no control

griff 1

i just had my cath removed and that was great, but now no control. man that sucks. kegel i hope will help. any comments thanks griff

142

control
I just posted on your message over on Trew's thread -

I was on a Depends pant + 7-8 pads per day for the first two months, but slowly after came down by one every few weeks. By March I was down to 1, but then after IGRT radiation I'm back to 2 or 3.

Walk some at a time (half-mile or so), not one big stretch once a day. Do Kegels in sets of not more than 10 at a time, spread over the day. Don't do too many, as it hurts the muscles you are trying to build. My limit was 3 sets of 10, the doc suggested 5 sets, some people talk about more, but that is excessive in my opinion.

Keep an eye out for urinary tract infections - they set you back. Don't stop drinking water, as that makes it worse.

Let's hope you get dry in a week -

Start with the Walgreens/Kroger/Target Affirm pads - they are the heaviest (i.e. most absorbent) "guards", and between the brands, there is always a deal of some sort.

Depends and Tena guards are too light for free-flow mode (you would be doing 10+ per day). They will be the step two and three.

lion1

142 said:

control
I just posted on your message over on Trew's thread -

I was on a Depends pant + 7-8 pads per day for the first two months, but slowly after came down by one every few weeks. By March I was down to 1, but then after IGRT radiation I'm back to 2 or 3.

Walk some at a time (half-mile or so), not one big stretch once a day. Do Kegels in sets of not more than 10 at a time, spread over the day. Don't do too many, as it hurts the muscles you are trying to build. My limit was 3 sets of 10, the doc suggested 5 sets, some people talk about more, but that is excessive in my opinion.

Keep an eye out for urinary tract infections - they set you back. Don't stop drinking water, as that makes it worse.

Let's hope you get dry in a week -

Start with the Walgreens/Kroger/Target Affirm pads - they are the heaviest (i.e. most absorbent) "guards", and between the brands, there is always a deal of some sort.

Depends and Tena guards are too light for free-flow mode (you would be doing 10+ per day). They will be the step two and three.

Griff-Patience-Focus
Griff,

I have been incontinent for 4 years----now that I got your attention. Be Patient, Positive and stay focused. Things will get better sooner than you think. 142 had some good advice, don't overdo it--When your body recovers it will happen naturally. Until you reach the 6 month mark I wouldn't worry about a thing. Most guys get back to normal in the first year. But some of us have to explore other options. Take it slow---you'll be fine.

Best to you-----

Lion1

142

142 said:

control
I just posted on your message over on Trew's thread -

I was on a Depends pant + 7-8 pads per day for the first two months, but slowly after came down by one every few weeks. By March I was down to 1, but then after IGRT radiation I'm back to 2 or 3.

Walk some at a time (half-mile or so), not one big stretch once a day. Do Kegels in sets of not more than 10 at a time, spread over the day. Don't do too many, as it hurts the muscles you are trying to build. My limit was 3 sets of 10, the doc suggested 5 sets, some people talk about more, but that is excessive in my opinion.

Keep an eye out for urinary tract infections - they set you back. Don't stop drinking water, as that makes it worse.

Let's hope you get dry in a week -

Start with the Walgreens/Kroger/Target Affirm pads - they are the heaviest (i.e. most absorbent) "guards", and between the brands, there is always a deal of some sort.

Depends and Tena guards are too light for free-flow mode (you would be doing 10+ per day). They will be the step two and three.

timeline
Sorry I omitted my time line.
Warning PSA 07/10
Biopsy/Diagnosis 08/10
DaVinci 10/09
11/09 was at 1 pant + 7-8 pads
1/10 was at 1 pant + 4-5 pads
3/10 was at 1 pant + 2 pads, quit using the pant
4/10 for a few weeks was at 1 pad
IGRT started late April
5/10 back to 2 pads (probably IGRT impact - was warned it could happen)
6/10 up to 3 pads about 50% of the time

griff 1

142 said:

control
I just posted on your message over on Trew's thread -

I was on a Depends pant + 7-8 pads per day for the first two months, but slowly after came down by one every few weeks. By March I was down to 1, but then after IGRT radiation I'm back to 2 or 3.

Walk some at a time (half-mile or so), not one big stretch once a day. Do Kegels in sets of not more than 10 at a time, spread over the day. Don't do too many, as it hurts the muscles you are trying to build. My limit was 3 sets of 10, the doc suggested 5 sets, some people talk about more, but that is excessive in my opinion.

Keep an eye out for urinary tract infections - they set you back. Don't stop drinking water, as that makes it worse.

Let's hope you get dry in a week -

Start with the Walgreens/Kroger/Target Affirm pads - they are the heaviest (i.e. most absorbent) "guards", and between the brands, there is always a deal of some sort.

Depends and Tena guards are too light for free-flow mode (you would be doing 10+ per day). They will be the step two and three.

142 and lion 1
thanks alot for the info, this site and the people here you can,t get better than that. thanks and good luck to all of you. griff

142

griff 1 said:

142 and lion 1
thanks alot for the info, this site and the people here you can,t get better than that. thanks and good luck to all of you. griff

Night time
I'm slipping - they may take away my posting rights.
Night time is always a separate discussion. Most of us have a big difference between night and day leakage.

My case has been very few nights with problems, but if I have them, they are big. So, to avoid the huge wet spot, I still use a pad at night. Beats washing wet sheets first thing in the morning. The pad you use at night needs to be absorbent. All the issues of comfort and fit are irrelevant at night(search for pants & pads - I posted a lot on this back in November '10). I used a ladies heavy pad - often on sale, and does the job, at night (Tena and Walgreens - get maximum absorbency for lowest cost).

As a backup, get some "underpads" (Again, Walgreens/Target/Kroger/Safeway brands are good - almost always a loss leader sale item, put one under your side of the bed "just in case". If you don't "need" them, they will be valid for a couple of weeks before they fall apart.

Put another one at the bedside "just in case". The better half will not like the spots on the carpet as you hit the floor running.

griff 1

142 said:

Night time
I'm slipping - they may take away my posting rights.
Night time is always a separate discussion. Most of us have a big difference between night and day leakage.

My case has been very few nights with problems, but if I have them, they are big. So, to avoid the huge wet spot, I still use a pad at night. Beats washing wet sheets first thing in the morning. The pad you use at night needs to be absorbent. All the issues of comfort and fit are irrelevant at night(search for pants & pads - I posted a lot on this back in November '10). I used a ladies heavy pad - often on sale, and does the job, at night (Tena and Walgreens - get maximum absorbency for lowest cost).

As a backup, get some "underpads" (Again, Walgreens/Target/Kroger/Safeway brands are good - almost always a loss leader sale item, put one under your side of the bed "just in case". If you don't "need" them, they will be valid for a couple of weeks before they fall apart.

Put another one at the bedside "just in case". The better half will not like the spots on the carpet as you hit the floor running.

night time
thanks 142 yes the better half might yell at ya. ha ha anyway that is good to know thanks again griff

Trew

Griff, for most guys, it
Griff, for most guys, it does get better. My case was complicated by radiation. Just take time- 2- 3 months you should see a big improvement in your control.

griff 1

Trew said:

Griff, for most guys, it
Griff, for most guys, it does get better. My case was complicated by radiation. Just take time- 2- 3 months you should see a big improvement in your control.

trew
thanks and actully i had a good night, i woke up to take a leak 3 times so i think that is a good sign. see ya griff

JR1949

griff 1 said:

trew
thanks and actully i had a good night, i woke up to take a leak 3 times so i think that is a good sign. see ya griff

Control & Incontinence
griff 1,
I had radical prostatectomy Mar. 2009 and had been using up to 7 pads daily with diaper (Depends) and the strangest thing is that I would have days with less use and days with more. I admit I was not doing kegels much. The last 3 months I am doing kegels more, at least 2-3 times a day and I am down to 3-4 pads with Depends during the day and one pad at night with Depends. I usually have to void 1-2 times at night, but hardly wet the pad.
Even now I wet the pad more some days than others.

I see from posts that some are dry after cath is removed and others have different degrees of incontinence. Guess everybody is different. I drink at least 3 glasses of water every day and I think that helps and I do not drink tea, cola or coffee that has caffeine nor do I drink wine or beer which I understand can make incontinence worse.

Good luck to you griff 1.

JR

griff 1

JR1949 said:

Control & Incontinence
griff 1,
I had radical prostatectomy Mar. 2009 and had been using up to 7 pads daily with diaper (Depends) and the strangest thing is that I would have days with less use and days with more. I admit I was not doing kegels much. The last 3 months I am doing kegels more, at least 2-3 times a day and I am down to 3-4 pads with Depends during the day and one pad at night with Depends. I usually have to void 1-2 times at night, but hardly wet the pad.
Even now I wet the pad more some days than others.

I see from posts that some are dry after cath is removed and others have different degrees of incontinence. Guess everybody is different. I drink at least 3 glasses of water every day and I think that helps and I do not drink tea, cola or coffee that has caffeine nor do I drink wine or beer which I understand can make incontinence worse.

Good luck to you griff 1.

JR

jr
thanks for your post. i need to do more kegels also. i am doing not too bad. about 3 pads a day, so it could be worse. i do drink too much coffee. anyway thanks and good luck

142

griff 1 said:

jr
thanks for your post. i need to do more kegels also. i am doing not too bad. about 3 pads a day, so it could be worse. i do drink too much coffee. anyway thanks and good luck

Coffee
For me, drinking coffee, orange juice, or carbonated drinks literally turn on the fountain. Before surgery, I drank several cups of coffee a day, and started with a tall glass of OJ in the morning. It has been quite an adjustment.

Just some parts of the "new normal".

The Nev

very different
I think what your going to find is we're all very different. When I had my cath removed I had no control, I was very depressed. The first few nights I soaked through the depends had to get up change the sheets take a shower and did it again before morning. After a period of time a week or two I was able to go to pads and then before long a few weeks I noticed I was dry at night. After one month I stopped wearing pads at night. I was on 2-3 pads a day for months I tried everything no coffee, no beer, no soda it made no difference. At the 9 1/2 month mark I was able to go a few days with no pad, now I just wear one when I'm a little worried about getting a little spot. I found that drinking Green Tea is the only thing that makes it worse so you just never know most guys find that tea makes it better. Beer and coffee have no effect at all. But I only drink two cups of coffee in the morning, and I really don't drink much beer. Mine got way better in fact close to normal, in the begining I was thinking I was sorry I had the surgery now I'm ok with it. So hang in give it some time and try different things. Good luck

Trew

Get a note pad and start
Get a note pad and start keeping record of pad changes. You will be able to see an overall pattern develop so on the bad days you can remind yourself that forwarwd progress is being made.

Not everyone leaks forever.

Just some of us.

griff 1

142 said:

Coffee
For me, drinking coffee, orange juice, or carbonated drinks literally turn on the fountain. Before surgery, I drank several cups of coffee a day, and started with a tall glass of OJ in the morning. It has been quite an adjustment.

Just some parts of the "new normal".

coffee
i have cut down on coffee, but i could never quite my daily vice. that would be the final straw. ha ha griff

griff 1

142 said:

Coffee
For me, drinking coffee, orange juice, or carbonated drinks literally turn on the fountain. Before surgery, I drank several cups of coffee a day, and started with a tall glass of OJ in the morning. It has been quite an adjustment.

Just some parts of the "new normal".

coffee
i have cut down on coffee, but i could never quite my daily vice. that would be the final straw. ha ha griff