Italianguy,

Here is a suggestion on the post-void dripping: use your fingers to press upward on your perineum ... to try and get the last few drops out. You might want to try pressing more than once, until there are no more drips. I find it works very well for me and has eliminated the issue of those last few drips. There was a thread on this some time back but I can't find it now. If that does not work for you, try doing a kegel to see if you can get the sphincter muscle clamped down on the bladder neck when you are done. Or, try both.

italianguy -
- I do a kegel or two to push out what I can of the remaining fluid in the bladder.
-you could do that and then tighten up on the muscles.
-do you still do your kegels - I know it is hard to continue them down the road.

-southern comforts's suggestion would probably work well for you and mimics what a sling does in that region.

-good luck and keep positive thoughts.

Bronson

daveshan has a good point about the "safety net". about 6 weeks after the catheter came out I felt I was under good enough control to try going padless while at home. Not under perfect control of course, but I figured if I had a problem at home a change of underwear and maybe pants was no big deal. I did wear a regular pad if I left the house as a precaution for about another three weeks. Nothing worse than a few little drips occurred so I quit wearing regular pads altogether and started using mini-pads when I was doing things that could cause some stress incontinence drips. After a while the mini-pads were not necessary.

Funny, (odd not ha ha) I was under the impression it was the involuntary sphincter is the one removed and the voluntary one is all that's left. That's why the kegels help.

Here's a wikipedia article on the two.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urethral_sphincter

Post Edited (daveshan) : 3/4/2012 10:25:39 AM (GMT-7)

The kegels also strengthen that muscle.  It can fatigue and that can play into it.  I am down to just a couple drops each day (have had a few days without any) that occur at weird muscle engagement times like yawning, or shifting the body while sitting.  They happen most in late afternoon and evening as the body is getting tired from the day.  Even though I'm doing quite well, I still try to remember to do kegels though it is getting tougher to remember it as they get less and less necessary.

The intermediate step I did when getting off the pads (first at home as others have mentioned) is just put some toilet paper in instead.  I hated the feel of the wetness in my briefs yet wanted to get off the pad mentally as folks have noted.  The TP insert helped me feel dry when I had those few dribbles, yet made me well aware of them so I could get off that dependency.  3 days of this and I was pad free.

Great suggestion about pressing on the perenium to get those last few drops.   I've been trying to find a way to solve this bugaboo, I'll have to try that one.  I've just spent an extra 30 seconds standing at the toilet really working to drain those last few drops.  I hope it helps - Thanks.