Da Vinci recovery

First time for me all. Diagnosed with prostate cancer after (2) biopsies, July 2013 and October 2013 respectively. July was negative, October 20% of one 1 millimeter core out of 14 was malignant. Gleason 3+3=6, and classified as T1c. I had Da Vinci removal of the prostate on 8 January in Syracuse, NY. I am very pleased so far, with one major exception. INCONTINENCE! Cancer was confined to the prostate, negative margins, seminal vesicles were clear, and the lymph nodes remained, pathology indicated I was T2c with 5% of my prostate with tumors on two sides. I was so happy with the pathology, that I failed to ask my Surgeon if he was able to preserve the nerve bundles. At this point, all I care about is my lack of continence. The foley catheter was removed on 17 January, and I've been 100% incontinent since... I've no sensation to urinate, no ability to hold urine, and even after just 1 week post removal of the catheter, I feel like putting a gun to my head... I did Kegel exercises religiously beginning about 3 months prior to surgery, then resumed them again post removal of the catheter. All they seem to do now is push more urine out. I know this is early on in my post operative recovery, and maybe I've read too many of these threads of Brothers that were dry from the beginning and had no issues... Any way, going through about a dozen Depends Pads daily, if not more, stopped coffee which is killing me, and need some reassurances... I phoned my surgeons office after a week of pissing myself, and talked to a triage nurse. She was very understanding, and asked if I were an overachiever? I acknowledged of course, retired from to military! She kindly told me to relax, stop putting unrealistic goals on myself, and let the healing process take place. I just can't get it through my thick skull to take it easy. Shoveled snow a few days ago and put my Wife over the edge. Oh well, sorry for such a long post. First time and depressed... Thank you to all.

SB Harley
Welcome to HW.
I can tell from reading your posts that you'll be fine. I saw your post on my surgery thread and just wanted to say welcome.
I am trying to understand this whole catheter/bowel/continence thing myself while just trying to get through each uncomfortable hour. It's strange but when I feel like my bladder is full I get up and go empty the catheter. Then I sit back down and don't feel relief - it's a frustrating process but I look at it as an alternative to something worse.
I, like you, am planning on good luck with continence when I can start that process in early February...
Stay in touch and good luck to you!!

SBHarley

I had open RP, not DaVinci, so my experience isn't exactly parallel, but for at least a couple of weeks after my catheter came out I couldn't stand up without immediately leaking. But it did start getting better slowly. I'd planned on being on short-term disability from work for 6 weeks for surgery and recovery. But because I was still leaking more than I expected as I was approaching 6 weeks, I stayed home on disability for two more weeks. By the time I returned to work - two months after surgery, I was still leaking a bit, but nothing like I had been at first. Probably going through 3 or so pads per day and usually leaking only when first standing up.

I think you'll be fine, just that it can take longer for some of us than for others. And please lay off the snow shoveling!

Jim

hi sbharley,

U are doing fine...carry on your 'kegals' & walking routine + water.

Patience is the "golden word of recovery"

All the best to your road of recovery

I thank everyone for their kindness and support. Woke up at 4 with my Wife, and was soaked, demoralizing... Did get up almost every hour or so from 11 p.m. on with the urge to urinate, and was able to have a nice stream! Felt good! I know I am making progress, but I want continence yesterday! Newborn, I to am 52 years young, 53 in March. No erections yet, and still no idea if nerve bundles were spared. I was so overwhelmed with the pathology news, that I never asked my surgeon... Something is happening though, at least I think. I'm getting what I would refer to as spasms in my penis. The way to describe it is involuntary twitches, like it wants to come alive, especially when lying down in a prone position. Maybe nothing, but hopeful. Again, blessings and thanx to everyone for their support. Bob

sbharley,

I am 18 months after my surgery and I am still leaking. As they say when advertising a new car mileage "results may vary". You need to be a patient patient! You have had major reconstruction of your plumbing.

When we decided on surgery, the biggest side effects that we were told is incontinence and ED issues. Welcome aboard the recovery train! As was said previously, it could take weeks, months or years recover. This is the new normal now.

It sounds like you are wearing Depends completely. Most of us put pads in the Depends to "catch" the urine and change out the pads. The Depends help any overflowing. It is easier and cheaper to use pads inside. Usually, the first sign of healing is being able to stay dry overnight. This will come.

I am a sales consultant, on my feet a lot. That makes you leak a lot, especially in the afternoon when your body tires.

Better get someone else to shovel the snow, too soon yet.

It has taken time to develop Prostate a Cancer, it will take time to heal from the removal of your prostate.

Bill from Florida

Easy for me to say, stop shoveling snow. It is suppose to be 83 degrees today here in South Florida.

My wife had to mow the grass after my surgery. She passed out one day mowing and I took her to the doctor and discovered she had to have a heart valve replaced. She had that done 3 1/2 months after my surgery.
At least my surgery helped us find an on going problem in my wife's health.

2012 was not a good year for us!

Heal Well, sbharley and Welcome Aboard!

Bill from Florida

We are all different. Kegels don't work for everyone or more to the point frequency and duration of Kegels don't work for everyone. Just like some of these guys being Continent after surgery and never looking back, so I think we all respond differently to Kegels.

I did Kegels 4 weeks prior to my RRP. Was continent for a few days post RRP; my incontinence started when I STARTED with KEGELS. Perhaps you should REST and take a break from KEGELS for a few days to ascertain if its helpful for you. Or do them every other day... some were instructed to do Kegels and then rest after x amount of days.

Another consideration is, are you doing Kegels the proper way. I had 2 visits to a Physio for instructions and assessment to make sure that I do them correctly.

I just spent an hour perusing the various threads on this forum to find one like this. sbharley - I had robotic prostatectomy on 1/28/14; the cath removed 2/7/14, and now, exactly 3 weeks post-op I have almost no control. If I sit on the couch at a 90 degree upright angle then I can actually stay fairly dry without leaking much. But as soon as I stand up and walk 5 or 6 steps towards the bathroom the leaking begins. To keep from having to change Depends every several hours I have worked out a routine of lightly pinching my penis on the way and then I can actually empty my bladder into the toilet (in a full gush stream I don't think I've had even as a kid.)

I've been doing 3 sets of Kegels as I was instructed pre-op: 10 kegels held for 10 seconds and then released for 10 seconds. These are followed by 5 sets of 5 kegels held for just a second. Repeat 3 times a day.

I've been going on walks the past week or so for about 2 miles. I have a constant dribble going on during the walks (and also whenever I'm up in the house walking around, standing, helping with meal preparation in the kitchen, etc.)

I'm scheduled to go back to work in 3 weeks but I don't see how I can unless things greatly improve by then. Since this post will bring the thread back to the from of the forum I'd be interested to hear how things have progressed for you since your last post here on 1/29.