Hi Roy,
I see you had your RP 9th May 2013, a week after I had mine. In that sense we are close, but surgery affects everyone differently with differing impact and recovery. No matter, I will tell you how I am doing "continence wise" and hope that this may help you either in making your expectations more realistic or realising that sometimes you go forward 2 steps to take 3 back a week later. Nothing in your story is unusual. I recounted full details of my, to use a Terry Wogan quote "JOURNEY" on my story on this site, but I did tend to go on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on. I know you will find that hard to believe!
Control seemed to depend on PF exercises, but I find that these had little affect on me and progress. Except for making me very tired with hundreds of reps every day, normally when driving.
Control crept up slowly and with out dramatic effect, and without me knowing it really. Just sometimes I would think, hang on it's 5 o'clock and I have not had a leak, and I was leaking around 5pm daily as that seemed to be when I got tired and lost a bit of control. Other times I would leak are if I tripped up or moved suddenly. Or lifting a heavy object. Going to the gym, I would wear a pad even though I was pad free during the days and nights. The treadmill was worst. So I don't do so much of that now. Rowing machine is mush the same. Now, sit ups? Can be done, but I have to keep my knees together and tense my stomach muscles to ensure no leaking.
As progrès came up I did go from 4 level 2 pads a day, 8am tip about 6pm. In the evenings I would "bag up", out a leg bag on for the evening and overnight, to give me and my muscles some rest.
4 level 2 pads went down to 3 level 2 pads a day, and then eventually down to 2 and then 1, and then level 1 pads. Suddenly, and without fully realising it I noticed that I was changing pads less frequently. And then one pad would last all day and then, that one a pad would be dry at the end of the day.
Change for the positive is great, change back is not so great, but if you can change forward then you can and will probably change forward again to make progress. Don't beat yourself up about it mate.
Despite seriously coincidentally identical plumbing, all of us seem to repair and heal at varying rates. You will find your own rate, just be patient and go with that rate.
ATB
Dave