Incontinence Strategy/Tactic while walking

Hello -

I had my catheter removed two days ago, and am reading all the suggestions about kegels, etc. One thing that seems to come up frequently is that walking is purported to be good for you. I have started walking a bit more the last two days, but as I've read, it's when I walk that I tend to lose control of my urine. I'm unsure how I'm supposed to handle this. Am I supposed to "pull-in" as I walk..in an effort to stop urinating? If I do this, it feels like a one long kegel...which seems a little extreme....I'm can only "hold" a kegel constantly for so long - and it doens't prevent leakage 100%. Or should I just relax and walk and let my body develop the necessary muscle control through other means, like the repetitive kegels I'm doing when not walking?

Or am I over thinking this? I tend to be a bit obsessive!

Thanks in advance!

Steve,

Doing your Kegels to regain continence is like exercising so you can lift a 400 lb weight. If you can't lift the weight yet then tugging on the bar is lousy exercise. Keep doing the Kegels and wear a bigger pad when you walk. Kegels are something you do. The return of continence is something that happens... eventually... in most cases... *sigh*

Steve,

My challenge on this front was just over a year ago. I could not hold anything back for a couple days after the catheter was removed. It took time for the 3 sets a day of kegels to build strength and endurance. The first win was just holding long enough to make it to the toilet. After a week or so I felt better and picked up the pace or extended my stride when walking. That stretched things out and I would leak. Once I accepted that building control would be interspersed with pushing my activity to the point of leaking, the improvement came.

Everyone is different but I was back to walking my old route in about 4 weeks. By 6 weeks I was barely using a pad per day. I occasionally leaked a few drops when pushing the limits, but am now 100% dry. The other evening I sat on the garage floor helping my son with the brakes on his truck and the thought I might leak never crossed my mind.

Hoping your recovery is smooth and complete,
Explorer

Thanks...I think I see some improvement on day 4. Your description of your progress was great to read. Thanks a lot, amd continued good luck!

Explorer59 said...
Steve,

My challenge on this front was just over a year ago. I could not hold anything back for a couple days after the catheter was removed. It took time for the 3 sets a day of kegels to build strength and endurance. The first win was just holding long enough to make it to the toilet. After a week or so I felt better and picked up the pace or extended my stride when walking. That stretched things out and I would leak. Once I accepted that building control would be interspersed with pushing my activity to the point of leaking, the improvement came.

Everyone is different but I was back to walking my old route in about 4 weeks. By 6 weeks I was barely using a pad per day. I occasionally leaked a few drops when pushing the limits, but am now 100% dry. The other evening I sat on the garage floor helping my son with the brakes on his truck and the thought I might leak never crossed my mind.

Hoping your recovery is smooth and complete,
Explorer

Thank you, for the response. I took an extra week from work because my catheter had to stay in for an additional week, but tomorrow I have to go back and do a sales presentation to a bunch of Sr. Execs at a prospective client. Baptism by fire, I guess. I'll go light on the liquids and wear a navy suit. LOL.

Bohemond said...
Steve,
It's too soon to sweat it. Based on my experience - 10 years ago, after the catheter came out (after open surgery), the only way I could stand up was by grabbing my crotch and making a bee-line for the bathroom. This gradually got better over a couple of weeks. I had to ask my uro for a letter to my employer to extend my leave of absence for a couple of weeks before I returned to work. But everything worked out ok. By the time I returned to work I was able to pull a couple of deadline all-nighters, and within a few months I was no longer wearing pads. Though even now, if I have a severe cold (I mean, with days on end of continuous heavy coughing and sneezing) I'll have some leakage problems, but otherwise I'm ok.