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Posted 6/10/2008 6:53 PM (GMT 0)
Any idea how long is the average for full recovery. Hubby had the surgery May 29th. Great results assured the surgeon. Fully contained, negative margins, nerves spared, Cancer gone! He caught it very early.

He had some issues with control the first day, however could stop and start after the cathetor came out (5 days post). He has been dry all night since day 2, and pretty much dry sitting since day 3 or 4.  He is not a patient man at all....it is 7 days today and he is dripping when he does his daily walks. I am not sure but he says 2-3 pads a day..he is feeling great, never needed a pain pill, no gas pains, but he is not happy with the pads...

What is the normal (average) length of time.

Any info would be appreciated..

Jim's wife

Posted 6/10/2008 7:27 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Jims Wife , I can really relate to this! Rod had surgery on the 28th, and same results, early detection, contained, nerves spared and cancer gone, thank God ! Catheter out on June 5th ;now dry at night and sitting but dripping on walking and exertion. He feels great and wants to mow the lawn etc. which md told him he could in small intervals.( I don't agree and plan to use the riding mower myself. ) But yes, the pads are not a happy thing, he's an easygoing guy but this IS a challenge!! I know that some guys need them for quite a while , healing is really just beginning and there is one muscle doing the work of 3. If you read some of the old posts there is so much comforting information from the MOST knowledgeable people. We'll figure it out,and time will make the difference. Good Luck! Annie
Posted 6/10/2008 7:38 PM (GMT 0)
I read a lot of this, but did not post on it before now...

and knew our hubby were just a day apart on the surgery..good news for both of us. Jim is very easy going, but the engineer in him likes to solve problems..and this one requires waiting...not an easy thing for him.

I do not think he is doing badly by any stretch...but....he is impatient.

Our doctor said Jim could cut the lawn with the riding mower, he did it last week, 6 days after surgery. Once the doctor said he could there was no way I was gonna tell him no, he's not gonna listen to me when the doctor says it is okay.Plus I own my own business and work full time, so I am not home. He is doing so well, feeling so well, hard to keep him down, but I am trying. He cannot lift his pride and joy, 2 year old Emily and that is killing him...cause "grandpa is my best friend". Glad your hubby is doing so well...

Thanks for the advice I will try some old posts...

Sandi

Posted 6/10/2008 8:34 PM (GMT 0)
hi sandi my surgery was also on the 29th and remind your hubby hes one a a select  few producing above average results such as sox fan and i.who is at the same time , i have a type a personality and cant sit  still more than a few minutes i  was dry at night two days after cath removal and i too drip occassoinaly ,if hes like me it happens more at night  than any thing when the muscles are tired im doing everything i was (almost) before except lifting even had sex with mrs 2 days after cath removed .it is obvious you had a fantastic surgeon as we did we are in california good luck ,please contact me by reg e mail or call if he wants to talk we are in this together only now we are in it together cancer free have a good day ......im so thankful i can just wake up to my lovely wife every morning,,,,,,life is even better now .   screw the little things they dont even count anymore....kevin

Posted 6/10/2008 8:38 PM (GMT 0)

hi  Jims Wife:  I had robotic surg 5-07.  They think one muscle and one nerve was saved.  Incontience.....Terrible,  most men  75% is average: are ok in 6 mos or so, I am almost 13 mos.,  did kegals, etc.  use 5 to 6 pads a day until last week, I had advanced male sling installed.  Dry since.  So tell him patience, even in 6 to 12 mons, he will or should overcome it.  I did not, so there is a possible out.  A good dr.is necessary so he can determine if sling will work.  Sometimes it doesnt.  There is not much discussion on this.  I am hoping my success continues.  Its only been 7  days..    good luck to him....  sargeandham

Posted 6/11/2008 2:07 AM (GMT 0)
My results is below.  Dry after about 6 weeks or so.  I continued using a pad in the day for insurance until about 10 days ago.

Posted 6/11/2008 2:17 AM (GMT 0)
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Posted 6/11/2008 2:21 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Sandi,
I remember the first few weeks all too well. It takes time and patience. For some it has taken much longer. But almost all have shown improvement with time. Welcome to the best site on the web for patient to patient interaction. HW was a God send for my whil I started out in this ordeal. Still is today. And we are glad to be here to help you. Stay close and Stay Positive!!!

Tony
Posted 6/11/2008 2:58 AM (GMT 0)
sandi,

What did your husband's doctor tell you about the length of incontinence? If I read your post right, you husband has only been 7 days since post catheter?

Everything I read and was told was 3 months to a year or more before full continence. It depends on whether the patient does his pelvic floor exercises regularly.

I'm at two months post op and have been in for post-op bio-feedback and that helped me get from 3 pads a day to 2 pads a day (24 hours).
Posted 6/11/2008 3:27 AM (GMT 0)

Jim's wife,

I am just a few days past three months and I am having just a few spots per day now. Looking forward to the day I do not need the pads. When my incontenience got better it seem to happen almost overnight. I went from 6-8 pads a day to 4-5 almost one day to the next then went down to 2-3 pads per day the same way. I have been down to 1 pad a day for several weeks now and it appears to be getting close to be dry. Try to have patience and do the kegels daily. It really does help. Stay off caffiene for a while and anything that might irritate the bladder. Straight water seems to be best until Jim starts to improve.

Posted 6/11/2008 4:41 PM (GMT 0)
I believe the Walsh stats are: 79% of men regain continence within 3 months, 88% within 6 months, and 98% within one year. I am 5 1/2 weeks post op and still dripping heavily when standing, about 7 pads a day. I am actually worse than I was a few weeks ago when it was 5 pads a day. But - chin up - we'll get there.

These guys leaping on lawn mowers and having sex a week after surgery are unbelieveable. I still cannot sit comfortably in a chair most of the time.

I am convinced I will completely heal eventually. It just might take a little longer than than some of these guys.
kcragman
Posted 6/11/2008 5:22 PM (GMT 0)

Sandi,

my surgery was 11/26/08.  At ~ 5 weeks, even though I was leaking somewhat (1pad a day) I went back to officiating scholastic wrestling.  Up & down on the mat, running around to cover the match I seemed to leak more but didn't stop me from being "normal".  At 3 months, I got the flu real bad and the coughing caused me to use 2 pads a day.

After recovering from that, I went to strictly panty liners.  Still using them @ 6 months but there are typically just some minor stains.  I have an ice cream store & am lifting 50 lb. buckets of ice cream all day.  As mentioned earlier here, it seems that late night while lounging around there tends to be some leakage.

Patience is something this disease teaches you.   It will eventially come around.

Wayne

Posted 6/11/2008 7:27 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Sandi,

Welcome, welcome.  I am about 10 weeks post op and approaching my 3 month period.  DaVinci as well.  1-2 lightly wetted pads a day and very little if anything during sleep. 

Your hubby is one of the lucky ones and needs to be patient for his continence will bounce around depending on a lot of elements of his healing.

I would like to strongly encourage Jim to take it easy on the lifting thing.  I have heard quite a few stories of hernias from our brothers on this site.  There are some pretty fresh wholes in your addomen that he needs to remember. The hernia surgery is said to be worse than the DaVinci.  I had restrictions for 6 weeks on lifting and I believe it should have been more. tongue

Take Care,

Frank

Posted 6/11/2008 8:41 PM (GMT 0)

Thanks for all the feedback. I think he is doing really well..and I am encouraging him to be patient. Tonight we are going out to dinner, I think he has been holding back going to many place because of the leakage...but this morning he was a Happy Camper....seems ED might not be much of a problem...that really cheered him up!

Jim's wife

Posted 6/11/2008 8:54 PM (GMT 0)

The common word that you will hear (see?) around here is "patience".

Although DaVinci has great short-term benefits where you feel like you're ready to be your "old self" again, the reality is that the body needs time to heal and adjust. 

Having "accidents" and wearing pads is no joy at all. It is very frustrating.

My own personal experience: I have just past the 5 month "post-op" mark.......I am 98% dry - no pads during day, when I'm home (I will wear a pad when I go out - "just in case"). On the days when I wear no pad, I might get a dribble here and there - mostly in the evening (this is because the muscles are getting tired). Haven't had to wear a pad at night for awhile.

As time went on, I could sense an improvement and expect to be 100% shortly.

Remember....."patience".

Good luck!

Posted 6/12/2008 1:43 AM (GMT 0)
i'm about 6 weeks past surgery. i wear one pad during the day. at night time, i get up 3+ times to go to the bathroom. i get up more now than before i had surgery. i thought i was dry at night starting last thursday but woke up this morning thinking i was dry but my pad was heavy. it is frustrating but patience is the word. i worked my longest work day yesterday and drank a lot of water. i slept harder for a couple of hours and sure the muscles were relaxed and the urine flowed. i am dry during the day. when i get up i sometime leak. also, if i really have to go i can't hold it long. it is frustrating but i am doing the kegels. i still have ed problems. no erection since surgery. doctor hasn't provided any type of ed drug yet. i'll talk to him next week to see what his plans are.
Posted 6/12/2008 12:28 PM (GMT 0)

Although it’s only been a year, reading your story brings back clear memories of wondering when I was going to regain full continence. Although I had control at night and while sitting, my biggest problem was dripping while doing any activity or going out on my walks. The drip, drip, drip would drive me crazy and I was worried that it would never stop. I would scour the internet for information and thank God, by chance, I came across this site and found Cedar Chopper’s thread on incontinence. It was tremendously helpful so I’ve stuck around here ever since, although I go absent from time to time since life gets in the way. Finally at one point I went out to cut the grass and after 45 minutes I ducked around the corner and checked my shorts and EUREAKA!, no drip! A few days later I went out on a walk and found that I could go for 45 minutes before any moisture. A few weeks later it just stopped altogether.

 

Anyway, your husband sounds like he’ll be fine, and I can only echo what others have said, “Be patient.” I would also say to him to measure progress in months, not weeks.  Good luck and check back in. I’m sure he’ll be fine and fully continent.

Posted 6/13/2008 5:25 PM (GMT 0)
Rob2: My doctor started me on Cialis (sp?) 4 weeks after surgery. I'm taking one every 4-5 days. The theory is that it helps increase the blood flow to the area, which is good for a number of reasons. I have had some "swelling" sensations, but nothing close to a useable erection.
kcragman
Posted 6/22/2008 2:31 PM (GMT 0)
    This is my first post. my name is jimmy c and I had

  robotic laparoscopic radical prostatectomy apr 21st.

  Surgery was a success thank God, but I drip like a

  faucet when I'm standing, walking, ect.

  I own a restaurant 33 yrs, that requires many hrs on

  my feet. I'm doing PT twice a week with biofeedback,

  kegals 3 times a day, and 0 improvement.

    I found this site by accident, and I,m glad I did.

   You have givin me hope,

                                    thanks

                                                  Jimmy C

 

I am going to P T twice a week for biofeedback.

 

Posted 6/22/2008 9:08 PM (GMT 0)
Jim's Wife-

Although I'm using your thread to make my statement, it is not directed specifically at you.
All-

I'm 64 years old. I've been through most of my life at this point and that has included most of the traumatic circumstances that most experience during a lifetime. However, when I was DX'd with PCa in January 2005, I considered that experience to be be the most traumatic of of everything I had experienced and probably would experience during whatever time I have left.

I bought every book which was recommended here and other places, I spent hundreds of hours on the 'Net doing research, I had 5 "second opinions" with doctors practicing every relevant therapy and when I finally decided on a procedure and the doctor I wanted to perform it, I asked him for the names and phone numbers of several of his more recent patients to question about their experiences.

I'm certainly no rocket scientist, but this was, (and is) my life I was fighting for. I can't understand why patients who have already undergone one procedure or the other, are still asking PCa 101 first-day-of-class questions. How could one have made an informed decision on the Tx he was to undergo without learning of all the side effects, their duration and intensity.

I just don't understand.

-Les
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