My path to recovery of continency.

I am submitting this with the hope that it will help others and maybe elicit some comments about my experience that may answer some questions that go through my mind.
I have been free of the dreaded catheter following RALP for 12 days and had surgery 22 days ago.
1. I have daily burning sensation in the end of the penis - lasts for hours - eased by taking Ural drinks (cranberry boosted). I think it is worse if I drink bladder irritating beverages like carbonated drinks, coffee, fruit juice. I try to do so in moderation (water gets boring)!
2. I use about 5 pads a day now that I have got a suitably absorbent kind. I found that women's Poise Ultimate pads are best - super absorbent and narrower than the equivalent men's pads - but it depends upon your anatomy. I use pull-ups at night. I go through two changes of underwear a day now.
3. I had a gastric upset, which didn't help in my condition, but it only lasted 24 hours, so is unrelated. However I noticed one strange thing - BMs tend to give me partial erections! Sounds like some wires are crossed somewhere!
4. My doughnut cushion is a close friend at present!
5. I am walking locally for 1/2 hour to an hour a day without problems. Provides a good time to practice PF exercises. I recommend Peter Dornan's book on incontinency recovery. I went to a group session on it conducted by him and it was excellent. I can hold the "grip" now for nearly two minutes, and do about 100-200 repetitions a day. It certainly makes a difference.
6. I have lost about 5 kg in weight (about 11 pounds for the non-metricated measurement nations), which was a concern, but I am now on a high protein diet, which should help.
7. I am now sleeping better - only about 4 wake-up calls a night from the bladder - and I can hold it until reaching a suitable relief station!

That should be enough for now to gross some out - but not the PC brotherhood!

I look forward now to my path. results and first PSA test post-surgery in a few weeks time. I am back to work half a day each day starting tomorrow, but am working from home. I can't face a 1 hour train journey yet.

Kendo.

  hello kendo my freind, im neil consider yourself lucky to be leaking. some of us here cant urinate at all. i long for the day when i can take a good wizz.as my name implies im pluged. most everybody takes a while to start being dry or close to it. hang in there and observe what you are capable of doing. its sad when you have to live your life around seeing how long you can hold a pee so you can be around a place to void. things will get better for you . you are on the way to recovery. your freind in    pc. neil

 

Thanks all for your helpful comments. I am grateful I haven't had some of the problems mentioned, and hope that those worse off than me soon get some relief. My recovery has really improved since my last post. I am six weeks past surgery and 30 days post-catheter now, and am down to 2 to 3 pads a day! I now have to work on extending the time between urinating - I am up to (at best) two hourly at night, and about 1.5 hourly by day, except when I get very tired (still happening after about 10 hours without a lie down at least).
All in all, I am optomistic and thankful. I am now pain free, eating well, walking up to an hour a day, and working at my regular job 3-5 hours a day from home. First PSA post-surgery is due next week, so here's hoping!

Welcome Kendo. Looks like you did your homework on surgery and aftercare. I did not drink anything after 5:30 pm to help with the trips to the bathroom. I would think the BM and partial erections are fairly common, but dont know for sure. We all experience surgery in different ways but looks like your on course for a good recovery. Keep us posted.
Michael