Like many post prostatectomy I was struck by how little urine control I had post catheter removal. Yes, I knew that it was likely, but it's still a shock. Fast forward 14 weeks and I've just had my first shield only day (running excluded). Everybody is different and I realise that there are people who say that Kegels are not that important, but who is likely to ignore the advice we are given and just hope things will fix themselves on its own? So as much as it is a nuisance doing the exercises, I'm pleased I persevered.
So here's a few of my, personal, experiences and a few questions:
# Lying and sitting were dry from the start. Standing and walking were a problem. I find it hard to say, accurately, how many pads I was using - approx three a day - due to my observations that follow. But the idea was that I was regularly dribbling, at times, spontaneously.
# I was walking, then running, from early on and it was difficult to work out how to manage this. Pads were impossible (still are), so disposable pants worked OK.
# It is easy to overdo the exercises (Kegels). I started with 6 sessions a day, 10 reps of slow and fast. Unfortunately it was clear to me that doing the Kegels made the problem worse after a session. Short time pain for long time gain, I would say to myself - and so it turned out.
# Having said I did 6, this was by no means a fixed six, as I responded to how my muscles were feeling, easing off on some days. This I think is key. Yes there are programmes that prescribe a fixed regime, but this, for me, was hopeless. I needed to adjust to life and muscle aches.
# Slowly the leaks eased, but for the first six weeks I saw little improvement. I had a step change around 10 weeks. Now at 14 weeks things are a lot better - not perfect, but close.
# Walking gentle is now mostly leak free, but speed walking and running is not. For these I still use disposable pants (for comfort, more on this later) - not in the rain, like today :-) It was quite liberating running with no protection in the pouring rain today - possible as I live in the countryside. At the beginning I would be soaked in the first km or so. Now I can get around a 10k with one bush stop and a mostly dry pair of disposable pants.
My conclusions are to experiment. Have numerous styles of pads, absorbent pants, underwear versions, change timings of sessions etc. etc Keep the Kegels going, but listen to the feedback you get from your pelvic floor and any discomfort from the overall area. It is very likely it will get much better, albeit slowly. Sudden step changes have been reported. I had one. Don't lose heart.
Now to the problems that others may be able to help me with.
# I cannot get comfortable for a lot of a day wearing pads of any shape and absorbency, and with any style of underwear. After the op I noticed that my penis shape had changed a little and had shrunk too. Again, this is common. The issue, for me, is that from wearing boxers since adulthood, I cannot now adjust myself in tight underwear even without pads, because my "new", stubby penis shape finds itself sticking out and getting squashed or ending up bent. Pads make it worse as there is more material to press my manhood. I do wear boxers on their own around the house at times and what a relief it is, but leak protection isn't possible in boxers. Even wearing boxers and jeans is a problem now as I end up getting compressed. Disposable pants are a lot more comfortable, but they don't breathe and the ones I've found are all far too padded for me now. Does anyone know of slightly absorbent, disposable pants? Anyone else experienced this compression and discomfort? Any suggestions?
The future: I am doing 3 or 4 Kegel sessions a day, hoping to get to 100% dry. I don't expect to achieve this, so I do need to work out how to sort out the pad discomfort.
Any advice and suggestions are very welcome.
Edited by member 05 Sep 2024 at 22:21
| Reason: Not specified