Removal of Catheter

Be sure and wear briefs tomorrow and not boxers...Boxers don't work with pads.

Berk,

Us 63 year olds have to stick together! I get my catheter out on Thursday and then the game continues. I wish you the best!!!!

I showed up at the Dr's office on Oct 11 to get the cath out and I was READY.
Although they had a bag with supplies, I showed up with my own XL "Manpers" and pads. After the cath came out, I was dry, but I thought that was because the cath kept my bladder empty. So I saddled up! I put on the Manpers, then stuck a pad inside, then put on my briefs (cuz I was heading out immediately on a 200 miles drive to meet my new grandson, born the day before). The nurse told me I couldn't leave until I peed. Took a couple of glasses of water and a cup of coffee, but 20 mins later I was ready.
The surprise was the immediacy between the time I got properly aimed and gave the signal to pee and the appearance of the stream. It seemed like, with a prostate, there was a tiny interval that was now gone. But everything else felt the same.
I made the long drive and stayed dry, so I no longer need the Manpers, but I wear a pad to catch the drops that still leak at some sudden movements or, mostly, if a absent-mindedly push out some gas. If I don't think about it, a few drops come out, too. If I think about it, it's easy to control.
The pads work great with briefs. They are easy to install, don't show, and are comfortable through all activities. Keep doing kegels when you can and it keeps getting better.
You're gonna feel like dancing without that catheter in you!
Let us know how the labs go!
Mikey

Berk,
Wishing you ...all the best

Hi...I left this post in another thread but thought I might leave it here too....

I'm a physio in Sydney, Australia specialising in continence training for men following prostate surgery. I'm doing research at the moment into improving outcomes following surgery with pelvic floor training.

I thought I might add my 2 cents worth to see if this helps.

Firstly I'm a big believer that Mother Nature is in charge of the healing process. Therefore for the first few weeks following surgery, be patient...relax...don't push your activities too hard. In fact I recommend to be as active as you can be whilst being dry at the same time (If that means you have to sit on your bum and read then do it!) Yes I know we need to exercise to stay well but limiting yourself to a number of shorter (drier) walks is better than an hour slog leading to soaked pads.

As your external sphincter muscle (recently cut, stitched and splinted open while the catheter was in) recovers you should find that you are able to push your activity levels up whilst still staying relatively dry.

The kegel exercises you should do in the early stages should be much more about improving the motor control (i.e. the location of the pelvic floor muscles). Most guys I see tend to have a very posterior (anal) dominant approach to recruiting their pelvic floor muscles (I use transperineal real time ultrasound to watch the muscles working) Only we leak through our willies not our bums!
So I teach them gently to get a sense of the more anterior (front) parts of the pelvic floor (penile and testicular lifting) before starting to push the strength.

We need more research into this area as a lot of advice is given to men by womens health physios who are just applying the knowledge they have on women on men. But childbirth damage is different to the trauma of surgery and we may need to challenge what we think we know.

Thats what I'm working on!!

Hope it helps people

Stuart