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Hi everyone,
I am a 79 year old male who has been dealing with severe incontinence due to having my prostate removed 18 years ago. I live in Thailand and have chosen not to use diapers or pads since having my entire bottom wet in this warm humid climate is quite uncomfortable. Instead, I wrap my little guy up with a couple of paper towels held in place with small (about an inch in diameter) rubber bands and then cover them with a shortened sanitary napkin plastic bag also secured with rubber bands. This works fairly well as long as I change them every hour or two. Prior to retiring for the night I usually spend at least 30 t0 40 minutes trying to empty my bladder as much as possible. Fortunately, most commodes in Thailand have a kitchen type sprayer attached to the tank supply valve which makes cleaning yourself a fairly simple task. This apparatus is far less expensive and even more convenient than a bidet. I don't know how I could function without it! I can't imagine that first world countries like America don't use this simple device? Most nights I can go about six hours without a pitstop since I am lying in a horizontal position and I'am also inactive.
I am considering venturing back to America in the spring to have an AUS valve installed at Loyola hospital in Maywood, IL; however, I first need to find an affordable Medicare supplemental policy which will cover the 20% copay. I am living on a paltry SS income. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
Kind regards,
Ron
I am a 79 year old male who has been dealing with severe incontinence due to having my prostate removed 18 years ago. I live in Thailand and have chosen not to use diapers or pads since having my entire bottom wet in this warm humid climate is quite uncomfortable. Instead, I wrap my little guy up with a couple of paper towels held in place with small (about an inch in diameter) rubber bands and then cover them with a shortened sanitary napkin plastic bag also secured with rubber bands. This works fairly well as long as I change them every hour or two. Prior to retiring for the night I usually spend at least 30 t0 40 minutes trying to empty my bladder as much as possible. Fortunately, most commodes in Thailand have a kitchen type sprayer attached to the tank supply valve which makes cleaning yourself a fairly simple task. This apparatus is far less expensive and even more convenient than a bidet. I don't know how I could function without it! I can't imagine that first world countries like America don't use this simple device? Most nights I can go about six hours without a pitstop since I am lying in a horizontal position and I'am also inactive.
I am considering venturing back to America in the spring to have an AUS valve installed at Loyola hospital in Maywood, IL; however, I first need to find an affordable Medicare supplemental policy which will cover the 20% copay. I am living on a paltry SS income. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
Kind regards,
Ron
Archives1
Staff member
@ronron Sorry, I haven’t retired yet so I don’t know anything about the options for Medicare insurance, but I do know you will get a version of it for free as long as you’re still an American citizen. As for the supplemental policies, I don’t know much about them except that some are best for covering prescriptions while others are best for covering surgical type stuff.
Trusty old AARP is a good place to start:
www.aarpmedicaresupplement.com
Or, just Google “supplemental Medicare plans.” My guess is that the cost of a plan may be higher than your 20% copay, but like I said, I’m no expert, particularly with the surgery you’ll be having and how much it will cost you.
Why IL and not CA? CA is so much closer to Thailand. I’m guessing you have family and/or friends in IL?
Do you ever consider just wearing diapers like the rest of us do, rather than having surgery? I promise, you get (mostly) used to them.
Trusty old AARP is a good place to start:
Get your free Medicare Supplement guide - AARP® Medicare Supplement Insurance by United Healthcare
www.aarpmedicaresupplement.com
Or, just Google “supplemental Medicare plans.” My guess is that the cost of a plan may be higher than your 20% copay, but like I said, I’m no expert, particularly with the surgery you’ll be having and how much it will cost you.
Why IL and not CA? CA is so much closer to Thailand. I’m guessing you have family and/or friends in IL?
Do you ever consider just wearing diapers like the rest of us do, rather than having surgery? I promise, you get (mostly) used to them.
Archives1
Staff member
@Kris I highly recommend taking a Fortify 50 billion pill every morning. I went from always having explosive diarrhea every day, all day, to only once every 7-10 days. When I still get it, I drink 1/3 bottle liquid Imodium and the diarrhea and cramps stop within 49-60 minutes. I had the explosive diarrhea for about three years before I started taking fortify. Yes, I still need to go to a G.I. doctor to get to the bottom of the cause, but in the meantime I have a solution for at least.
Archives1
Staff member
Hi, I've gone through your organization while I was surching the web for remedies for chronic urine infections due to urostomy surgery that was done over 20 years ago,,,so I don't have a bladder but I have a conduit instead and I always suffer fro uring infections and mostly I have e- coli .... I took so many antibiotic courses that works form a limited time then again I get infections. therefore, I wonder if there's some other remedies that can help in limiting or preventing this situation... would love to hear back from you.
regards,
regards,
Archives1
Staff member
@Happiness58 Sorry, I don’t have any advice on this topic, but someone will. I can say that I have to take 1 500mg capsule of Keflex/Cephalexen every day for the rest of my life because I got MRSA at the hospital when I had my hysterectomy. I take the Keflex to keep myself from getting wound outbreaks and to not be contagious to others. Maybe you can talk to your doctor about doing something similar - just take a low-grade, single dose of antibiotics forever. Keflex is cheap. I have zero sore outbreaks as long as I’m on it but within three days of stopping it, I’ll get 1-5 boils. I’d much rather take the antibiotic!!!
Archives1
Staff member
@Happiness58 I have taken daily Keflex for almost four years. None of my blood work is abnormal. It didn’t stop me from getting COVID or the flu or an ear infection so I don’t think I have had any other benefits that I know of, other than keeping MRSA boils away. My dermatologist says Keflex decreases overall inflammation in the body. I’ve had less back pain since I’ve taken Keflex daily, but that’s probably just a coincidence.
Archives1
Staff member
Hi snow, actually i text my Dr. and the problem that I have taken so many anitbiotics befroe and Keflex can't work with me due to resistancy issues... I think I should do one more test after few weeks and check if there's any other antibiotic that can work... what makes me uncomfortable is the e-coli that I oftenly have, I'm taking cranberry capsules and drinking lots of fluids but still it doesn't easily go.
Archives1
Staff member
Hi all
I am 67 male and had a Prostatectomy end of May this year, here in Zurich/Switzerland. After 7 days and removal of catheter they sent me home, but after 2-3 days I developed Lymphoceles on both sides and had to go back to the hospital for another 7 days for drainage and punctuation. After being back home I started to fight my incontinence. 4-5 times a night I had to get up to go to the bathroom, daytime was better, sitting and lying I could and can hold for 4-5 hours. Walking was not possible for more then 5 minutes before I started leaking and losing control without strong contraction of the external sphincter. I had also difficulty and pain for 5-6 weeks when sitting on a chair, with pain of the perineum region. I started Physio with a pelvis therapist (A) and with another specialist (B) who has many years of incontinence therapy experience (without the 2 knowing of each other). I did and do with A pelvis exercises, weight lifting and body coordination training on a machine called "Sensopro" (https://sensopro.swiss/), a super machine for pelvis and other body training which is also used here by top athletes (skiers, track and field athletes, soccer players, etc.). This helped me a lot and with therapist B I did mental training and she taught me that pelvis strength is important but it is also important to try to control the nerve signals and bladder "commands" which are inconsciously sent to the bladder. Also this helped a lot (speak to your bladder!!). I have at night now 1-2 pit-stops, daytime has imporved as well, most challenging still is standing and walking (leakage, while walking, starts after 15-20 minutes and feels uncomfortable.
My PSA after 3 months was under 0.1, so from this point of view I am happy for the time being.
I must say the incontinence, although I was made aware of this by my surgeon, who also asked me to look into radiation treatment, incontinence experience was much worse than I expected. 2 friends of mine had the surgery before I had it, and especially one of them advised me that his incontinence lasted only 3-4 weeks! It seems every patient is different and needs tailor-made treatment and not the standard treatment you can read up in the brochures.
My surgeon prescribed me Betmiga (mirabegron) after the first post-op check, but I decided I try to get back full control with Physio before using a drug (when you read the Betmiga leaflet you find a large amount of possible negative side-effects, like for instance urinary infection, atrial fibrillation [I had heart attack 5 years ago], etc.). I think there is a trread in this forum on Betmiga.
I think this is a great forum and I look forward to joining here very often. And many thanks to all of you sharing their personal experience!
I hope my post is at the right place, if not, postmaster pls move where it belongs to! Thanks!
I am 67 male and had a Prostatectomy end of May this year, here in Zurich/Switzerland. After 7 days and removal of catheter they sent me home, but after 2-3 days I developed Lymphoceles on both sides and had to go back to the hospital for another 7 days for drainage and punctuation. After being back home I started to fight my incontinence. 4-5 times a night I had to get up to go to the bathroom, daytime was better, sitting and lying I could and can hold for 4-5 hours. Walking was not possible for more then 5 minutes before I started leaking and losing control without strong contraction of the external sphincter. I had also difficulty and pain for 5-6 weeks when sitting on a chair, with pain of the perineum region. I started Physio with a pelvis therapist (A) and with another specialist (B) who has many years of incontinence therapy experience (without the 2 knowing of each other). I did and do with A pelvis exercises, weight lifting and body coordination training on a machine called "Sensopro" (https://sensopro.swiss/), a super machine for pelvis and other body training which is also used here by top athletes (skiers, track and field athletes, soccer players, etc.). This helped me a lot and with therapist B I did mental training and she taught me that pelvis strength is important but it is also important to try to control the nerve signals and bladder "commands" which are inconsciously sent to the bladder. Also this helped a lot (speak to your bladder!!). I have at night now 1-2 pit-stops, daytime has imporved as well, most challenging still is standing and walking (leakage, while walking, starts after 15-20 minutes and feels uncomfortable.
My PSA after 3 months was under 0.1, so from this point of view I am happy for the time being.
I must say the incontinence, although I was made aware of this by my surgeon, who also asked me to look into radiation treatment, incontinence experience was much worse than I expected. 2 friends of mine had the surgery before I had it, and especially one of them advised me that his incontinence lasted only 3-4 weeks! It seems every patient is different and needs tailor-made treatment and not the standard treatment you can read up in the brochures.
My surgeon prescribed me Betmiga (mirabegron) after the first post-op check, but I decided I try to get back full control with Physio before using a drug (when you read the Betmiga leaflet you find a large amount of possible negative side-effects, like for instance urinary infection, atrial fibrillation [I had heart attack 5 years ago], etc.). I think there is a trread in this forum on Betmiga.
I think this is a great forum and I look forward to joining here very often. And many thanks to all of you sharing their personal experience!
I hope my post is at the right place, if not, postmaster pls move where it belongs to! Thanks!
Archives1
Staff member
@ronron;
I wanted to take a moment to reply to you're introductory post. I'm sorry you feel this way as @snow stated in the past. This forum has helped me tremendously with social issues dealing with bladder problems and this is the only place I feel comfortable talking about it safely and without judgement. I can say that users over the past couple of years have been a good shoulder to lean on while we've all experienced ups, downs, and for myself continued symptoms that fluctuate but overall I know I wouldn't be alive today if it was not for the NAFC.
I encourage you to reach out to anyone - and get to know us. We are a rather good bunch.
Blessings In Christ,
Honeeecombs
I wanted to take a moment to reply to you're introductory post. I'm sorry you feel this way as @snow stated in the past. This forum has helped me tremendously with social issues dealing with bladder problems and this is the only place I feel comfortable talking about it safely and without judgement. I can say that users over the past couple of years have been a good shoulder to lean on while we've all experienced ups, downs, and for myself continued symptoms that fluctuate but overall I know I wouldn't be alive today if it was not for the NAFC.
I encourage you to reach out to anyone - and get to know us. We are a rather good bunch.
Blessings In Christ,
Honeeecombs
Archives1
Staff member
Thank you Honeeecombs for your reply.
I'm happy that this forum is working for you; however, I haven't been able to find much information here as opposed to the tremendous number of replies that I experience on 'HealthUnlocked'. We have thousands of members eager to help and share their journeys with other members.
Wishing you continued success with this battle that we all are involved in.
Kind regards,
Ron
I'm happy that this forum is working for you; however, I haven't been able to find much information here as opposed to the tremendous number of replies that I experience on 'HealthUnlocked'. We have thousands of members eager to help and share their journeys with other members.
Wishing you continued success with this battle that we all are involved in.
Kind regards,
Ron
Archives1
Staff member
My name is Jeff. I'm a 40 something male with complete urinary incontinence resulting from multiple sclerosis (which I've had for at least 6 years now, though I've had symptoms for over a decade). At home I can usually get by with pull-ups (Northshore Go Supreme); when I go out and overnight, it's diapers (Northshore Megamax). I use polyurethane covers with the Megamaxes. Multiple sclerosis has a tendency to slow intestinal motility, so thankfully I don't usually have bowel issues.
I've had to rely on pull-ups and diapers for the last three years, and I still struggle with enormous amounts of shame; and I do everything I can to hide my problem and keep people from finding out (I can count on one hand those I've told, and those discussions are some of the most difficult I've ever had).
I've had to rely on pull-ups and diapers for the last three years, and I still struggle with enormous amounts of shame; and I do everything I can to hide my problem and keep people from finding out (I can count on one hand those I've told, and those discussions are some of the most difficult I've ever had).
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