End game for my AUS?

Some of the recent posts about those of us getting new AUS implants or revisions to their existing AUS made me give my own AUS experience some honest (what’s that) thought. I am now trying to think of my experience in QOL rather than how much I leak with my AUS activated.
Some background, Robotic surgery Dec 2009 and had PT and various other things that ended up 10 months later being deemed a failure. I was, at that time, 100% incontinent, defined by me as whatever I drank came out, never needed to pee as none was collected in my bladder. At night one pad would do.
AUS recommended, sling not offered as an option. AUS was done Jan 2010, at activation I could not believe it, I was totally dry, no pads! At about 6 months spotting in underwear developed followed by spotting and later wet spots in outer wear. Ok, I have to wear a pad no big deal. Eventually the one pad should have been counted as 2 or more but I was in bit of denial. I hoped a smaller cuff would put me back to that miracle day of the activation. Dr. Boone did his urodynamics and said I was “50/50”. So optimistic me goes for the smaller cuff, which I think is a 3.5 which might be the smallest? Anyway, glory days again but maybe just a month before the same leaking process began again.
Four years after the revision I have given up pads and gone back to the external catheter and leg bag. I was rarely using over one pad per day but it in reality should have been maybe four. So the smell and leaking is on me for bad pad management. Now finally comes the point of all this. Since the AUS implant I haven’t really thought much about quality of life, I just was thinking how many pads and am I too wet in the front and are my pant wet. I am at the next step in trying to go one way or the other with the AUS. One way is have it removed the other is tandem cuffs maybe.
The tandem cuffs were the thing years back but now I think they have fallen out of favor, at least according to my internet research. DR. Boone has not wanted to even discuss this in the past saying not to worry about that now. Now I am beginning to wonder if I was too incontinent even for the AUS or maybe my urethra is thin and weak? The AUS has it’s limits as to how much pressure can be applied without other complications. I can see no different outcome with tandem cuffs in the long run, atrophy again probably.
As far as QOL what’s the difference between 4 pads with AUS and 10 without AUS? To me not much, plus there are unpleasant things with pads like the smell, it’s always there, then surprise, stuff has shifted in the underwear and pants are now wet. Oh, and I find it embarrassing to walk in public with the pad bulge in the front.
What about removing the AUS completely? Sounds crazy at first, 4 pads versus 10 is a big percentage reduction in pads isn’t much help in QOL for me. I could just leave the AUS in place and use the condom cath and bag as I am now doing. I worry constantly about going to the emergency room or even a routine procedure that goes wrong and somebody tries to cath me. Before the AUS I rode bikes and enjoyed it and also enjoyed the idea that I could ride when I wanted. I am afraid to even try riding the bike with the AUS and AMS says don’t. There is always some risk of erosion even inactivated as mine has been for the last month or so. Besides, in the past I never went in public with the pads, I always used the cath and bag as there was never any confidence in not having wet pants, smell, as well as the bulge.
I am seriously thinking of having the AUS ( it’s ideas of dryness) removed and use the trusty condom cath and bag full time (this is not uncomfortable for me) plus have the option for placement of a urethral cath if needed. And I can ride again, or at least have the option. I guess, number one for me is being totally dry! and only the cath has done that over the long term and I really don’t like the big pads.
I must add that I am happy for the recent AUS club members who are enjoying their happy days of dryness and even if they become as wet as I have over the years (I hope not) they may not find themselves thinking this way. IMHO it really boils down to, in the long run, if can you wear a full pad, even if it’s just one, every day. If someone told me all this before I got my AUS I would no doubt ignored it as I prefer the optimistic view that hopefully any those who have read all have.
Tell me truth, does any of this sound sane? I know from experience that this disease can make me at least a little crazy.

funny thing is up until recently, though nothing has really changed in my wetness, I would have given the AUS a thumbs up. If you wear one pad all day what is wearing 4 pads in the same day, better?, bottom line you still need pads, how much does the number matter. Maybe some can go pad free long term but I wonder how many. The success as measured by the medical papers you read is something like going from some number like 4.3 avg per day to 1.5. Sounds pretty good on pad number reduction but QOL? no change in new way of looking at it.
I would like to hear what the sling guys say?
As you said about condom caths, some (most or all?) would do anything not to have one. I don't like to wear them for fun but they get the business done and I feel the way about pads that some do about cc's.

not sure but your starting off at a set number of pads rather than unlimited in my case should be reason for a good out look. I like said you have to be optimistic. Mean time enjoy. good luck.

thanks, peter, I already saw that reference but didn't read entirely, I think for obvious reasons. Some take away points were for me that, they use, as they must, some assumed number of pads for defining QOL. I quess that really is the only way they could measure, but I ain't "they". I could call myself "dry" if I could wear shields and at the end of the day it would not be soaked or maybe I could be OK with a smallish pad that was pretty dry, however on both my go around's the shield stage was relatively brief, maybe a month or two at most each time.
Yes for me the AUS would beat a suitcase of stuff if the cath and bag was off the table as an option. Certainly if I were faced with these two options, well, let's say I would not be thinking any of this.
I guess I really don't like pads.

PS, nobody please, don't even say the work "recumbent" that's not an option I hate them.