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SkyDaver's AdVance sling journey

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Posted 8/27/2009 4:32 PM (GMT 0)
Dear KW & Skydave: I have been using the Depends Guards for Men and usually need one(1) per day. The only time I get "damp" is when I am doing something athletic like golf. Seems like the golf swing does all of the things that this situation does not like(bending and twisting). So I change the pad after nine holes and put a new one on. If I am just doing normal every day "stuff", it's not that bad. I am planning on doing the "sling". But I want to wait until my urologist has done at least 100 prior. I have checked into other doctors out of town but I would rather be close to home so that I'm not traveling long distance right after a major surgery procedure. Thanks for input.

Posted 2/4/2010 4:24 PM (GMT 0)
Dear Skydave: going to have the Advance male Sling procedure this coming March. Operation to be done by Dr. Dean Knoll in Nashville TN. Will give up date after the surgery and let you know how its going. Thanks for your help in past.
Posted 2/4/2010 5:13 PM (GMT 0)
Drewboy, good luck, and do let us know how things go along the way. Time for "Drewboy's AdVance Sling journey". You'll be on the golf course before the end of April! (The way this winter has been going, I wonder whether I will be.)
Posted 3/16/2010 6:09 PM (GMT 0)
Dear Skydave: Well the big day is coming up this thursday(3-18-10)for the Advance Male Sling. Getting a little nervous. Hate to get cut on again but I think it is going to be worth it after all said and done. Should be home by friday. Live in Louisville KY but driving to Nashville TN to have operation. Wife going with me. Will keep in touch and let you know how it is going. Bet the weather turns great and I am going to be having "golfing" withdraws for several weeks. Oh well, if it fixes the problem, it will be worth it. Wish me good luck and say a little pray for me. Thanks for your help once again.

Drewboy

Louisville KY

 

Posted 3/16/2010 6:34 PM (GMT 0)
Drewboy, a day early, but good luck and best wishes for your sling surgery Thursday. Hope things work to the very best afterwards...
Posted 3/29/2010 5:48 PM (GMT 0)
Dear Guys: Well the deed is done and I am now in the recovery phase. Been about a week and a half since the operation. Had operation in Nashville Tn by Dr. Dean Knoll. He was fantastic as was his staff and nurses. Had surgery in early am of March 18, 2010. Was kept in hospital the night and released to go home the next day. I could not pee on my own and thus was sent home with an in line catheter. It was removed by my urologist about five(5) days later. I have been self catherting myself for the last few days and am starting to pee on my own. Not a strong stream but none the less without the aid of catheritizing myself. The good news is that there is no more LEAKING. That means good bye to PADS. Can't wait to get back to the links for golf. Still quite tender "down there" but see improvements every day. Thats it for now. Talk to you soon.

Posted 3/29/2010 6:56 PM (GMT 0)
Drew - congrats on the surgery - wishing you a dry future -keep us informed on your progress -
all the best
BRONSON
Posted 3/30/2010 12:02 AM (GMT 0)
Drew,

Great to hear you are doing well. If you followed my thread you may notice that i thought I was going to be a lot more dry that it turned out after the swelling went down and I was up and about. Not trying to put cold water on your early progress but the real test will be when you are moving/walking/getting in out of car. This is when I started leaking again. Sitting and being around the house I could keep pretty dry. Now, 8 weeks after sling surgery I am back to using 2-3 pads per day.  

Here is wishing you stay dry.

Posted 3/30/2010 11:19 AM (GMT 0)

Interesting well documented journey.  Hope your surgery works!!

Skeener

Posted 3/31/2010 12:26 PM (GMT 0)
Good Luck, I am now 5 months post Robotic surgery & am using about 5 pads a day when active.  I will eagerly follow your posts. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.

Posted 3/31/2010 1:04 PM (GMT 0)
Dear "Heavy Leaker". Hang in there. My initial prostate removal surgery was in May 2006 and I too was using about the same amount of pads per day due to leaking. After  six months I was able to opt for a type of "electrical stimulus" (sorry for the use of the word STIMULUS) that my urologist administered. I don;t know the technical name for this procedure, but it worked.Ask you urologist about it upon your next visit. If he doesn't know what your referring to, I will find out the technical jargon from my urologist and forward to you. They were able to stimulate that area where the prostate once dwelled and get the nerves to wake up and thus allow you to be able to get the sphincter muscles to start working again(it's painless). It was the beginning of getting "dryer" for me. It really sped up the drying process for me. I got down to about one(1) pad a day(if no sports activities). However, when I were to get real active there would be the proverbial "stress incontienence". You will most likely get much dryer as well. I am hoping that this most recent procedure that I had done (Advance Male Sling) gets me out of ALL PADS AND ALL LEAKING(hope). If not, I will at least know that I did all that I could and have no regrets later in life wondering what if. Keep your fingers and toes crossed for me.

Posted 3/31/2010 2:15 PM (GMT 0)

Drewboy said...
Dear "Heavy Leaker". Hang in there. My initial prostate removal surgery was in May 2006 and I too was using about the same amount of pads per day due to leaking. After  six months I was able to opt for a type of "electrical stimulus" (sorry for the use of the word STIMULUS) that my urologist administered. I don;t know the technical name for this procedure, but it worked.Ask you urologist about it upon your next visit. If he doesn't know what your referring to, I will find out the technical jargon from my urologist and forward to you. They were able to stimulate that area where the prostate once dwelled and get the nerves to wake up and thus allow you to be able to get the sphincter muscles to start working again(it's painless). It was the beginning of getting "dryer" for me. It really sped up the drying process for me. I got down to about one(1) pad a day(if no sports activities). However, when I were to get real active there would be the proverbial "stress incontienence". You will most likely get much dryer as well. I am hoping that this most recent procedure that I had done (Advance Male Sling) gets me out of ALL PADS AND ALL LEAKING(hope). If not, I will at least know that I did all that I could and have no regrets later in life wondering what if. Keep your fingers and toes crossed for me.

Drewboy, thanks for the words of encouragement.  I would really appreciate it if you could get me the technical name for the procedure you had.  How many treatments did you need & were the nerves awakened almost immediately or did it take time?  Thanks in advance for your help!

Ray

 


Posted 3/31/2010 2:49 PM (GMT 0)
Dear Heavy Leaker: I think I had about six(6) procedures(one a month). So it took about six months to do all of the procudures, but I started seeing improvements fairly soon after first procedure. The remaining ones just help speed things along. I will check with my uro for the terminology. It is something that you can't rush. Those nerves want to take their time wakeing up. Will get back to you.
Posted 3/31/2010 3:07 PM (GMT 0)
Drewboy,

Was this "rectal" stimulation with a probe? I had that done with physical theapy and then ordered a unit and did it daily for several weeks at home. Did not help any for me. Just curious to see if this was the same thing?

Posted 3/31/2010 3:51 PM (GMT 0)
Dear Tall Guy: yes it was. Sorry it didn't help you. It was very much help to me.
Posted 3/31/2010 10:36 PM (GMT 0)
Dear Heavy Leaker: The stimulus procedure is called "Pelvic Floor Therapy with Estim". Hope this helps. Good luck
Posted 3/31/2010 11:45 PM (GMT 0)
For anyone that is interested after I did this with a physical therapist she recommended I rent a unit and do it daily at home. I did this for several weeks. Although it did not help me if it is working for you and you don't want to keep going back to the Dr. it's easy to do at home with a rental unit. I think it cost a total of about $150 for six weeks and most insurance should cover it with a prescription.
Posted 4/2/2010 12:38 AM (GMT 0)
Ray I think you are referring to a perimeometer I used one for about three months and it really will strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Unfortunately for me it did not stop the dripping. Won't hurt to try it Brodie
Posted 4/2/2010 1:29 AM (GMT 0)

brodie12 said...
Ray I think you are referring to a perimeometer I used one for about three months and it really will strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Unfortunately for me it did not stop the dripping. Won't hurt to try it Brodie

Hi Brodie,

Thanks for the info.  Does the perimeometer involve the use of a rectal probe & an elictrical stimulation unit? I've been told this is estim.  Is this done thru physical therapy or thru your urologist?

Thanks for the help!

Ray

Posted 4/2/2010 1:04 PM (GMT 0)
Ray,

The one I used was  E.Stim STM-10 Elect. Stimulation Device from Current Technology INc.2001 Regent Ave. N., Suite 100 Minneapolis, MN 55422. 800-322-4461I rented it  for $60/month and used it at home nightly for about six weeks. You also have a one time charge of $40 for a Pathway Rectal Electrode. I think it requires a prescription from your Doc.

It comes with directions, was easy to use and a lot more convenient than making trips to the Doc. I did talk to and email the Phys Ther a couple of times to make sure I was doing it right and with the proper settings.

FYI

Posted 4/2/2010 6:13 PM (GMT 0)
Ray Tallguy may have used the same kind I did. I got it thru a physical therapist Best of luck Brodie
Posted 4/3/2010 12:11 PM (GMT 0)

brodie12 said...
Ray Tallguy may have used the same kind I did. I got it thru a physical therapist Best of luck Brodie

Brodie, Tallguy, & Drewboy,

Thanks for all the responses.  I think Drewboy must have been treated differently.  He said he had one treatment a month for 6 months & the purpose of the treatment was to wake up the nerves.   Brodie & Tallguy used it daily for the purpose of strengthening the pelvic floor muscles.  Do I have this right & if so, I would appreciate it if Drewboy could help us by explaining the procedure he went through.  It sounds as if it might be a different procedure.  Drewboy, could you send me the name of the Doctor who administered this procedure also?

Posted 4/3/2010 1:42 PM (GMT 0)
Dear Heavy Leaker: These stimulus recommendations all sound like the same thing. Mine was administered by my urologist's assistant(not by a physical therapist). It was done thru the rectum so that the probe could reach close to the area where the prostate once was.They just slip this small cylinder up your rectum(no pain) that has the ability to electrically stumulate the area in question. It feels more like a vibration than anything else. However as they stimulate the area, they will then ask you to respond with trying to flex your sphincter muscles. They can then gauge thru monitors how well your pelvic muscles are responding. it gives them and you a measuring gauge to see your progress. Your muscles down there are weak now after the surgery and they can't act properly in order to stop urine flow.This is not a "fix all-cure all", but it is stepping stone toward recovery. Total dryness will be up to your body.I have learned alot about our bodies during this journey and it seems that with all leaking it is a matter of how much the area around the bottom of the bladder where the uretha is attached,has dropped. It only needs to have dropped a few centimeters to make the difference between dryness or not. However, if you can get this "drop" to lessen thru natural means, the" more better".  My urologists name is Dr. Christopher Smith,MD with Allied Urology in Louisville KY. His number is 502-897-7172/Fax:502-897-1421. Remember to be patient and let your body respond on its own time table. If you are going to call my doctor and you want to reference me by name, you can contact me via one of my private emails thru  [email protected] and I will be glad to give you my name etc. Good luck as always.
Posted 4/3/2010 8:54 PM (GMT 0)

Drewboy said...
Dear Heavy Leaker: These stimulus recommendations all sound like the same thing. Mine was administered by my urologist's assistant(not by a physical therapist). It was done thru the rectum so that the probe could reach close to the area where the prostate once was.They just slip this small cylinder up your rectum(no pain) that has the ability to electrically stumulate the area in question. It feels more like a vibration than anything else. However as they stimulate the area, they will then ask you to respond with trying to flex your sphincter muscles. They can then gauge thru monitors how well your pelvic muscles are responding. it gives them and you a measuring gauge to see your progress. Your muscles down there are weak now after the surgery and they can't act properly in order to stop urine flow.This is not a "fix all-cure all", but it is stepping stone toward recovery. Total dryness will be up to your body.I have learned alot about our bodies during this journey and it seems that with all leaking it is a matter of how much the area around the bottom of the bladder where the uretha is attached,has dropped. It only needs to have dropped a few centimeters to make the difference between dryness or not. However, if you can get this "drop" to lessen thru natural means, the" more better".  My urologists name is Dr. Christopher Smith,MD with Allied Urology in Louisville KY. His number is 502-897-7172/Fax:502-897-1421. Remember to be patient and let your body respond on its own time table. If you are going to call my doctor and you want to reference me by name, you can contact me via one of my private emails thru  [email protected] and I will be glad to give you my name etc. Good luck as always.

Drewboy, thanks again for all of your help.

Ray

Posted 5/13/2010 1:12 PM (GMT 0)

Dear Guys: Just an update about my "Advance Male Sling" journey. Well I am in my 8th week and "so far, so good". Been walking and bending etc. No leaking. I have not pushed it much as I am still trying to take it "easy as we go" attitude. I have not been wearing a pad for this entire time and (as you all can appreciate) it seems weird. I had gotten so use to having all of that bulk in my pants(4 years) that it feels like I am naked. I can even walk around the house with just some gym trunks on and no underwear and I'm lovin it. Tried to play golf last weekend but only walked the round and just did a little chipping around the green(no full swings). Took a couple of swings last night in my "In house" driving range(can you tell I'm a fanatic?) and no problems. Went to see my surgeon a couple of weeks ago in Nashville TN on a wednesday and he said everything was looking great. The next day the rain began and thus the record breaking flooding. Hope it wasn;t my doing. Keep your fingers crossed and wish me well for long lasting fix. Who knows SkyDave, maybe we can tee it up sometime and have a drink and a laugh about all of this.

Drewboy

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