This peeing thing

Hi Pete,

I had my surgery end January and was in same position as you find yourself I couldn't see the daylight but things slowly change and overall the journey will improve , posting on this site helped me come to terms with things and always someone here to offer support.

Take one day at a time and you will come out the other side.

All the best to you.

However it did improve! We are all different, but in my case the psychological breakthrough was about 6 weeks after the operation. I was still using a lot of pads, but my wife encouraged me to try to manage the holiday we had booked before diagnosis (our daughter was at school and this was for summer half term). I found I managed quite a lot of the activities without disaster (those involving the sea had the benefit that no one could tell why my trunks were wet!) and got a huge boost.

Slowly the number of pads I needed each day came down, and the next big breakthrough was around 6 months when I found I never needed more than two pads a day. It then became easy, I had the confidence that with a spare pad in my back pocket I knew I was able to manage.

Hold on there, and good luck!

Hi Pete,

I'm more than 2 years on from my op now but I still remember how grim the initial incontinence was. I had a turning point at about 5-6 weeks post op when all of a sudden I passed a load of clot debris. After that it really was a step change in continence. Coffee I could cope with (strangely not tea, so on decaff now). Even alcohol is fine unless I over egg it 😬

The early weeks can be a bit soul destroying but persevere - give it a chance for the sutures in your urethra to dissolve and see how things improve.

My local NHS continence service gave me what seemed like a lifetime supply of Tena pads (based on my initial incontinence) and I ended up gifting most of them to Ukranian refugees!  I might wear one these days if on a 20 mile hike.

Patience.

Cheers
"Upkeep"

Thank You for your response. I just needed to reach out. I realised that I'd not taken on the enormity of incontinence. I didn't see it as what it actually is.

I will keep in touch if you don't mind

Thanks 🙏

Pete and Faith 

Pete

i had my surgery at Easter this year and went through the same experiences. After the catheter was removed I could not hold water as they say and was using 9/10 pads a day and sometimes wetting through. However things improved in steps. When I went back to work after 7 weeks (desk job) I had 2 spare pads with me and used both. Now some 6 months on I am not dry by any stretch but only normally require 1 pad every 24 hours and occasionally 2 if for instance I want to freshen up for going out in the evening. Alcohol and de caff tea impacts me so I’m trying to avoid them but for some strange reason hot chocolate and water are OK - go figure! Just remember everyone is different, be patient and most of all keep squeezing - things will invariably improve. Good luck.