This is great information and I really appreciate it. I'm an overnight improvement guy meaning I want to see results overnight. Looks like I just need to do remain consistent and patient (and understand that an Amazon Depends subscription probably makes sense) Thank you very much.Hello Mattsmith3134,
What you are experiencing is normal for your stage of recovery. In the first month after my catheter was removed, the leaking was continuous. The most important thing for you to do is remember that your body has been through a traumatic event, and it is going to take many months to fully recover.
I'm 61 and was very active before my surgery. I was leaking on average 7 to 8 ounces a day in my first month. By the second month, the leaking was down to 2 to 3 ounces a day. By the third month, it was down to less than an ounce per day. This Wednesday makes 4 months, and 3 weeks, I still leak a little. It happens very spontaneously, almost like I get a little bladder spasm, resulting in a spurt.
It does get better, but you need to give yourself time to heal. Walking and Kegels are especially important to your recovery.
Regarding the Kegels: there are essentially two sets of pelvic floor muscles groups you need to engage. These pelvic floors are referred to front and rear. As men, we easily engage the rear muscle group. Your PT person will tell you it is you're trying to hold in a fart, which is about right. It is the front muscle group I gain the most benefit from. Some PT people refer to this as, Guts to Nuts contraction. When you are doing it right, your nuts will lift a bit. I have an Android phone, and use a Kegel reminder and tracking app, called KPFL. I'm sure the iPhone has something similar. You likely have a few more weeks to go before you start PT, YouTube has many good videos for Kegel and pelvic floor exercises. I thought this guy was pretty helpful.
More about leakage: I started out, the first 8 weeks, by using Depends pull-ups for day and night. Around the 2 month, I started using Depends Guards, which are just absorbent pads that fit into your underwear. Although, when I started traveling to the store or the gym, the first few times I used the Pull-ups until I was confident that I wouldn't have an accident.
Between the third month and now, I switched to washable, leakproof underwear. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DGTFN78C?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1
I cannot emphasize enough the need to be patient with yourself. I was very depressed by the fact I wasn't seeing immediate recovery, what I didn't realize was that what I was experiencing was a normal part of the recovery process.
The nerves and muscle tissue require months to recover. The nerves and muscles around the bladder sphincter have been traumatized, and it will take time for them to heal.
I'm included a document that I found to be extremely helpful, and I often refer to it when I get down about having setbacks. And yes, I have setbacks. I'll go to the gym or for a walk, and push a bit too hard, and that afternoon to the next day, I leak and have a hard time of it, but the next day I start to recover, and gain more control. I expect, for myself, it will be like this for 12+ months post-surgery. The good thing is you will see progress. Just keep doing the Kegels and, when you are ready, Pelvic floor exercises.
Please excuse the length of this reply, but I've been where you are at. Please let me know if you find the document useful. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me.
I had thoughts like that for about 8 to 12 weeks after the surgery. It took what felt like forever for things to settle down. I'm at almost 5 months now and I still have a leakage. It's much improved and not a lot, but it's still an issue. Now mostly, at around 2 or 3 in the afternoon, my bladder sphincter muscles just does not have the endurance yet. I've come to except that I have another seven months. In case you are wondering, yes, I'm still doing Kegels 3 times a day. How many weeks post-surgery are you?Joe64, thanks for the lengthy post. It was extremely helpful. I'm in the early stage of recovery and have found that the nerves in my abdomen are mixed up...giving me false info both for bowel movements and urinary streaming. It's like a hand grenade went off in my abdomen severing the wiring. Which makes me wonder if i am going to be doing Kegel exercises until i die, with no discernable effect. I currently have no control, go thru 10 to 20 pads a day, feel completely demoralized with only dark thoughts towards the surgeon who did this to me. They say everyone is different, but from my standpoint i say every surgeon is different. Some competent, some not.
Joe64, I'm seven weeks+ out from surgery. I see my surgeon next week. It will be the 4th time seeing him. 5 or so minutes the first time, 1 minute at surgery the second time, 2 or 3 minutes when the catheter was removed. All in all, i barely know what the guy looks like. My research prior to meeting him was talking to friends who went thru the procedure, discussions with a retired GP acquaintance (who warned me about incontinence, and said he would pay out of pocket to have a certain surgeon in another state do him if he had to go thru the procedure. The difference is the surgeon, not the patient.) and hours spent on youtube. I chose a supposedly qualified surgeon from my insurance medical group. I compare my experience to a friend who experienced no incontinence after his procedure. My experiences with the medical people up to and after the surgery have been half satisfactory and half dismal...untrained or poorly trained support staff, incompetence with a urologist surgeon and his helper who took the biopsy. All things that have me looking to switch medical insurance as soon as possible. Compared to other surgeries i've had in the past, this was the most damaging and disappointing.I had thoughts like that for about 8 to 12 weeks after the surgery. It took what felt like forever for things to settle down. I'm at almost 5 months now and I still have a leakage. It's much improved and not a lot, but it's still an issue. Now mostly, at around 2 or 3 in the afternoon, my bladder sphincter muscles just does not have the endurance yet. I've come to except that I have another seven months. In case you are wondering, yes, I'm still doing Kegels 3 times a day. How many weeks post-surgery are you?
I was coached that for RARP, you want as surgeon that has done this at least 500 times. You have to ask if they don't offer that info.Joe64, I'm seven weeks+ out from surgery. I see my surgeon next week. It will be the 4th time seeing him. 5 or so minutes the first time, 1 minute at surgery the second time, 2 or 3 minutes when the catheter was removed. All in all, i barely know what the guy looks like. My research prior to meeting him was talking to friends who went thru the procedure, discussions with a retired GP acquaintance (who warned me about incontinence, and said he would pay out of pocket to have a certain surgeon in another state do him if he had to go thru the procedure. The difference is the surgeon, not the patient.) and hours spent on youtube. I chose a supposedly qualified surgeon from my insurance medical group. I compare my experience to a friend who experienced no incontinence after his procedure. My experiences with the medical people up to and after the surgery have been half satisfactory and half dismal...untrained or poorly trained support staff, incompetence with a urologist surgeon and his helper who took the biopsy. All things that have me looking to switch medical insurance as soon as possible. Compared to other surgeries i've had in the past, this was the most damaging and disappointing.
The surgeon who done my op also taught other surgeons to use the robotic procedure and also done countless procedure. I am now 11 weeks post op and still leak up to 250 MLS a day. I am back at work where I leak the most. I can go to bed at night and for about an hour in the morning can go without any pads or external catheter which I wear at work, but then the leaks start again and no stopping it until I sit down for a couple hours after work then about 7-8 pm I can again not use pads or catheter provided I don't exert myself. This has only started to do this in the last 2 weeks. Regardless I still hate the way I leak during the day. I don't think this is because of the doctor's experience but does help. I like most on the forum leaked like proverbial rusty bucket after surgery and though, and still do, think it's never going to end. Human nature has a tendency of wanting to blame someone when things aren't going the way they think should be. In the case of the prostate surgery, it's the doctor gets the blame. On a rare occasion it could be the surgeon's fault but mostly the way our own body's reaction to the trauma it just went through and what had to be done to ensure all cancerous tissue was removed.I was coached that for RARP, you want as surgeon that has done this at least 500 times. You have to ask if they don't offer that info.
