Incontenance Recovery Question

Olee said:

Slow Progress
My advice to the guys who have just had surgery, like you've been told is just hang in there and be patient. I keep doing the exercises and being hopeful. I was mortified the day after my catheter was out and I used pad after pad. Things slowly improved to the point of urinating after I had been sitting for awhile or when I was standing. During my post-op visit in April my doctor assured me that my leakage would improve before my next visit in July. I have to say he was right, thankfully. Now I can sit for long periods of time and then get up and hold it long enough to get the restroom, which is a victory in itself. Standing poses a problem to a degree, but it also relates to how many liquids I've had to drink. The one I haven't been able to overcome is the straining, bending over to pick something up,exercise etc. A simple sneeze also creates a small leakage. But these are all factors that can be dealt with and are a huge improvement. I've heard some of you guys mention alcohol and let me tell you that one is a bummer. I like to have a beer or two sometimes , so I've learned to be near a bathroom when I choose to drink. That's even come a long way from the beginning at a time when I tried to drink and just used a ton of pads. When you tally up the cost and you've spent more on pads in a night than beer and wine, it was a sign to stop. Now if I decide I'm going to have some beer or wine, I just make sure I'm close to the bathroom, no problems like before. The one thing that has taken some real planning is going out in public. Work isn't too bad because of the nature of my job, I just stop in at various gas stations and fast food joints all day to use the restroom. I keep a few extra pads in my briefcase in case they are needed. It's the public events that take the planning, games,concerts etc. I have learned to cut my liquid intake prior to the event, where I used to drink a large soda or beer, now I just have a small soda or water and maybe no beer. Sometimes I just drink the large soda towards the end of the event,like I said planning. My doctor told me that my body would reach a point in this where it would heal slowly and will continue to heal for quite sometime. I see what he meant now, it seems to be at a snails pace. But I can tell it's progressing somewhat. I go the bathroom alot more now, but I look at that as I've developed the ability to hold it better. I'll take that any day over these pads.

Olee said:

Slow Progress
My advice to the guys who have just had surgery, like you've been told is just hang in there and be patient. I keep doing the exercises and being hopeful. I was mortified the day after my catheter was out and I used pad after pad. Things slowly improved to the point of urinating after I had been sitting for awhile or when I was standing. During my post-op visit in April my doctor assured me that my leakage would improve before my next visit in July. I have to say he was right, thankfully. Now I can sit for long periods of time and then get up and hold it long enough to get the restroom, which is a victory in itself. Standing poses a problem to a degree, but it also relates to how many liquids I've had to drink. The one I haven't been able to overcome is the straining, bending over to pick something up,exercise etc. A simple sneeze also creates a small leakage. But these are all factors that can be dealt with and are a huge improvement. I've heard some of you guys mention alcohol and let me tell you that one is a bummer. I like to have a beer or two sometimes , so I've learned to be near a bathroom when I choose to drink. That's even come a long way from the beginning at a time when I tried to drink and just used a ton of pads. When you tally up the cost and you've spent more on pads in a night than beer and wine, it was a sign to stop. Now if I decide I'm going to have some beer or wine, I just make sure I'm close to the bathroom, no problems like before. The one thing that has taken some real planning is going out in public. Work isn't too bad because of the nature of my job, I just stop in at various gas stations and fast food joints all day to use the restroom. I keep a few extra pads in my briefcase in case they are needed. It's the public events that take the planning, games,concerts etc. I have learned to cut my liquid intake prior to the event, where I used to drink a large soda or beer, now I just have a small soda or water and maybe no beer. Sometimes I just drink the large soda towards the end of the event,like I said planning. My doctor told me that my body would reach a point in this where it would heal slowly and will continue to heal for quite sometime. I see what he meant now, it seems to be at a snails pace. But I can tell it's progressing somewhat. I go the bathroom alot more now, but I look at that as I've developed the ability to hold it better. I'll take that any day over these pads.

lion1 said:

Leaking
Olee,
Just wanted to share something with you. One instance that seems prevelant with my incontinence is whenever I sit down to eat, I must really get in a relaxed mode, because that is usually the only time I will get a soaked pad and not even feel it, sometimes so soaked it leaks right through. This has happened on several occassions during eating dinner , let's say where I must be completely off guard.

Any thoughts or here anything similiar like this? The reason I bring this up is that it consistetnly happens?????

Lion1

papadon said:

incontinence 8 weeks post lrp
Hi. I have read several posts by tpelle and others, incl. lion1 and Kreinholt. I have not seen one by anyone who had an lrp about two years after a TURP like I did. My lrp was June 16. My doc said he had to work on my more because I had the TURP, I would leak like a seive, and that I would get better. Cath came out three weeks post op. I am about 8 weeks not and still have no bladder control, meaning I dribble and even sometimes squirt a little, pretty much constantly. I have within the last 8 days begun to become aware thatI need to go to the toilet, but CANNOT even hold back the dribble. It will squirt a little when I get up and on my way to the toilet, but when I get there, I can push out a stream, and stop and restart the stream. Is this improvement? Is this a step in the process toward gaining some level of continence? I cannot use just pads in my jocky shorts - leaks out quickly. I have to use the diaper shorts, about 18 - 20 a day. I try to stay dry and clean. I had a fungus for about two weeks until I went to my internist and he gave me oral antifungal which worked within the 10 days. Fungus now cleared, but incontinence is severely depressing. Heartening to read the posts from you folks who are coping and I'm thankful to have luckily found this site and loving the info here. I am doing kegals about 8 times a day in sets of 10, but am not seeing any improvement. Thanks for any insight or direction you, or anyone else, will share.

tpelle said:

Sphincter Function
Papadon: You'll reach the jocky shorts pad stage soon. Early after surgery, cutting off the flow for a few seconds in mid-stream indicated to my urologist that the sphincter had good function. A very good sign, he said. The first three months were the worst. Improvement continued until I got down to 1 - 2 pads per day. Urologist said to give a rigorous Kegel program 6 to 9 months to work. As I believe Kreinholt has experienced, after sitting, I can stop the full-bladder release until I get to the bathroom because my mind is on the issue; but dribble occurs when I'm casually walking around or standing, even immediately after voiding. How was your urinary control after the TURP and before prostate surgery? Did you have any incidents of not getting to the bathroom without leakage during that period? Are you dry before you get out of bed in the morning? It's early in your recovery. You'll get there.

shubbysr said:

More drugs or not??
My doctor did not offer drug therapy for my incontinence. He says time will take care of incontinence. Okay, it has been three months since surgery and I am a bit better.
Am I ready for more drug therapy?? Time will tell.

Jim (shubbysr)

JR1949 said:

Utira-c
lion1,

I mispelled it, it is Utira-C, I take the generic Utrona-C. It takes care of the painful urination. It is a purple pill that turns your urine green and your poop green too. Word of caution, if you have burning it could be a sign of a bladder infection. I have had that too.
My urologist does a urine test each visit and gave me antibiotic for the infection. As far as incontinence I seem to have backslid. Do any of you guys have that problem? I am 5 months out since radical prostatectomy March 09. Lately I have good days and bad days with leaks and incontinence. Perhaps I need to do kegels more often.
One thing I can tell everybody, cafeine is a No-No. I drink decaf coffee and tastes the same to me now. When I eat out, I choose root beer when available instead of soda because I don't like 7-Up, Sprite or any of the clear soft drinks.

JR1949 said:

Utira-c
lion1,

I mispelled it, it is Utira-C, I take the generic Utrona-C. It takes care of the painful urination. It is a purple pill that turns your urine green and your poop green too. Word of caution, if you have burning it could be a sign of a bladder infection. I have had that too.
My urologist does a urine test each visit and gave me antibiotic for the infection. As far as incontinence I seem to have backslid. Do any of you guys have that problem? I am 5 months out since radical prostatectomy March 09. Lately I have good days and bad days with leaks and incontinence. Perhaps I need to do kegels more often.
One thing I can tell everybody, cafeine is a No-No. I drink decaf coffee and tastes the same to me now. When I eat out, I choose root beer when available instead of soda because I don't like 7-Up, Sprite or any of the clear soft drinks.

JR1949 said:

Utira-c
lion1,

I mispelled it, it is Utira-C, I take the generic Utrona-C. It takes care of the painful urination. It is a purple pill that turns your urine green and your poop green too. Word of caution, if you have burning it could be a sign of a bladder infection. I have had that too.
My urologist does a urine test each visit and gave me antibiotic for the infection. As far as incontinence I seem to have backslid. Do any of you guys have that problem? I am 5 months out since radical prostatectomy March 09. Lately I have good days and bad days with leaks and incontinence. Perhaps I need to do kegels more often.
One thing I can tell everybody, cafeine is a No-No. I drink decaf coffee and tastes the same to me now. When I eat out, I choose root beer when available instead of soda because I don't like 7-Up, Sprite or any of the clear soft drinks.

lion1 said:

Leaking
JR1949,

It just doesn't matter what I drink. Water, Coffee or Beer. Same effect. My Doc says my bladder is contracting and he was treating it with Ditropan--no help. My Sphincter is working pretty good. Next he's going down the elctrolysiss type treatment road. I was high on having the Advance Sling--but there's no guarantees.

This situation stinks----but I am staying positive-----------I have decided I won't give up beer or caffiene--life is just too short and it seems now my bladder is the center of concern and if will stop contracting I may be down to one pad a day----I could live with that!

Lion1