6 weeks & total incontinence - any hope?

I had surgery on 7-20 and going through 4-6 pads per day.    When I am sitting or walking it just dribbles out.  I try to Kegel all the time.   Its very annoying but if I am cured thats all that matters I suppose.   I am having my first PSA check tomorrow.

I know it's frustrating, but it's been less than two weeks. Give it time. It's waaaaay too soon to be thinking this will be your future.

Goodlife (a veritable fountain of wisdom) is right. Grit your teeth and give it a couple of very frustrating months. Most guys are doing far better by then. You probably will too.

My situation is similar.   I had RRP on June 13 and catheter removed on June 28.  I have been totally incontinent since that time.  I saw my surgeon on August 15 for my first post op checkup where I learned that my PSA was now 0.  This was what the doctor expected, so we were both pleased.  BUT he was surprised that I had no bladder control  yet.   Apparently most of his previous patients had started to regain bladder  control by this time.  He had no explanation.  He said it just may take more time.  Continue the Kegel excercises and come back in January for another PSA test.

When standing upright or walking, my bladder completely drains.  When in bed at night, I get up every two hours to go to the bathroom where I pee 250 to 300 ml.  By morning my pad is nearly dry.  So, I keep thinking this evidence that some progress is being made.

 

Thanks all.

I've just been looking for any trend, and have been somewhat despondent over not finding one. Perhaps too optimistic about my outcome.

Have actually been somewhat drier lately, but that may be self induced slight dehydration.

Familymann

I was one of the very few lucky ones here as I was able to stay dry 3 1/2 weeks after my surgery on June 8th. I was also dry for about a week before at night which also gave me hope. In my case I just decided to not wear a pad one day and I stayed dry all day and every day since. My URO also told me that even if I dribbled a little to not wear any pads as in his opinion it can be too easy to get dependant on them and not think about staying dry. He said 50% of staying dry after RP is in the head.

Good luck and your first dry day will come and you will have a great feeling of accomplishment.

Terry the Water GUY

Steve,

My first dry day was Saturday July 2nd when my wife and I were going to the lake house of a friend. I knew there was no way to wear a pad with my swimming suit so I just decided not to wear one that day and I stayed dry from then on. I had been using 2 pads per day at that point. 

Our minds control more than we know, now if my ED was just that simple to overcome. My mind envisions an erection but the plumbing will not cooperate. 

Terry the water guy

I saw the incontinence advisory nurse a month or two after my RRP. She suggested I steer clear completely of anything with caffeine. I changed to de-caff tea and coffee, and avoided cola drinks. It really helped a lot. Now I'm 99.9% continent and I'm back to my old tea/coffee/cola drinking habits!

Don't walk too much or too fast to start with. And don't do too many Kegels - that will tire the muscle rather than strengthen it.

Avoid the wrong drinks (This is almost a permanent change: I'm two years on from surgery - I had half a pint of beer yesterday at 6pm and was up 5 times last night for 5 relatively small amounts of pee)
Things that make the bladder acidic are the ones to avoid in general.

Other drinks may calm the thing down - camomille tea for instance.


I am dong well enough that I would describe myself as dry (But at least once a week I will have a dribbly few hours and I have also had two "floods")
I do now try to regualte my intake of fluids to a fairly strict timetable. eg a lunch time glass of (dilute) juice at 12.30 will will turn into a full baldder at about 13.30 so if I schedule my next drink for 15.00, then I have a window of 90 minutes or so when I am producing much much less pee and can do most things in or out of the house. (eg yesterday it was being up ladders and drilling holes in the concrete walls of our new home to hang some pictures followed by a 5 mile bicycle ride)

From one day to the next you will sense very little difference at this stage, but as has already been said it could be several months before you suddenly become aware that things have got so much better than they were in those first few days and weeks after the cath came out.

We all want to get it under control immediately, but as with most of PCa the patient has to try and be patient

Pain Meds actually vicodin and tylenol