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Day 1 Catheter out

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Posted 11/21/2017 7:12 PM (GMT 0)
Hello

I had my catheter out about 4 hours ago, and would like to get some tips on how to stop leaking.

I am 60 years old, very fit, did kegals before my RP.

I walked a lot (really alot) before surgery, did not do much walking outside when I had the catheter in (for 2 weeks) because the darn thing irritated me.

I have just come back from a half hour walk and plan to up that daily.

I don't drink coffee or alcohol

I did not do kegals with the catheter in, but will resume doing those.

I saw a pelvic floor therapist before surgery to learn to do kegals correctly

Aside from being patient (which I am not good at) what else can I do?

thx!

Post Edited (Pgpb) : 11/21/2017 12:18:53 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 11/21/2017 7:36 PM (GMT 0)
welcome to HW.

Kegals, walking, drink plenty of water, and patience. The surgeon did major cutting in there. It can take months to heal.

There isn't a shortcut, sorry,
Andrew
Posted 11/21/2017 11:00 PM (GMT 0)
Gee willikers, you’re finally free after 2 weeks chained to a hose and you want to know what more you can do? Party! Relax! (You probably want to hear that as much as you want to hear “Be patient.”)
Andrew’s right, you’re already doing everything you can. If you’re only leaking, not gushing, just a few hours post cath, you’re ahead of the game. I’m assuming you’ve been able to void your bladder fully when you want/need to and aren’t in retention, which occasionally happens in the first 8 hours after catheter removal.
Post an update after the holiday, please, let us know how things are going.
Posted 11/21/2017 11:38 PM (GMT 0)
Thx Saipan!!

I leak alot, so there is not much coming out when I try to pee normally
When I do try to pee normally (although there is no feeling of being full) I sprinkle a bit.
I am a Canadian and we do not celebrate Thanksgiving the same time you folks do, but I will indeed keep you all informed.
Much appreciation and best wishes for the holiday
Posted 11/22/2017 12:59 AM (GMT 0)
Be Well and I send the best to you

May all beings be well

Roger
Posted 11/22/2017 1:15 AM (GMT 0)
As long as you’re not in retention, don’t sweat it. I also had trouble telling when I needed to pee for a couple of weeks. Your body has a lot of changes to get used to. You must give it time.
Posted 11/22/2017 1:26 AM (GMT 0)
First time here! You wouldn't believe how happy I am to find this website and you all. More of me later. When my catheter was removed my main concern was not knowing when or where the leakages might come. As others have said here, 1. Relax, take it easy for a while giving your urinary system a chance to adjust. 2. My major problem was selecting a brand of diaper pants to wear so that I would feel secure about the accidents. I only have sporadic episodes of minimal leakage but you want the mental assurance that whatever the amount, the underpant can contain it. After a lot of researching the subject on the Internet I found a brand called "Veri Flex". You can check out consumer reviews and details on Amazon.com. A trick I use to make them last a few days instead of having to throw them away even for after a minor dribbling is this. I went to the 99cent store purchased a couple of bags of face cloths and I fold one into a square and tuck it around my tackle in the diaper and if I have a minor leakage, the cloth catches it and the diaper pant remains dry, unsoiled can be worn for a little longer.
To all of my new fellow Cancer patients: God Bless us all and remember how much we have to be truly thankful for as we travel the cancer path. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Posted 11/22/2017 7:55 PM (GMT 0)
I had my catheter out yesterday too (I certainly owe a full update on my decision and surgery following my initial threads looking for advice).
I also leak when stand up or start waking, about 500 ml yesterday and 400 ml today. I think it is a lot though I have been outside and active many hours. No problem at all when sitting or lying down so that my bladder gets full enough to urinate normally (I enjoyed a 15 year old-like stream this morning, I guess this is one of the very few satisfactions we can get from this procedure). My idea is that I may take some time to be dry but that also there are some hopeful signs that these will eventually be the case. The knowledge and experience of others will be greatly appreciated. I have not plans for dietary restrictions. I did some Kegels before surgery and plan to start again with them though I am a bit skeptical.
Posted 11/22/2017 9:49 PM (GMT 0)
Jmadrid—
I think you’ve got it exactly right. It’ll take time, but focus on the hopeful signs. While there’s no guarantee you’ll achieve a level of continence you’re satisfied with — for me, that meant chucking the pads — there seem to be plenty of us who had next to no control initially but by the 3 month mark were doing just fine.
SP.
Posted 11/22/2017 10:00 PM (GMT 0)
I have been very lucky in this.48 hours since Cath out, apart from a fart I did was a small leak, I have been dry since.Hope it stays this way, and the burning sensation slowly going away.My first night I got up around 8 times to pee hardly slept,but now the urgency slowly going as well.
Posted 11/24/2017 2:03 AM (GMT 0)
i started off with Depends. There is also a Walmart brand that is very good.

The nice thing with disposables is, well, they are disposable.

One of the keys is walking and getting back to good exercises, keep drinking plenty of fluids so you stay hydrated.

A good exercise is also to stop mid-stream and hold it for a few seconds. I tried to stop twice per time whenever i could, especially first thing in the morning.


It sounds like you are making great progress. Be patient, it seemed to take forever, and then suddenly i was near 100% control.
Posted 11/24/2017 6:16 AM (GMT 0)
I use a depends pad, bought at COSTCO on line .20 cents per pad. Use them with cotton briefs. Drink coffee, Jack Danials in the evening and am very active. Use 2 pads a day. Not very wet when change. 4months since rp. Do Kegels and use a tens device with a rectal probe 1/2 hr day that strengthens floor muscles. Good luck.
Posted 11/24/2017 6:20 AM (GMT 0)
Forgot to say. I was out with my bird dogs and grandsons last weekend and my dogs Garmin collar logged 51 miles. I probably walked 10. Walked my grandsons into the ground. Used 2 pads, Shot 10 quail. Time with grandsons and son hunting priceless.
Posted 11/26/2017 6:44 PM (GMT 0)
Slowly making some progress on incontinency 5 days after catheter removal. Now less than 300 g go to the diapers per day, all after standing or walking. Also I retain enough to urinate after a walk, first days there was nothing left when I returned home.
But sometimes I have a bother or even some pain after urination that often takes some time before it goes away. Also I often feel the urge of a BM when I urinate but this not always turns to be a real need. Are these bothers common small things after the catheter goes out or should I worry about them?
Posted 11/26/2017 7:23 PM (GMT 0)
I had some burning during and after urination in those first days, did a UA and it came up negative for infection. The burning subsided in time. Didn’t have the urge to poop, though.
Your incremental progress on controlling leakage mirrors mine after week 1. Sounds like you’re on the right track.
Posted 1/13/2018 10:39 AM (GMT 0)
UPDATE:

It is less than 2 months (about 7 weeks) since the catheter came out, and I am doing pretty good.
(By the way, my post RP PSA was zero, and there was no cancer found in the area around the prostate, so whoo hooo!!!)

I am still wearing pads, but I am seeing improvement. Totally dry at night and mornings and early afternoons are pretty dry, some drips for sure. I am in the midst of moving household so lifting boxes and putting together furniture causes more leaks )

I am dry going from sitting to standing which seems to be a milestone.

I took the advice to walk a lot, so have been pretty faithful with that. (although I live in Toronto Canada, where it has been darn cold so I skip the days where is is below - 500 degrees)
I have a kegel app on my phone and ipad so I do kegels pretty regularly.

Trying to hold my pee to expand my bladder, need to get more disciplined with that.
I know I will get there (dry and no pads), it just might take another month....or so

I probably tend to be a bit on the obsessive side so I probably worry about it more than I should. Now I may start to worry about the ED. My urologist did not prescribe any ED meds, he says lets wait a few months and see how things develop. I sometimes feel a bit of the beginnings of an erection from time to time. I think this must be a sign of the nerves healing.
Posted 1/13/2018 1:42 PM (GMT 0)
Great news about your PSA and pathology report pgpb. My URO waits 3 months for the first PSA test so mine is not for a few more weeks. Sounds like you’re on track toward continence. Just keep walking and kegeling and you’ll get there.

Your URO will probably want to wait until you're mostly pad free before starting Penile rehab. I was one of the lucky ones and was pad free about a week after my catheter was out. My doc started me on a 40mg daily dose of sildenafil about a month after surgery. I guess it helps with blood flow but no erections until I started trimix injections about a week ago. My very first injection in the office generated a 10/10 erection that lasted about 2 hours. I now call it my happy juice lol. Hopefully, I will someday reach the point when I no longer need it, but for now it’s working great.

Stay positive, you’re on a great track to recovery!

Jeff
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