Seeking information from other males on what to expect

Archives1

Archives1

Staff member
I'm a 73 year old male. I had my prostate removed 10 days ago and the catheter out 3 days ago. My days now are typically one trip every hour (or less) to the toilet to drain the small amount of urine present and to give me a few minutes of normalcy feeling dry. I am concerned today with the presence of blood in my urine (maybe 5%) that hasn't been there since my catheter was removed. I may have aggravated my involuntary drainage problem by doing too much yesterday with Kegels, hoping it would give me a small amount of hope of moving back to a normal life. The floor of my pelvis is still very sore. Is the bleeding normal and when should I be starting on the Kegels? Many thanks for all your advice. I have newfound sympathy and understanding for anyone with urological problems.
 
I read that blood and blood clots can be in your urine for up to 6 weeks post surgery.
It was in mine for at least 3 weeks.
I’m coming up on 2 months and still very incontinent during the day.
For some reason I can stay mostly dry overnight.
You are a newbie and this is a great resource for advice and support.
Welcome to the club!
 
HI @meadweil and welcome to the forum and merry holidays! At this point I don't know much about prostate issues but seeing as how you just recently had surgery I would think some bleeding would be par for the course. As for kegels, by all means ask your doctor about them on your very next appointment and then you'll be clued in on when to start them!
I hope your recovery continues uneventfully!
 
Hi meadweil, welcome as well! I did not have any bleeding and or clots after catheter removal, but I have always been a fast healer. 74 years old, 9 weeks post surgery now. I wrote my broker after I was released from the hospital and told him I felt like I had been kicked in the groin by some very angry people, and had the bruises to prove it. The very nice people at my urologist's had me on the kegels before surgery but I can assure you that I did not want to do anything that required stretching, pressuring, or anything else in the groin area. for at least 2 weeks. after that I got back into the exercises without any pain or excretion of fluids other than the correct colors. The pain killers really fouled up my alimentary canal, so I had to use laxatives for the first time in my life, but that is back to normal now too. Be VERY careful that you do not strain to deficate. Use laxatives! I got a lot of signals like I had to defacate that were false positives, very irritating, and had to relearn the process
so as to not strain even though the signals were telling me to. You may loose some control there too, but mine as come back along with urinary signals that were actual, and soon enough to save drowning another pad and pull up. If you are wearing pads or pull ups, get some zinc oxide to keep the rubbing areas from getting raw. I let onside get away from me, and I had blood a blood drop that scared me, until I confirmed what it was. Get some Prosta Genix or google them to get the ingredients to show your urologist. I did not have, or apparently need, a prostate for it to work as advertised. I had exponential improvement in urinary control after I started taking it post surgery. Sleeping thru the night and waking up dry. My signals during the day give me enough time to get to a bathroom now, which I did not have the first 2 to 3 weeks. Listen to your body, take it easy, and be patient. I will be watching for your success reports!
 
Hi @wml1963 I know what you mean about pain killers messing up your alimentary canal. I've had two separate inguinal hernia surgeries and each time they gave me pain meds with the warning they can cause constipation (and they did!) And to this day I wonder if they are going to operate in the abdomen and groin area why on God's green earth would they give you something that causes constipation especially when they don't want you to strain that area unduly? It just doesn't make sense! And their suggested remedy is to drink magnesium citrate. But always make sure it is well chilled or otherwise it is highly unpalatable!!! :(
 
I guess its because pain killers just do that (cause constipation) As long as you are not screaming in pain in the operating room, I guess they are willing to let the patient worry about the other stuff. What surprised me was that I was on clear jello and popsicles only the day before and day of, but why was the hospital serving me western omelets, and pasta primavera the day after? I had a combination of CO2 AND Methane trying to VERY painfully get out of my body. I didn't get warnings from anybody on THAT!
 
I had my prospecting a year ago thanksgiving.

I had some slight bleeding for a few weeks. I was not dry over night until 7 months. Still using pads from 2-4 a day slowly getting better.

I am seeing a pelvic floor pt. Most do not see men, you have to look hard.

Kegals are required but need to be done right to be most effective.

I am 66, had a lot of pelvic pain prior to surgery. That went away e surgery but was not caused from cancer.



Carl
 
Welcome and here is to the road to recovery. I am 7 months post robot and had some progress and setbacks along the way. For constipation I found miralax to be a life saver. Not as harsh as most laxatives and led to nice bm in the am. Blood is not worrying at this point unless it is BLOOD, otherwise just healing. Start slow short walks as the6 will help with control. And don’t overdo kegels. It is a muscle and can be overworked.
Keep a daily journal of your pad use as it will help you see progress over the longer term. There will be bad days but know that it will improve.
Good luck and best wishes and stay on the forum. It was invaluable to me thru this process
 
@meadweil We all heal differently. I am 13 weeks and using 3 pullups and 3 pads a day. I am not dry at night.

Kegels - How many did you doctor say to do per day? I am doing 12 sets 4 times (48 daily) each set at least one hour apart. For me, a set is tighten and hold for 10 seconds then relax for 10 seconds. I started at tighten and hold at 3 seconds, built up to 5 seconds, then 10 seconds (the max for me). I recently read about also doing quick kegels - tighten and release 10 times in 10 seconds - two different type of fibers in the pelvic floor muscles.

Walking - If you walked before your prostatectomy, then start walking with your doctor's approval. Before surgery, I was walking 2 miles in 35 minutes 3 days a week. I started back 2 weeks after surgery doing 1/2 a mile in 15 minutes. I had to catch myself to slow down because I felt pulling (a little pain) in the lower abdominal area. You do not want to pull anything that would require you to do back into the hospital. No matter how your prostate was removed, this is MAJOR SURGERY. If you did not walk before surgery - still check with your doctor and start real slow.

Piss and the drip, drip, drip - In the first 5 weeks, I had great improvement of 12 pullups a day down to 4 pullups a day. My biggest mental challenge is not the peeing when going from sitting to standing (I use a pee cup). My biggest mental challenge is the constant drip, drip, drip while standing and walking. This is normal - I would not have had as much of a mental problem, if I would have been told this.

My urologist recommends to measure improvement week to week and not day to day. He also says the recovery process is a marathon not a sprint. Many of use will be in this for several months. My general reading of peoples stores by using the magnifying glass to search (upper left top of a thread) to search as helped me determine that most men will take 12 to 26 weeks to get down to 2 pads a day. That is a big range. The doctors do not know, the men do not know. I say this to help you not to be discourage as time passes on until you notice your recovery. Several men have said that they plateau for several weeks then in a couple of week their pad usage declines and they become dry.
 
@meadweil I would echo @Mxblues98 recommendation on using Miralax (or store brand) for about 3 weeks. My doctor recommended Colace which is Docusate Sodium 100 mg and is just on the shelf at grocery stores and Walmart (get the store brand it is the same medicine). I purchased Docusate Sodium 100 mg from Costco for 400 was $6. I take it twice a day.
 
Good advice - thanks. The Docusate Sodium is what I received a prescription for from my surgeon as I was leaving the hospital last week. I used it for a couple days and I was "good to go" as they say. Lucily, my system has pretty well settled back into its normal rhythm without any more docusate, but I have it ready in case things slow down inside. I wish the incontinence issue would heal itself as easily, but I know it will take time. I'm looking forward to getting out and doing some walking in a week or two after my bleeding issue stops - trying not to do anything now that would strain the pelvic surgical area, including too many kegels. I'm the easily frustrated type that has too many hobbies I'd rather be doing in my retirement; taking the slow "recovery train" in not one of them!! Many thanks
 
Not to scare the originator of this post, but I am still incontinent 3 1/2 yrs. post prostatectomy combined with a bladder diverticulotomy. I have a history of poor control, and since my surgery it hasn't gotten much better. I go through 2-3 tape on diapers during the day. I chose diapers for ease of changing, not having to disrobe in order to change. I wear cloth diapers at night, although I can go several nights without any issues. I am also 73 yrs. of age which can also contribute to incontinence problems. Some guys heal relatively quickly, some take longer, and some it becomes their new normal. It has taken some time, but I'm pretty used to my situation. Someone once told me that getting old is not for sissies. I think they may be right.
 
I am almost 2 months post op and did my follow up tele-med with my surgeon yesterday along with my first PSA test.
( luckily it was negative .1 so no detectable cancer )
So we spent more time talking about my incontinence.
He certainly confirmed what most of you are already saying.
It’s a long term fix for most of us and not to be discouraged in the short term. Meaning like 4-6 months before significant improvement.
However, there are fixes if for some reason your body does not recover on its own or with Kegel’s.
More surgery is not anything most of us want to do but it made me feel better knowing that I don’t have to live with this forever.
My surgeon is an older seasoned Urologist with the Mayo Clinic who does hundreds of these a year.
He said I need to be more patient ( which isn’t a strong suit of mine).
Keep doing my Kegel’s ( 15 twice a day ) is all he recommended as well as starting and stopping my urine stream a few times during urination. He didn’t seem to be a proponent of being someone who goes to the extreme doing Kegel’s multiple times a day.
He did like that I am back to hiking. I forgot to ask why that helps?
I don’t see many talking about sexual function but that was one of my questions.
I have had the urge a few times ....but not the ability.
My nerve sparing didn’t go well because of long term prostatitis and prior scarring from a Urolift procedure I had done several years ago.
So I already knew that sexual function was going to be a challenge for me. Prior experience with ED drugs gave me Migraine headaches
so prior to surgery I had already tried a pump. Not great either.
So I am now going to try Penile injections.
I had spoken to my GP about that before the surgery and he was quite confident it would work. Failing that he also said he had several patients that did the penile pump implant which was also very successful.
I know most of us are still focused on the incontinence but I’m looking ahead and trying to stay positive.
 
Great discussion - you've covered it from soup to "nuts" LOL. I don't know where my sexual function stands (pun intended) at this point, but will address that when my continence issue is acceptable again. I don't get a followup visit with my surgeon until late January, so I sincerely hope that I will have some measure of improvement to report to him at that time. For now, I'm gearing up my routine of Kegels and walking 2-3 miles per day (I too am curious how that walking strengthens the pelvic floor muscle, but will accept it as true based on your results and those of several other followers of this thread). Many thanks for your concern!
 
Congrats on the low PSA Number. It was a BIG relief day for me when mine came back at like .06 something. The surgery timing for you is very similar to mine, so I am reading your progress with much interest. I am sleeping through the night fine, but a lot of movement during the day can give me some signals to find a lavatory quick, but sometimes they are intense, but false. I get there, but can't go without forcing things, If anyone else experienced this, or does as time goes along, I would like to know how the false signal thing played out for them.

My tag line has always been: Adapt, Survive, Proliferate! At 74 I really don't need to do the 3rd one in line, but it still should be fun trying! I have lost 3 friends who did not want to go thru everything that most of us have just been. Fortunately I have 3 friends who decided to Adapt and Survive, and share the importance of doing that (having surgery) with me. They were life savers as far as I am concerned.
 
Thanks 1963
Yes,I do have false signals that I have to pee so we are similar in that regard.
The frustrating thing is that 10 minutes later I feel myself leaking.
I typically get up once a night to pee.
No major sense of urgency but somehow my brain is telling me I need to go.
Total control at that point. I can stop and start at will.
The days are the worst. Vertical and moving is the culprit.
As hard as I try I just cant get total control and the leaking continues. At least for now!
I can only hope that this will work itself out over the next few months.
 
Well since we share that regard (being up and moving etc) and since all my surviving friends have told me that it will go away, If you win that race to success, I will be happy to place second by a few days lol.
 
@Dwb Thank you for the update.

December 30, 2020 - I almost did not send this - ADULTs talking about MALE privates - not meant to offend.

I am 13 weeks / 3 months - 3 pullups and 3 pads holding for about 8 weeks.

On the penile rehabilitation to stretch the penis and allow blood to flow into the it may take several weeks.

I take cialis (generic) 10 mg daily to help the blood start flowing in penis area. Have you tried Cialis 5 or 10 mg daily - you may not have the migraines with the lower dose. Erections are improving, but not expecting anything until 6 to 12 months.

I have talked to a couple of friends that know of several people doing the injections. I was surprised at the number. I will try them once my incontinence is more controlled.

Vacuum Pumps provide two functions 1) get the blood in the desired areas and 2) getting blood and holding it for pleasure. Important to note that both of the following pumps manufacturers recommend only pumping 10 to 15 minutes a day. The vacurect STRONGLY notes to only use a tension ring for 30 minutes to keep from causing damage.

I am using the Bathmate hydro extreme 5 in the shower. I allows a better controlled pumping with 3 minutes pumping with 2 minutes massage and repeating 2 more times for a maximum total of 15 minutes. This is best for safe rehabilitation. Handling the different parts get frustrating at time as I knock something off of the shower rack. For me, it is better to take my shower, then do the pumping. They are in the UK and I received mine in a week.
bathmatedirect.com

Bathmate Direct - World's Best Penis Pump (Official Site)

Discover an effective approach to penis enlargement with Bathmate ✅ The world’s best-selling penis pump ✅ Free Shipping ✅ Real Results ✅ & Guaranteed Satisfaction ✅ Buy direct today! ✅
bathmatedirect.com bathmatedirect.com

To see videos, sign into youtube with a gmail account - The videos are EXPLICIT (NSFW Not Safe for Work - they show the man's privates in the cylinder)
Search Youtube for Bathmate
Search Youtube for VACURECT REVIEW


The vacurect is more for creating an erection and using it. It has tension rings that attach to the bottom.
I ordered from Amazon (having problems finding it again - Amazon search sucks), but also at https://www.mainspringmedical.com/pages/lp-cullen?aff=2

 
Thank you for this info THudson1965.
Im glad that you sent it.
It’s interesting that many old friends and new friends have been so open and honest about the challenges.
With both advice and great encouragement and support.
We all seem to be connected with our common problems and issues ans I appreciate all of the posts and feedback.
Thank you all
 
Penile injections:
I just went for my introductory injection on Friday.
The amount of pharmaceutical is adjustable so I will need to adjust that as I get used to it.
The needle is very small and fine so basically painless. There is some bruising around the injection site. You are suppose to alternate the injection locations.
It seems to work quite effectively although I am working on the dosage to find the perfect amount.
No reaction like headaches or flushing.
Certainly another alternative to pills and pumps.
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Similar threads

Archives1
3 trips to ER because i could not pee
Replies
12
Views
161
Archives1
Archives1
Archives1
Strategies for newly incontinent
Replies
6
Views
142
Archives1
Archives1
Archives1
ANY MALES PUT DIAPERS ON BACKWARDS, & FIND THEY WORK BETTER?
2
Replies
34
Views
276
Archives1
Archives1
Archives1
New to forum
3 4 5
Replies
94
Views
768
Archives1
Archives1
Archives1
New Member Can't Sleep Due to Constant Urge to Urinate - Seeking Help
Replies
9
Views
165
Archives1
Archives1
Back
Top