Worsening Incontinence

Randy has had worsening incontinence over the past couple of years. After his surgery, he regained continence within 3-4 months. But over the last 3 years or so the incontinence has returned. We're not sure if this is a result of radiation (?), or something else. He started using pads when at work (physical job), about 1 per day just to catch dribbles. He now wears them pretty much all the time (about 2 per day). The latest change has come at night. He's had several 'accidents' while sleeping, and is now wearing 'pull-ups', as he calls them at night. He says he never feels clean and complains of chafing. He's considering talking to the docs about an AUS.

I've read about several of you who have had this done, and most seem ambivalent. For those of you who have, would you do it again? Thoughts?

Thanks, Donna

Hi Guys, chiming in here because we are talking AUS as well. He wears "diapers" and 6-8 pads/day. He did not feel that PT was worth the time since it s almost 2 yrs since RALP. Ill be anxious to hear about the effectiveness of AUS. We are switching over to Cleveland Clinic from Buffalo. Hope the surgery is nt too uncomfortable!

RandyJoe...you might want to investigate the 'best' pads and disposable briefs available. There are many to choose from, and most manufacturers offer sample packages.

I been dealing with it for 2 years had 2 slings which was failures then I was mowing my lawn and thought to myself I had got down to 1 full or 2 pads a day from 5 or 6 pads after RP but after sling surgery trying to get out of pads,because after a year if you still leaking I believe you always leak that's what I see going on so then I went to 6 pads so then I thought to myself what I really wanted was to get out of the pads all together so the ones that did the AUS that is on this forum which is where I learn the most, they had the AUS so I had my 2 weeks will update once activated yea I also didn't want to do surgery and be still in pads but once you get in this position there's know going back,I hate the pads.

I never regained continence from RP three years ago due to the broad cut that was necessary to ensure clean margins. Started having dry nights on schedule, but daytime I had no control. Went thru PT with the Kegel coach and ultimately needed the AUS in order to proceed with adjuvant RT within one year of RP.

The AUS surgeries were a nightmare that I wish I could forget, but the outcome is that I now only dribble a little and 1-2 pads per day is sufficient. But following radiation I was no longer dry at night. I hate wearing pads in bed or having pads on the bed, and so I sleep with a dry washcloth in my crotch. I bought some inexpensive beige and yellow ones so my wife can tell the difference and does not use them to wash her face.

In the mornings it is only slightly moist and usually dry out quickly. My sleep brain has become accustomed to keeping the washcloth in place, and if I wake up at night without it, I can easily grope around and find it, to retirn it to its place. This has worked very well for the nearly two years since my ART.

RobLee said...
....I bought some inexpensive beige and yellow ones so my wife can tell the difference and does not use them to wash her face.

My sleep brain....

Thanks for the morning 'beige and yellow' laugh, Rob.

I didn't realize we have a different 'sleep brain' ;-) Be well, my friend!

I've read a lot of guys got the AUS and didn't have to wear anything they didn't drip or leak I was down the one and two pads and then try the sling at first the sling work I didn't need no pads but it was too tight and when they went in and adjusted it I started needing Shields then it slipped that's why I had to get theAUS I think if I waited I may have got dry and if I didn't have sex while in recovery with the first sling I would have been dry.

Donna I would go to the DR and have a long discussion about this before i did anything. I had my prostrateectomy 6-1-18 I was never continant again (1-2 depends a night 4-6 pads a day, i know what it feels like to hear "look Mommy that man wet his pants" and worse). I went to PT, she specialized in this type of PT, starting the day after they pulled the cateter (2 week after sergery) everything was great except there was no contenance. thanks to her dedication to her patience (Tia i love you) she started putting things together. I had long term lingering back and leg pain which PT didn't help and some other stuff, she wondered about nurological issues. we got my PC Dr to refer me to a nurological consul. long story short they scheduled several tests one of which wasn't nurological it was a Uro dynamics test take the incontennance was because my spincter on my baldder was just no good it was just a weak and bad muscle. I met with a AUS specialist and we looked everything over and the AUS was my only choice. i had it installed yesterday. this needs to be a well thought out decission their is a failure rate to consider, a life expectoncy (they don't last forever). and they are not 100% (i'm hoping to get down 1 or 2 pads a day). I would make sure you look into every avenue before deciding your best route. I know how frustration, embarassment, the anger, the hopeless feeling, the always smelling pee, the you can't sleep with your wife for fear of wetting the bed, ect, ect, ect.
my last choice was a machine in me but as it turned out that was my only choice. As for my nerve issues they found it had sinal stenosis (the nerves in my back are being pinched and next week i go in and the are going to open spinal channel, unpinch my nerves and Hopefully that will relive my back and leg pain