4 days after catheter removal for prostate removal

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Hi all my catheter was removed 8.22.19 from robotic prostate removal. Still trying to work out the bugs. I went from not even knowing I was urinating until i felt the warmth in my diaper to 4 days later half the time feeling the need to urinate. Sleeping is great for some reason being in a horizontal position for me means no leak but still wear diaper just in case. My biggest problem is going from a sitting to standing up,it flows quickly and I run to the toilet to try and keep diaper dryer. I am doing my kegel exercises, don't know what to expect as far as recovery time or if at all. I will update my progress from time to time for future people who have had the surgery, so they could compare their progress. I would also assume those that were successful in gaining back the control of their bladder would no longer be here. I did a search for prostate surgery and did not get any hits. I have been getting helpful information on diapers here also thanks.e

 

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Thanks for the post. Definitely keep us updated for sure.

 

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Good luck in your recovery process. Sounds like things are starting to improve a little - hope the improvement continues!

 

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I had a short period where I was catheterized and I hated especially when it came time to change the catheter I hope your recovery goes well for you keep us up to date on your progress

 

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@patc sounds like you are doing well. I couldn't pee after my catheter came out so I had another one for about 3 weeks. Good luck with the rest of your recovery, cheers Phil

 

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Hi patc, I have had several TURP surgical procedures, as well as radiation treatment for prostate cancer. A TURP isn't exactly the same as a prostatectomy, but both involve removal of tissue. Although in a perfect world none of the "plumbing" needed for continence would be affected, in the real world that isn't always the case. I had a similar experience as yours in that lying horizontal I was continent but as soon as I sat or stood up I would have leakage. I did improve slowly but steadily during the first year, but now, after almost 3 years, I still have slight leakage.

If it turns out that your surgeon was able to leave your internal & external sphincters undamaged you should recover very well. If not, you will most likely have leakage the rest of your life. In my case my internal sphincter was permanently damaged, so I will not recover fully, unless stem cell treatments advance to the point where I can have a stem cell injection and regrow new internal sphincter muscle tissue.

Kegels will definitely help, and I still do them every day. However, Kegels just affect your external sphincter, so if your surgeon damaged your internal sphincter then no matter how many Kegels you do you will still likely have leakage. I also take Myrbetriq and Alfuzosin which help me maintain a calmer bladder & urinary tract, which takes pressure off my damaged sphincter and reduces my leakage.

Good luck with your recovery, and let us know how you are progressing.

 

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I had the same robotic prostate removal two years ago and your experience so far is very similar to mine. For a day or so after the removal of the catheter, I had no control. I would go through 7 or 8 Depends in a day. Like you, when laying down my leaking was less. You are correct in your observation that when you stand, it is like the flood gates open and it is difficult to stop. It gradually gets better. It took me about six weeks until I gained 90% control. Keep doing the Kegels and be patient. You are still very early in the game. The biggest issue for me now is that when I have to go.. I have to go. And there is not a lot of warning. This primarily occurs when I am standing or walking. Because of this, if I know I am going to be away from home, on my feet, and a bathroom may not be handy, I will wear a Depends just in case. It is not a big deal and it is better than being embarrassed. Good luck and be patient.

 

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Thanks for the input cmulwee and oakie, one never knows how these things will turn out. I went into this thing sort of blindly, just wanted the cancer out of me. I thought a leak is a leak but was wrong and started to worry a bit. Unsure if my situation was good bad or indifferent,the encouragement is helpful thanks again.

 

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PROSTATE UPDATE 11.3.19
its been 9-10 weeks since catheter was removed. The good news is I am getting better, still leaking. I went back to work end of sept. was using diaper and a pad, because I could change the pad but leave the diaper on. I work in construction and changing a diaper in a chemical toilet would have been challenging.
The first3 weeks I just flowed with every move changed about 3 pads a day 2 diapers a day about 10 days ago I noticed I had longer streams and did not have to go every 15 minutes. Last week I was down to 1 pad a day 1 diaper a day. Still leaking BUT GETTING BETTER. I AM OPTIMISTIC. GOOD LUCK TO ALL.

 

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That is excellent Pat. Glad things are better than they were! Great news indeed.

Jim

 

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Pat, I am 6 weeks post-op from prostate removal and 5 weeks since catheter was taken out. My first couple of days after catheter removal were challenging in getting a steady stream when I felt the urge to go. The urge and being able to produce a steady stream synced up after about a week. Been visiting a physical therapist for pelvic floor muscle exercises and it seems to be helping. I'm going through 2-3 Depends a day, mostly dry while sleeping at night but experiencing stress incontinence from sitting to standing and/or walking around. It seems to be slowly improving and I'm attributing it to overall healing process from surgery and the pelvic floor muscle exercises. I've gotten the ok to begin more regular exercise and hope that will help as well. Everything I've read and been told is that it's very early in my recovery and things should continue to improve with each passing month. Patience seems to be the key and I know that is difficult under these circumstances, but I try and remind myself of that each day.

 

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sounds similar to what I went through I am leaking more than usual this week. Seems to be a moving target. Good luck let me know how you are in 2-3 weeks.