Catheter out today and I'm continent?

A lot of men are continent from day #1.  That is why Dr. Scardino recommends that you wait on the Kegels until you see if you really need them.  Many men don't, and for them Kegels just become yet another unnecessary thing to stress over.

Remember that the people on this board are not a representative sample of all men treated for PCa.

Zen9

Has surgery on 10/6 and catheter removed on 10/16. May have been able to come out sooner but I had complications after ther first surgery and had a second surgery on 10/13 so was in the hospital the whole time. Used 2 pads the first day and then switched to diapers on day 2 and used one per day just to stay fresh. First few days had some leakage during coughs and getting up or stuff like that. After that, pretty much on the dry side.

Like others, I was concerned about going every 2 hrs or so but the Dr said go when I feel like it. Endurance is increasing so I guess it takes time. I am drinking lots of fluids yet to make sure bowls stay moving.

Dr also advised against any keigels until 3 weeks after surgery. Was doing them several times per day prior to surgery so maybe that helped.

 

Talked to the PC in the doctors office yesterday about the redness on my penis and the fact that I seemed to be continent and she said as you are up and around more you may start to really leak. I guess I'll just have to keep up the exercises and hope for the best.

Okay reality has set in. I am not totally continent I do have some leakage. My problem is with a pad or diaper on I cannot keep my groin area dry. The end of my penis is still red and my sack is always wet and red. The pad is not very wet just a small area is damp. This is not just from leakage I seem to sweat a lot down there. I plan on calling the Dr's office tomorrow. Anyone had the same problem? If so what did you do?

On a lighter note I had a dream last night one of the dogs fell into our pool. Last night my wife took the dogs and I slept in the spare bedroom. I got up every 3 hours to urinate but did get some much needed rest. When I got up she had a story to tell about how Mojo was trying to watch some birds and was dancing on his hind legs bouncing around went back too far and danced into the deep end of the pool. She said he would not swim so she had to grab his hid end and lift him out. He only weighs 58 lbs I wonder what I'd have done since I am only supposed to lift 10 lbs. Tomorrow I'll be home alone with the 2 dogs for the first time since getting back home. Should be a fun filled week. Friday I visit the urologist.

Post Edited (Ger42) : 10/31/2010 12:43:47 PM (GMT-6)

j53,

I've never heard of any study that explained the difference. I don't think the main sphincter is ever preserved. So my guess is your latter theory, that some people happen to have been using the kegel muscle a lot already. I will say that this theory "feels" right, in my case. Meaning, when I contract the kegel, it's a very familiar feeling, like I've done it all my life. But why? Maybe my other sphincter was naturally weak?

DJ

I remember my uro/surgeon saying that men normally have three areas that enable continence:  the sphincter at the bladder neck, the prostate itself, and the pelvic floor muscles.  Women, apparently always have only the pelvic floor muscles, and I find that women don't hesitate to remind us that they're quite familiar with "spending a penny" (as I think it was called decades ago) when they sneeze or lift after childbirth and as they get older.  I felt I had been getting plenty of kegel exercise just trying to control my urinary ugency with a greatly enlarged prostate in the years before surgery.  Maybe that's what helped me transition pretty smoothly back to pad-free at 10 weeks.  I don't know, just guessing.  But I've seen plenty of comments on this site that show guys who initially have serious and frustrating problems with continence suddenly making tremendous progress after months have passed.  I've never read a really convincing reason why some guys recover quickly, some take longer, and some never completely do.  Anatomical differences, or surgical necessity may account for some of it, but maybe some of us nervous types have lived our adult lives with so much tension in our pelvic floor muscles that we're pre-kegelized.