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Posted 11/14/2011 5:14 PM (GMT 0)
Hey all,

I am new hear, I had Da Vinci surgery 2.5 weeks ago and am doing very well accept for one issue. I got my cath out 4 days ago and I have yet to gain any sort of urinary control to speak of. I have been walking every day and doing the kegal exercises but I am not able to retain any urine in my bladder. when I lie down I am able to retain some and I can tell when I need to go to the bathroom but when walking and sitting I don't seem to be able to really tell.
Have any of you had a similar experience or should I be farther along with control.

One thing I am confused about. are the kegal exercises to help the bladder back to being able to control urine with its own sphincter muscles or is that how we control urine now and I just need to keep working those kegal muscles until they are able to control the urine?

Let me know your thoughts.

the reason my cath stayed in so long is that I had a back injury that made it so I was not able to urinate without an in and out catheter. for that reason they wanted to make sure the healing was farther along before pulling it. now I cant keep anything in, just a bit frustrating.
Posted 11/14/2011 5:36 PM (GMT 0)
Don't want to discourage you, but you are pretty much on course. I would say average time to complete control is 3 to 4 months. You will find it is kind of a stair step process, where one day you will make noticeable progress, then go for a week or so with nothing changing, then another big day.

While you are urinating what little you have retained, try kegaling. You should be able to stop and start the stream. That way you will know you are kegaling correctly.

It took me 8 months to conquer this beast, and even now I will leak a little from lifting or sneezing, etc.

Welcome to HW, and try and be patient. It will get better.
Posted 11/14/2011 5:44 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome, doubledd. You came to the right place.

I had DaVinci surgery in Oct 2009. Once the cath was out, I was dry while on my back, but standing up, I emptied on the spot. I spent several months with a Depends pant, and 8+ heavy pads as boosters each day.

It will get better, but the length of time is different for all of us.

A word of advice on the Kegels - don't over-do it. Break them into sessions of 10 reps several times in the day. Doing hundreds just accomplishes wearing the muscles out so badly that by evening you couldn't hold anything.

My routine started at 3 sets of 10 - 10 second reps. Went to 4 sets a day, then to 5, at which point things got worse instead of better. Backed off to 3 sets (morning, midday, afternoon), and balanced my daily walking to several sessions instead of one long morning walk, and at least for me, things improved greatly over several months.

Posted 11/14/2011 7:12 PM (GMT 0)
Doubledd,

First, welcome!

For a little perspective, my surgery was in August and after the cath was removed the first week I was averaging 7 pads per day. The next week avg. was 5 per day, the next week 4 etc. My Uro thought those were GREAT numbers - at least that was my impression. Then a plateau at about 2 per day.

I've read an incredible range of results from members here, so I would at least wait a month before you try to gauge how things are going.

All the best with your recovery. Check in often and let us know how you're doing.
Posted 11/15/2011 12:10 AM (GMT 0)
I am 5 years past surgery. I never had severe urinary control problems. I wore pads for about a week or two. However I had "stress squirts" and still do today. When I am cold or tired or very active I still squirt or drip a little. I suspect I always will. Things change.
Posted 11/15/2011 6:05 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you very much for all your insight. it sounds like things are proceeding normally. I did have good control last night and got through the night with a single depends type thing, woo hoo :)

Forum Moderator - good advice on the Kegels, the second day out I was working them all day and completely wore them out and had no control - not good.

I have backed off a bit and am getting much better results.

Again - thank you all for the support, I will continue to check in with updates
Posted 11/15/2011 6:55 PM (GMT 0)
Doubledd, Welcome. You are just as I was right out of catheter. I was good sleeping and sitting for the most part but standing was a no go. It was almost 2 weeks before i could make a stream at all. Do your exercises they way you were taught. It will get better! It took almost 6 months till pad free for me. Although I still get the occasional gleek now and then.
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