Pads per day

142 said:

Condom catheter
My doctor suggested that it was better to wait and exhaust the idea of Kegel exercises before going to other products. I suspect that he uses the logic that if I used something else, it might take away from the emphasis to keep going with the exercise routine.
In fact, now 11 weeks out from DaVinci, I am better. Still not off the pads by any means. He gives me a target of March before revisiting other options.

I'd read up on the various catheters before surgery, and the big take-away from posts and web pages is that ultimate cleanliness is a must, and a bit of a pain to maintain. The nurses who checked me out of the hospital had extreme reservations about one's ability to maintain the minimum needed over time when dealing with any catheter-type solution.

I'll be watching for your reports on progress.

LBlanks said:

Well, It WAS Two....

Guess I spoke too soon.

I'm 4 weeks post op now and thought I was starting to do well. However, in the last couple of days, I've been leaking quite a bit and am back to 3 pads a day.

My bladder still is not completely evacuating, just like before surgery, so I have an urgency to go, then 5 minutes later, have to go again.

For the first time, I had a few drops of red blood after urinating, but no more... My doc said nothing to worry about, it'll happen up to 6 or 8 weeks post op.

shubbysr said:

Leaking at night
Hey John,
you said: I keep worrying about leaking when I sleep, and
visit the toilet overnight far too often--if I can use a heavy pad that will absorb more, maybe I can just go back to sleep without visiting the toilet when the urge arises, and
get a better night of sleep--lately I have had more trouble sleeping, perhaps the
hormone shot Trelstar 3 weeks ago (similar to Lupront) is finally having an effect ).

For me, the first sign of "urinary control" was at night. @4weeks post surgery, I slept through the night and awoke with a dry pad! Yes, I still wear pads up until bed time and down to 2 per day. Trust yourself, recovery is happening.

jim (shubbysr)

142 said:

Pads per Day
I am exactly 8 weeks out from DaVinci, and it is completely unpredictable. Yesterday was a 7. Today a 5. I've had days with only 3. The exercises appear to have been useless so far, but the doctor says keep at it.

I found the Depends to be good, but the Walgreens house brand holds more. Downside is that it gets very heavy and very uncomfortable if you wait until it must be changed.
Just because I have no confidence yet, if I am out and find it 30% wet, and I have a place to change it, I do, as one major accident was enough. At home, you can push the envelope a bit. My signal is whenever they get uncomfortable.

Here is my experience on ranking (prices compared in TX/AR area):
-Tena guards are thinner and smaller, but probably a different material, as they seem to match the Depends. They are the most expensive.
-Depends guards are a bit larger, but manageable with normal clothing. Middle of the price range, but they just repackaged reducing the count from 52 > 48. The Tena and depends will fit unnoticed in a jeans hip pocket, the Walgreens will not.
-Walgreens "certainty" are largest and most absorbent I've tried (appears to be about 2x Depends). That gives you a little more margin. The Target 'Affirm' house brand guards appear to be a different external wrapper, but exactly the same stuff as the Walgreens, at a slightly lower 'list' price. Walgreens runs enough various sales that they are by far the best buy.

Both Tena and Depends will send a sample pack (2 pads) if you go to their web sites.
Friends at a prostate cancer support foundation have given me samples of coloplast pads, but they are clearly for those with a lesser problem. It will be a while before they will work for me.

JohnK11 said:

Price of pads and absorbency --a comparison
(I post this on a new thread--but it may also be interesting for people here--so, here is a copy)

A shopping guide to pads

Summary : rating from 1 (least absorbent) to 4 (most absorbent)
(some pads have rating from 1-4; others don't--my estimates)
--all prices are Suburban Chicago and does not include
tax (1.75% where I am for medical supplies)

---for Male guard pads (except unisex)-----
(4/4 supersize) Tena Serenity overNight (unisex) 36 to 53 cents
(30 for 10.99(sale) to 15.99)
(?4/4) Assurance (Walmart house brand) @ 20 cents (48 fot 9.52)
(3/4) Certainty (Walgreen's house brand) @ 16/22 cents
(52 for 7.99 on sale; 11.49 regular price)
(supposed to be the same as Target house brand)
(2/4) Depend Male guard 22-32 cents (48 for $10.49(sale) to $14.99)
(?1.5/4) Best deal is Jefeena Maxi (-unisex/Aldi house brand)
7.5 cents (24 for $1.79)--sometimes name brand (lightday
Kotex, etc.) are on sale and can be as cheap.

Preamble : From a previous thread "Pads per day", I explore
some of the other brands mentioned (I have a slow recovery due
to extracapsuler Robotic prostate surgery--promising slow
recovery; just recently after 3 months, down to 3 pads a day
plus the diaper (underpant))--and have some recommendations.

As you can see from the summary above, if you have lots of leakage,
the Walmart house brand Assurance seems to be the best choice--
with thicker pads than Walgreen/Target (much thicker than Depend--
what a disappointment)--Although the Walgreen house brand,
when on sale, is significantly cheaper and thus might be a better
value.

For overnight use, you may want to spend the extra bucks for the
Tena Serenity Overnight pads--but it's expensive.

If you have just a little leakage, maybe you can get by with the
cheaper Aldi pads, which are very similar to the huge number of
maxi-pad brands targeted for women (Lightday, Kotex, Tena, etc.)

Comments on underpants (adult diaper)

I have to wear an underpant (diaper--changed daily) to which I
attach pads as needed --nowadays 3-pads-a-day; I noticed that the
guard strip on the side are often wet--so, it would leak if I
do not wear an underpant; the easiest way is to just remove the
top 1" and bottom 1" of the paper from the adhesive on
the pad--and attach the pad to the underpant

I did not try too many brands --initially stuck with Assurance (Walmart
house brand) underpants with Leakage Control 50 cents each for
medium (18 for $9) mostly, and now with Sam's club Member Mark house brand
40 cents (60 for $24) which provide less leakage protection
--should have stuck with Assurance. Maybe should have tried the
other brands--Depend, Walgreen, etc. --So, total cost daily now
is $1.00 ($1.10 with Assurance underpant).

Trew said:

Pads....
Since radiation I have been leaking like a new post op patient again. Very discouraging. The wife picked up a packageof Assurance pads from Walmart this week- a lot cheaper than the Tena pads I like and use most of the time. I am on my 5th pad today and I will make this comparison between the Tena and Assuarance pads: I feel drier with the Tena.

And I like the way the Tena pads feel, too.

oh well, onward with the kegels and hoping for better days ahead.

Trew said:

I'm Jealous
Ocean View, I had surgery March 23, 09. I was down to 1 pad a day by Ocotber except then hiking/exercising and then I could use a pad every 2 hours. Then I hit radiation and now I am back up to 3 or 4 pads a day and once agan trying to find the right muscles to do the kegels with.

I drove myself to exhaustion doing the kegels the first 3 or 4 months and saw little progress, but started seeing improvements in August and September. My Doc wanted me as dry as possible before starting radiation. took me 8 months but I think my local doc and Loma Linda wanted by to get started on the radiation. anyway, I am still using pads. Joy!!

And I am jealous of those who are doing so well. Just demonstrates not everything works out the same way for everyone.

My pad is the Tena Guards- I feel more comfortable wearing them and I dont have many "simple pleasures" left these days.

Trew said:

Wow!
Did I write this? I have been tracking pad weight now since August 31. Pad weight- minus the weight of the pad- just urine- runs about 8- 20 oz a day. How one divides that up pad wise is a personal decision. I feel wet with only 2 oz in my pad and often change with only 1.5 oz in it.

If you want to get handle on pad use- get a good postal scale yu can subtract the weight of the pad and really see what you are dripping.

I will tell you this- 8 oz is a lot of dripping. You can drown in 20 oz.

I am hoping I can get a AUS installed in May.