Mikey72 said...
It actually sounds do like you're doing GREAT, Pratoman! My doctor told me that as soon as I wasn't positive effect I still needed the pads (as soon as I wasn't positive if any slight dampness in the pad were urine or perspiration) that I should stop using them. At that point, the extra "confidence" the pads were giving me might actually become dependence. Getting rid of the pads (at around during 5 weeks or so) made me more careful and, perhaps, tightened my control that last little bit and I never needed them again. Once again, sounds like you're doing great!
Mikey
I agree, Prato, I think you and several others who have posted here are all doing or have done spectacularly well. I have just entered my 12th month. I am doing so much better than I was even several months out. But even now, I am not doing as well as many have done at 1 week or 1 month.
Several months out, I would report that while I was dry from day 1 while sleeping, and mostly dry while sitting, and could always hold it by contracting long enough to get to the bathroom, still, if I was up then I was peeing. Most especially if I was walking, and terribly if I was hiking in the woods. If I was up, I could hold it in, but I couldn't hold it but for so long. And if I wasn't consciously contracting, it was leaking out.
Now I am often up, not leaking and not even thinking about
it. I can even walk or hike with out conscious effort and be dry with 2 exceptions.
#1: Even though I will probably be dry while standing or even walking with no Kegel on my part, I have to be constantly on the alert
for any sort of stress beyond that and ready to clamp down in a hurry. That can be from any sort of unexpected sudden move. Or expected if I forget to pre-Kegel. BTW, I have long realized that in most cases it doesn't take much effort with the Kegel, just a very slight squeeze just before the stress will take care of most issues. But when I forget to prepare, make the wrong move and feel it starting to break out, then I always slam it shut big time, just a reflex don't know if I could get away with less effort. It's like a panic response. But almost always successful.
#2: bladder spasms, or spasms some where down there. It took me quite a while to realize that a lot of the problem when I was up and/or walking was not a weak external sphincter and the need for more or stronger Kegels. It was spasms. It's like I would feel this involuntary contraction, not painful, just a muscle contracting. I suppose this was/is the bladder, but it actually feels like it is muscles inside my penis or urethra. It may even be the same muscles contracting that used to force ejaculate out with force. Whatever, that thing would start squeezing and I would have to Kegel hard against it to stop it, or go pee a very small amount. But if I was walking, it would just keep spasming(sp?) every few steps and I would soon run out of strength to hold it, and my pad would be soaked after a mile or two. It takes a pretty fair effort to hold back against those involuntary contractions.
Now days, in the 12th month, those contractions are still here but much less intense and less frequent. It's funny, getting up out of a chair, even rapidly and with force, I can easily hold it in with a Kegel and then relax and still no problems.. But it is almost routine that about
30 seconds to 1 minute later, that dang contraction will kick in and call for a quick response on my part. This reflex spasm is worse/more consistent if I have been sitting on a kitchen stool. Now when I walk or hike, occasionally I can stay completely dry WITH NO EFFORT. But often, after 1/2 mile or maybe more like a mile, the little spasms start kicking in and since I am occupied with walking as fast as I can, I might not clamp down as quick as I needed to and a few drops escape. So, knowing this is likely to happen, I just stuff a small paper towel down inside the shield, and just change that if I have a few drops on it, instead of the shield. That is not perfect, but it is way better than that soaked, heavy pad I had after every walk even a few months after surgery.
I wear no shield around the house in the mornings or evenings. The shield I put on when ever I leave the house mid morning is almost always dry or barely damp when I remove it after supper. But, again I add a paper towel just in case for walking. And if I fail to do a Kegel when making a wrong move or if one of those little spasms hit, I will push some out. So i must wear a shield, for mostly just in case. Maybe the spasms will continue improving? I don't feel I am getting any better as far as the outright stress leakage from where I was months ago. I had the bio-feedback, electrical stim treatment months ago, and was told my sphincter was plenty strong. So that might be as good as that gets.
So, Prato, you and several others are doing great seems to me! Good for you!