no control

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 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.

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.

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

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".