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Surgery guys that wear no pads, are you 100% continent?

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Posted 9/25/2018 1:39 PM (GMT -5)
I was 100.0 % continent from day one. The one and only pad I ever tested was at catheter removal day and it was dry when I throw it away. Never experienced stress incontinence.
The only difference for me is that I can not completely empty my bladder if I sit down and urinate. I have to get up and finish the urination standing to empty the bladder completely. So something have changed down there.
Posted 9/25/2018 4:11 PM (GMT -5)
I was hoping to see more genuine 100% continent dudes. I am not looking forward to this part of my treatment outcome. However, seems like I have always dripped a bit after, no matter how much I shake. So maybe it won't be that different after all. Been doing kegels since I decided on treatment. Hope it helps.

D
Posted 9/25/2018 7:36 PM (GMT -5)

GoBucks said...
Reminds me of an old 8th grade(maybe 6th grade) saying: No matter how much you dance or how much you prance, the last 2 drops end up in your pants. (maybe 4th grade) Only now sometimes it's the 1st 2 drops.

GoBucks, that's a classic! I remember when my pals thought that was so hilarious.
Posted 9/26/2018 10:05 AM (GMT -5)
I'm 18 months out from surgery. I was continent after catheter removal, and only have an occasional drip when passing gas. My surgeon tells me it is completely normal, as the nerves involved are the same. So I guess that puts me in the 99+% camp, and its really no bothger at all.
Posted 9/26/2018 11:02 AM (GMT -5)
Perfect timing for this post for me because of an event last weekend. I'm nearly two years out from surgery. Complete continence arrived for me about three months post surgery and I've never worn a pad or had any trouble since then. This past weekend though I got a flat tire on my boat trailer and had to really strain to get one of the lug nuts off, sure enough, had a small squirt when I did. I haven't had the problem while lifting weights in the gym so maybe it was the position I was in combined with the stress, I don't know. However, while I consider myself completely continent, I now think it is safer to never say never.
Posted 9/26/2018 11:12 AM (GMT -5)
Ive learned after 38 years of marriage...never disagree with a woman...especially about incontinence...umm...yes dear...of course...Im listening...ratafratafrats….and of course conversations with men...ive discussed that alreadyl...Puhleeze smile...off to gym...surf flat...pad tucked...shhhhh… another scorcher...haven a heat wave...a tropical...oops...a semi-tropical heat wave...first seasonal north shore swell a comen...never need a pad there...free...free...at last...
Posted 9/26/2018 11:26 AM (GMT -5)
I'm lucky enough to be 100% continent. Surgery was back in 2010 and I was continent within a few weeks...even better than before surgery. I wish it was that way for everybody, but it obviously is not.

For some reason, though, and I think it may be the Jardiance I'm taking for diabetes, I'm experiencing some urinary urgency that I haven't seen since prior to surgery. Frequent urination is a listed side effect for Jardiance.

My wife's general comment is that any woman over 50 who has had a child can tell you about stress incontinence.

My uro-surgeon, by the way, had only done about 50 DaVincis before mine (though he was a very experienced surgeon before learning the DaVinci procedure). So, I'm always a bit skeptical about those who say your surgeon should have done a thousand procedures. I've always felt that surgical skill is the most important consideration, not just DaVinci numbers. Heck, I can stand on the tee and hit a thousand drives, but the last one likely won't be any better than the the twelfth.
Posted 9/26/2018 12:09 PM (GMT -5)
I was essentially dry from the moment my catheter was removed. Since then I might have a drip or two after urinating, but I have not experienced stress incontinence. Now I feel the urgency a different way, but I still have excellent control.

Early on I wore a pad as insurance. Now I probably don't need a pad, but I got used to them. So some days I do, and some days I don't.

I did all the kegels prior to surgery, but I credit my experienced robotic surgeon for my return to continence. He maintains continence improvement is variable among patients. Thankfully, statistics show most patients recover completely.

I consider myself 100% continent.
Posted 9/26/2018 1:13 PM (GMT -5)
yes, 100%
Posted 9/26/2018 10:21 PM (GMT -5)
the Captain of the Titanic had 30 years of experience working against him
Posted 9/27/2018 6:29 AM (GMT -5)
Logos, true that!

With questions like are in the OP, I wonder if we expect our RP to reverse the effects of aging in some way. Most men 60 and above have some BPH, and frequently bad enough to prevent full emptying of the bladder--which leads to drips and leaks. Which leads to asking a really serious question: what is the definition of 100% continent--and, seriously, is anyone, at any age, truly 100%?

It's kind of like the old story of the man who asked his surgeon if he'd be able to play the violin after surgery. Of course, said the surgeon. The man replied, "Great, I've always wanted to be able to play it!"
Posted 9/27/2018 6:41 AM (GMT -5)
I reached 100% continence about nine months post-surgery. No pads, no drips. Then I had IMRT and a few months after that was done I started dripping and squirting again, and haven't stopped since.
Posted 9/28/2018 3:30 PM (GMT -5)
Virtually to the date of being one year out and still have stress incontinence. Probably 98 to 99%. Still wear a pad and usually one a day. But good news is psa still a 0. I just figure this is something I have to get used to.
Posted 9/29/2018 6:35 AM (GMT -5)
The best way to exactly determine how you are doing is to weigh your pads. It's 1ml per gram of added weight.

I'm 20 months out of surgery and still wear the lightest pad daily. Before surgery, I had BPH and would not completely empty the bladder when urinating and there would be one squirt sometime later. Flow was slow and I used to pee an inordinate amount of time to empty as much as possible, especially before bedtime.

Post surgery and post an additional surgery for a stricture, I have a little stress incontinence, especially when the bladder is very full. Otherwise leakage is very much dependent on whether I perform high physical activity. On a typical mild exercise day, I leak 0-5 ml. However, if I play a game of tennis or hike up and down hills for hours, I can feel that I leak more. My best guess is that it's up to 10ml because in days of high physical activity, I also sweat a lot and it's not possible to tell the exact weight of urine over sweat. I know that I can probably do without a pad, but I've just gotten used to it and I prefer not to think about going to the bathroom often, even on days when I think I won't leak. A bit of psychological reassurance even if the pad is completely dry at the end of the day.

The big benefit of the surgery, is complete emptying of the bladder where I can occasionally sleep through the night without getting up to pee. Whereas before, I got up at least once. I had my peeing prowess measured through uroflows. Prior to surgery, I peed at about 5-6ml/s, which meant that a full bladder of about 400-600ml took about 1.5-2 minutes plus about another minute of shaking to make sure everything was out. My flow after surgery is 30+ml/s, so I whip it out, pee in 15-20 seconds and am out of there with no dribbles probably saving at least 2 minutes. I drink a lot of water, 2-3l per day, so I pee about 6-7 times a day. I'm sure I save at least 15 minutes a day, which is over 91 hours a year. Think about that...
Posted 9/29/2018 9:59 AM (GMT -5)
A stress incontinence squirt every now and then, but I consider myself full continent.

Bobby Mac
Posted 9/29/2018 6:20 PM (GMT -5)
I am exactly the same way, when my grandson runs up to jump in my arms, while jogging, lifting something heavy there can be some leakage, but nothing huge. So I would say I am in the 99% club. Just a part of it I guess. I have not used pads at all.
Posted 10/1/2018 7:23 AM (GMT -5)
After surgery 12 years ago it was discovered I had a positive margin so radiation was strongly suggested. After the RP I had to wear 2 or 3 pads a day for a couple of months, down to 1 pad for 3 months, no pads after 5 months.

Then came the radiation, a few weeks in, back to 1 pad a day, it's been that way for 11 plus years and was told that is what to expect for the rest of my life. I can bike, do grunt work in the yard, hike in the woods - normal everyday leakage. Go for a 3 mile walk on a paved surface - full pad on the verge of visible leak (a few times beyond the verge).
Posted 10/1/2018 1:55 PM (GMT -5)
Weirdly I may experiences a squirt at night if I am maying on my back
Posted 10/1/2018 2:06 PM (GMT -5)
Me too. It is never too big a problem and the infrequent larger leaks are so unpredictable that I cannot see wearing a pad. Especially now that I’m recovering from penile implant surgery for Ed.
Posted 10/1/2018 2:27 PM (GMT -5)
I was dry about 2 weeks after surgery, and am still dry with half of my 38 radiation treatments complete.

I did about 4 sets of 10 or so kegels during the day prior to surgery (February 2018) and I continued with 2 sets or so afterwards.
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