Incontinence at week 11

I now that some people have prolonged incontinence after RRP and I am probably just inpatient - but I am getting sick of leaking. I am continent all night and until around noon or one.  At the point I feel the urge to leak.  I start urinating every 90min to avoid leaking.  Then at 3-4 I have less control and by evening its more troublesome.  If I am sitting or laying I don't have a problem.  I seem somewhat stuck at this pattern although I am getting much less of the painful type urinary urges.  I should add that I work on my feet.  When will this stop.  I am 53 and in good shape and doing Kegels 2-3 times/day. Need some support.

Thanks Bill.  Our surgical timing is the same.  I want to to be dry.  Ultimately I want it to be inoluntary and not something that I have to think about.  I have talked to other younger guys and they did get to that point. I feel that I can't fully address ED issues until I get this done. I don't know why some people have so little trouble with this problem.  I was doing extensive bootcamp type pelvic floor workouts pre-op and I was convinced icontinence would not be problematic for me.  I gues its just different for everyone.

HCV,

Patience is a must and attitude is everything. My own experience I was over doing the kegels to my detriment. I was doing them 4-5 sets per day and actually over working and tiring the pelvic floor muscles. Same as my gym routine you don't weight or resistance train the same group of muscles everyday. So my experience and opinion is try doing your kegels every other day that way you give them a chance to recover and gain more strength and control. Also as others have mentioned watch what you eat and drink, especially stay away from caffeine in coffee and sodas.

I was dry at night from day one after my catheter was removed and constantly saw significant improvement through month 1, 2 and 3. Switched to "Always Ultra Thins" in late May at 1 - 2 per day and through June and July using only 1 per day with working out at the gym and even after a round of golf and a beer or two afterwards. Hoping not to buy anymore pads after the last few run out in another week or so as I think I am almost dry with full control again. We all are different and I had my share of frustrating times as well but certainly glad to be at this stage.

Heal well and may your continence bless you soon.

Terry

I know the feeling... I had surgery back in December and for the first 3 months I would use 2 pads a day, some days really only needed 1 and some days felt like I needed to change them hourly. Month 4 and 5 only 1 pad a day and was seeing improvement with good and bad days but mostly good. Month 6 I ran out of my pads and didn't want to go to the store so I grabbed a very small pad compared to mine from my wife and used those for month 6. We went away for the weekened towards the end of month 6 and I asked where she packed the pads, she said I didn't you don't need them. I havn't used them since. Few dripps here and there but no big deal... I'm very careful when I lift, sneeze, blow my nose and other things... I don't play around when the urge to go comes along. Just give it time and try not to worry about it. Jeff

HCV,

I have been dry for over a year but I still have to think about it every time my bladder is full. The hardest part of the whole process is getting used to the new feelings and sensations of a full bladder after the plumbing was all rerouted.

I only have problems with leaks when I fart on a full bladder so I have to really think about that all the time. My URO told me the same muscle used to control passing gas now controls my one and only splinckter so the 2 are related.

Nothing has felt the same as before, other than I can pee a strong stream like a teenager again. I joke that I can walk into a rest room now and pee and leave while most men with prostates are still unzipping their fly. My best advice is give it more time.

Terry

 

I cleaned up pretty quickly, although I discovered kegles would not completely solve the problem. What works for me is speed walking. Yes that silly-looking wiggle hips stuff. I took notice of it when I saw the 55-60 age group champ of the state Senior Olympics 100M dash competing in the 1-mile speed walk.

Hmm ... After going home and trying it, I figured his training strategy. Going full out take you to max heart rate if you push it, it is low impact and it is good for feet, Achilles tendons and calf muscles, plus it isgoodforimroving turnover rate -- that is all good for 58 year-old sprinters. Here's what I've also discovered: it does a monster job on pelvic floor muscles.

Want proof? This spring I was morose over the rising PSA. I quit exercising figuring I'd need the fat when the cancer hit hard, and just went to seed. Leaking came back. One third of a pad a day, some soaked. After three, three-mile power walks this week I'm dry. Bend over and tie my shoes dry, sneeze dry, cough dry all day dry.

Speed walking has been part of my anti-incontinence strategy since before surgery. It worked after surgery, and after getting lazy and leaky it is working again. I swear by it.

HCV – When I was stuck on an incontinence plateau, my uro told me to change the way I do my Kegels. Instead of doing a set of 10 Kegels, holding for 15 sec release for 10 sec, 4 to 5 times a day … he said to do one Kegel 4 to 5 times a day, but hold the Kegel as long as you can. It helped me. You should also do your Kegels in different positions: laying, sitting, standing, and walking.

Also, you said, “I can't fully address ED issues until I get this done.” Don’t delay the penile rehab – the longer you go without erections the more trouble you’ll have with ED. You just have to work on both issues simultaneously.

I know the SE’s are frustrating – they just take effort and time – you have to be patient.

Best of luck in your recovery.
^

HCV,

When I went through my RALP last October I was on about the same timing as you for the incontinence, the same leakage in the afternoon and then nothing all night through the morning. I did as my URO suggested, walked as much as I could and do the kegels. At about 7 weeks and returning to work I started going through 1 pad a day and somewhere around 8-9 weeks all leakage stopped except for the occasional sneaky sneeze that would cause a little spurt. Keep up the kegels and walking, for some of us it seems that the incontinence disappears overnight one day earlier in recovery and others take longer.

Hang in there!

No point in frettin about spilled milk, clean it up and move on.

Hi. New to the discussion. Had RP last September and been fighting incontinence ever since. At first my doctor and Bio Feedback person were telling me its normal. That ups and downs are to be expected. But here I am 11 months after surgery and still wet. Usually just 1 pad a day. Dry while sleeping and sitting. Its walking and other activities that get me. Sometimes just standing there it might happen. Got to the one pad per day and have not really seen any improvement in over 6 months, maybe even 8 months. I am curious about all the various exercise methods you guys have done and found success. And in some of the posts I read to watch what we eat and drink. For the drinking part, is that something other that caffeine and alcohol? And what about eating? Avoid what?

BillinChicago,

Oh, yes. Plenty of Kegals. My doctor started me out with 3 sec holds, 3 sec rest x 10. 5 times a day. then I slowly built up to 5 seconds and lately 10 seconds. Reading some of the other posts, I see some trying to hold as long as you can and doing that several times a day. Doing them in different positions (standing, sitting, laying down, even while walking). And yet another that builds in rest days.

So, any other Kegal variations are welcome as well as what foods to avoid.

Gearheads