectomy without pain meds! He was sitting there beside my bed when I 'came to'. Horrible pain, and he says, "There, there my dear. We'll get you something right away.")

My dh had abdominal surgery two years ago and was given an epidural for several days. It worked great and did the job; otherwise he would have been in a world of pain. No problem going off.

Jasdip, we'll he being having a urostomy? If so and he or you need some help with the bag set up or anything else - send me a note.
I had that surgery in 2007 and am alive and well because of it!
If you think of it, remind him to ask his doctor about pain medication when he gets home as some are better than others and cause less damage to the stomach and kidneys.
Suzan J

I've had a morphine pump twice and this was my experience:

I had *terrible* nightmares, just terrible. I was extremely agitated and irritable, lost time and got confused twice - and it got even worse for three days after I went off the medication - the morphine can stay in the system (for side effects to contine) for several days. Both times I was on the pump for five to seven days.

The morphine was an extremely effective for pain management.

I decided that if I ever need that type of pain management again, I will not go for a morphine pump, it will have to be something else, even if it's not nearly as effective for the pain, the side effects made me completely miserable.

If he decides to go for the morphine pump, let him know that these could be side effects (very common side effects that I wasn't told about) so that he knows that the morphine is what might be troubling him and to know that he can decide to be taken off it - I didn't realize I was so miserable due to morphine and stayed on it until the doctor chose to take me off.