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3 months after RPR

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Posted 6/10/2015 6:28 PM (GMT -5)
Well it's been 3 months and here's what's going on. First PSA test was great, <.1. ED, I'm getting about a 50% erection with the help of Viagra, 100mg. I am able to have a very satisfying orgasm. Contenance is still my biggest problem. I sleep dry most nights and may wake up 1 or 2 times to go to the bathroom. I can hold my flow easily until I reach the bathroom. No problem starting and stopping steam. During the day , I am staying pretty active. It seems I will have a slow constant drip while I'm up and about. I will not realize it until the pad is full. I am doing about 5 sets of 10 kegals a day holding 5-10 seconds. I am so hoping this starts to improve. It's 3 steps forward and 2 to 3 back so it is hard to measure. I feel strong and workout at about 75% of previous highs without any difficulty. I'm doing about 25 miles of cardio per week. Mostly brisk walk and some slow jogging. From you knowledgeable guys what do you think. This worries me that I won't reach total contenance. We have a family cruise late July and I sure hope I will have made more progress. I wish I could have been more helpful to other members but assure you I appreciate all previous comments and advise.
Posted 6/10/2015 6:34 PM (GMT -5)
John, it sounds to me like you're doing great. The continence will come in time. The night continence is the key. What I'm discovering as it warms up, is that staying hydrated is way more important. Oddly, it seems like I'm doing better with daytime drips on days that I'm really pushing the water, than on days that I don't drink as much. Almost like my valve works better when I've actually got volume to hold back.

Enjoy the cruise. Do have a private cabin with your wife?
Posted 6/10/2015 6:36 PM (GMT -5)
Congratulations on your progress, John. Everyone is on a different schedule regarding their recovery. Hope you make more progress sooner rather than later, and in time for your cruise. Take care and hang in there.
Posted 6/10/2015 6:53 PM (GMT -5)
Hi John,
Glad u are doing well...
You are doing the right things to your healing progress.
All the best...to your full recovery
Posted 6/10/2015 9:13 PM (GMT -5)
Halbert, Tim, and YK thanks for your comments and encouragement. When you've dripped for 3 months, is there a pattern leading to full contenance. The dripping is 90% while active versus sitting or laying down.
Posted 6/10/2015 9:42 PM (GMT -5)
John, what I (and numerous others in here as well) report is that night dryness comes first. If you're dry for 5-6 hours at night, then day will happen. It sounds like you're getting close to that.

I got to the point where the shields were as much psychological as physical. One weekend, I just decided not to put one in on Saturday morning, to see how it went. I drip probably about the same volume per day now as I did before surgery....just at different times. I was frequently dripping a bit after urination most times. Now it's more random, but the volume appears to be similar.
Posted 6/10/2015 10:06 PM (GMT -5)
Hello Halbert,
At night I will sleep anywhere from 5-7 hours before needing to go to the bathroom. Usually, my bladder will be pretty full as much as 10 oz. Before my surgery, I was not experiencing any leakage that I could notice. Your experience is giving me some food for thought. Thanks so much,
John
Posted 6/10/2015 10:28 PM (GMT -5)
John,

Mate, you are doing great! 50% on the ED front and Continence improvement is a bit slow. It just takes longer for some. I've chronicled my story below so you could see how long it took me to have "full" function. I don't do Kegels!

Be patient! You are just over 3 months post op, and by standards and measures of most on this forum, I reckon you are doing just fine. Occasionally some lucky fella pops in here and says that he was continent,almost immediately, and no ED! So just take it easy.
.
Posted 6/11/2015 1:02 AM (GMT -5)
you are doing great for only 3 months out. perhaps you are over doing the exercise part, and causing unseen fatigue to those muscles in the urinary area. try backing off a little for a week and see if it helps. my own urologist frowned on men overdoing the kegal stuff, said most of it improves over time for most men, without doing them at all. just a thought.

rest of your posting is impressive for sure

david
Posted 6/11/2015 5:23 AM (GMT -5)
Just since my surgery in February, I've seen a number of surgery success stories-minimal SE's within a few months-let's keep it coming. John, you're doing great. BTW, I never measured my urine volume or weighed a pad. I figured that would just add to the stress.
Posted 6/11/2015 9:15 AM (GMT -5)
I have to agree with halbert on this one. Being properly hydrated makes a big difference. I have also made some dietary changes. I got rid of caffeine entirely, and I've been limiting alcohol. Citrus juices also seem to be an issue. I've been mostly dry from early on, but I have a spasm every now and then when juice or alcohol is in my system. For the first month or so, every week was better than the last, and now I sometimes go a week without even thinking about it. It will get better.
Posted 6/11/2015 10:28 AM (GMT -5)
Great report.

Give yourself some time and before you know it this will all be a bad memory,
Andrew
Posted 6/12/2015 11:40 PM (GMT -5)
John, as others have said, you are right on track. The fact that you are sleeping 5-7 hours straight, is a great sign. Took me a much longer time to get there.
Keep doing what you are doing.
Posted 6/13/2015 1:13 PM (GMT -5)
Thanks Pratoman,
I think the fear of this not ending is much worst than handling a few months of leakage.
Thanks,
John
Posted 6/13/2015 11:33 PM (GMT -5)
I agree, the fear of what might be can give us fits. But your incontinenece will end. No doubt
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