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Posted 2/18/2016 4:38 PM (GMT 0)

halbert said...
Something about Kegals that they don't tell you: It's possible to do too many and fatigue the muscles. I was told to do no more than 4 sets of 10 reps a day. The other thing to do is this: when you're getting ready to stand up from a chair (a common leak time), do a conscious kegal as you stand up.

I've been thinking about this and Halbert brings up a good point. It is true that over working muscle these groups can be counter productive and cause more issues. Also, Halbert's point on doing a kegel when standing up is well taken, especially in the early weeks. That was the issue I had. We don't see a lot of info here on kegels, but these exercises do need to be treated just as exercising any other muscle group. Use good form, hold for a few seconds, repeat. If youre doing them right you shouldnt be squeezing the butt cheeks together, and the penis should be retracting slightly. Dont overwork. Be consistent & build up reps.

For ME, I would say that 4 sets of 10 reps wouldnt accomplish a whole lot (assuming once a day). I started with 3 sets of 10... but did them three times a day. I gradually built that to three sets of 12, 14, then 15 (3x/day). Thats what worked for me.

Man, the things we discuss here!
Posted 2/18/2016 7:48 PM (GMT 0)

Northern Lights said...

wierypete said...
Hi Inthe Shop,

Thank you also for your support and advice. I wish I can stop worrying. What scares me is that I had absolutely no symptoms. I almost didn't go to my appointment. I am in good health and I figured I could wait till next year to go. My doctor made a good call by sending my to get a biopsy. I won't miss another doctor's appointment!

Pete, while I cant say this with 100% certainty.... I'm willing to bet a majority of us had no advance symptoms. I didnt. My detection was just a part of my routine annual physical. Thankfully my new doctor ordered a PSA test where my prior doc (who moved to CA) didnt feel the need to do one every year. Needless to say I'm a pain in the ass to my friends about getting physicals, including PSA tests. Hang in there, stay on top of things and you will be fine.

I'll second what NL said. The problem with PCa is that it is hard to detect via actual physical symptoms, which is why PSA and some other more recent more precise tests are so important. PSA is far from perfect but it is certainly better than nothing and tracking PSA rise or fall over time is generally very valuable. By the time most prostate cancer is detectable on DRE or by the patient - it is too advanced to be treated via surgery and most of the time it has already escaped the prostate gland and therefore the prognosis is worse.

I know you are scared but hang in there and focus on your healing from your surgery over these next few months.

On the continence, it really is unique to each person. My father had open RP coming up on six years ago now, he was age 60 at the time, and had to wear pads for most of the first year as he regained continence. He's basically back to normal now except for certain specific situations like strenuous lifting and such where some leakage can still occur. Losing the sphincter in the prostate as a result of RP takes time to adapt to for sure. Keep at it and stay positive!
Posted 2/19/2016 4:13 AM (GMT 0)

halbert said...
Something about Kegals that they don't tell you: It's possible to do too many and fatigue the muscles. I was told to do no more than 4 sets of 10 reps a day. The other thing to do is this: when you're getting ready to stand up from a chair (a common leak time), do a conscious kegal as you stand up.

Glad you told me. I think I am overdoing it smhair
Posted 2/20/2016 12:25 AM (GMT 0)
Pete
It sounds like you've had plenty of supportive advice already.

Just one suggestion. If you have confidence in your Urologist then have him take you through the results and explain every little thing and the implications/options until you are happy. Do not settle for less my friend.

On other thing re pelvic floor exercises; both my physio (a Dr with oncology experience and a specialist in pelvic exercises) and my Urologist say to do as many as you have time for - even hundreds per day. I don't believe you can over do this as long as you are doing the exercises properly so you might want to see a specialist physio to check.

Good luck friends

Hugh
Posted 2/20/2016 12:58 AM (GMT 0)
One other little thing that affects my continence, that seems counter-intuitive. When I allow myself to get dehydrated, I find I drip more, not less. In other words, having plenty of fluids in my system, and plenty of flow into my bladder, makes the whole thing work better.

Good luck.
Posted 2/22/2016 3:35 AM (GMT 0)
It has been exactly 1 month since I had surgery. Still trying to regain my continence. Today there was blood in my urine and passed a small blood clot. Does anyone else have the same experience?

Post Edited (wierypete) : 2/21/2016 8:48:39 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/22/2016 4:09 AM (GMT 0)
Pete, about 2.5 months out, I had a 2 day event where I suddenly dripped blood in my urine and in the stream and passed a bit of a clot. Maybe stitching material. But it went away. I'm 6 months out and continence is pretty good. If I leave the booze alone, it's even better! Don't sweat the continence too much at this point. I have a whole lot of 'man pads' in my bathroom that I never ended up using! I wear a guard during the day/night, but just one gets me through the day. I probably don't need it, but it's a little reassurance.

Hang in there.
Posted 2/22/2016 4:20 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the information MD. At times I get a little anxious. The whole healing process seems too slow compared to what i have read, but I know everyone is different. I just have to stop whinning and be patient.
Posted 2/22/2016 5:45 AM (GMT 0)
It'll get better. I rarely do the Kegels anymore and at 1 month out for you, I wouldn't worry too much. It's tough not to be anxious, and it's tough to be patient. I've always heard that there will likely be setbacks--you think it's all good, then OOPS! I went through rotator cuff surgery a couple of years ago, and believe me.....you want to talk about slow healing and frustration?!

Best of luck.
Posted 2/22/2016 8:16 AM (GMT 0)
all my life i was in good health till i developed diabetes. 3 years ago i had knee repair surgery, last year i had double inguinal surgery. It took me a year to recover from that and then I was floored when they told me I have PC.

One thing after another. Everything else seems like a breeze compared to the waiting and the uncertainty. Doctors don't spend enough time with their patients. They should explain what to expect while we heal. All I got was "incitions look good, we'll do ART after first PSA test. I'll see you here in 6 months". And out he went.

Go figure!
Posted 2/22/2016 4:08 PM (GMT 0)
Yeah, Pete. Proving once again that the age old tale of 'aging gracefully' is utter bull! I've got a bad (arthritic) left ankle that gives me the blues from time to time, but the treatment seems worse than the current situation!
Posted 2/22/2016 10:19 PM (GMT 0)

wierypete said...
It has been exactly 1 month since I had surgery. Still trying to regain my continence. Today there was blood in my urine and passed a small blood clot. Does anyone else have the same experience?

I think the clots finally stopped at around the 3-4 week mark for me. I wouldnt worry about it unless it never ends. It sounds like youre healing pretty normally. I'm assuming a tinge of pink and not full-on red.

MDN is right that the booze affects some people's continence too.
Posted 2/22/2016 11:15 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Peter, we are a band of brothers. I have learned so much from the brothers on this site. I too thought that my life was over when I heard the words cancer but I learned that there are treatments out there so it is what it is. So I put it out of my mind and get busy living. I am 70.
Posted 2/23/2016 4:14 AM (GMT 0)
I am with you Howard. I am learning alot from everyone on this site. I am feeling less anxious knowing that i have the support from you guys.
It's better to get info from people that have actually experienced it rather than going all over the internet looking for answers.
Posted 2/23/2016 1:32 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Pete, don't worry about whining, you have every right, we all do, after what we've been through. And this is the place to do it.

Continence will come, it will just not be linear, good days and bad days. I was mostly continent after 5-6 weeks, enough to not have to wear anything. But I still dripped on and off for a few months, and it continued to improve even at 9 months, now I am pretty much dry, although I find when I slack off the Kegels, (which I generally do 3 X a day, sets of 10, hold for 10 seconds, ) I start to squirt here and there.

Btw, Mayo Kegels instructions say once a day, and do it while sitting on the toilet. Shows, everyone has a different approach and everyone does well with a different approach.

Re the blood clot, I was told it could continue ON AND OFF, for 8 weeks. So don't be alarmed at all.
Posted 2/24/2016 3:36 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks Pratoman.
It just seems like it is taking too long!
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