This is my first post. After my RRP on September 12, I had a foley catheter in for just over two weeks. When it was first removed after a week I experienced a blockage due to a blood clot. A week later I had a cystogram, and then went without a catheter for eight days. During this period my progress toward continence was very rapid and I began to think of shifting away from “Guards” to “Shields.” Then I had a major setback with new blood clots and a blockage, probably due to a urinary tract infection. Back goes the catheter. Ugh. Then follows a most regrettable period of two weeks alternating between catheters and blockages, and multiple trips to the ER. Double ugh. Now the catheter is out and I’m urinating just fine with no blockages. Hurray!!!
Here is the problem: I’ve been a week and a half without a catheter and my incontinence is not improving at all. It’s much worse than when I first had the catheter out after the cystogram. Does having a catheter in for a few weeks make incontinence worse? Do muscles that control urination weaken?
By the way, my surgery seems to have been successful, for now at least. At six weeks my PSA was <.008. Rejoice!! Pathology showed that I was G 3+4, with 75% of the gland cancerous. I had a 9mm PSM and seminal vesicle involvement, but no problems with the lymph nodes. Now I wait for my next PSA, and to gain control of my bladder.
Post Edited (fiddlecanoe) : 11/3/2016 6:53:29 AM (GMT-6)