Describes my experience quite closely. But why bother with pads that
occasonally let your pants get wet, when diapers would keep your pants dry?
I use Depends "briefs", standard absorbency for around the house and extra
absorbency when I'm out and about. They're not observable under pleated
trousers, and zero problem when using a restroom urinal. Not a drop has
escaped them yet except for two floods I slept through when sleeping
unusually deeply. The diapers are really effective and easy to use.

I.P.

"frankB" <f.bartolomeo@worldnet.att.net> wrote >

Thanks everyone for the reassurance. Looks like I am doing OK.

My experience here in UK differs from yours. I was in hospital 8 days.
They do not discharge you with the catheter, but wait to remove it and
then send you home the following day. This enables the surgeon to
check that all is well before you leave his care. I must say I would
not have liked to be at home with the catheter, feeling the way I was,
especially immediately after the darn thing was removed and I was
leaking big time.

24 hours after the catheter was removed, I was able to go home by car,
but was advised I should not drive myself for 4 weeks. Some days I was
completely dry even in the second week, but that did not mean I was
comfortable. I started walking a block or so and sometimes that was
all I could manage because of the constant feeling I was about to
leak. In reality this was no more than a drop or so, but it felt more
than than and does nothing for your confidence, does it?

Now after 4 weeks I can go to the shops as I did this morning, and
walk some distance with no pad at all. So I count myself lucky. Was it
the treatment which differed, or the fact I am pretty thin and
reasonably fit?  My weight is 152 lb. Or just the luck of the draw? I
don't know.

I'm also not sure about the exercises, but find them useful
immediately after having a pee. It's almost like I have to do some
work to ensure that valve is closed. Especially if I am going to sit
down, which means gravity takes over and everything relaxes without my
intervention.

Walking I am sure helps me. When I miss out a walk in the morning, the
rest of the day suffers. I try and maintain a slight inward pressure
as I walk. For the first couple of weeks, I had what I would describe
as jitters, with the occasional teaspoon dumped into the pad even on
good days, but this week so far no alarms at all.

Before my operation, the surgeon said he had done 600 so far. Only 2%
of people had any long-term incontinence. It took up to 3 months, he
said, for some to be dry. I asked him exactly what he meant by
incontinence, and he said "wearing a pad" so that gave me reassurance
before the procedure. Afterwards, especially on bad days, I doubted
his word... Anyway, that's my experience so far and today - no pad.
Maybe tomorrow will not be as good, who knows?

I have a follow up appointment on 20th of this month and a first
post-op PSA test. Apparently the hospital are using a new, more
critical method of testing PSA now.

You are probably thinking that 8 days in hospital must cost a lot -
but don't forget that in UK we have a dual system whereby the National
Health Service treats most folks free. You can have insurance, as I
did, which gives you a private room and choice of exactly when it is
convenient for you to go into hospital. Frankly, my room was more like
a luxury hotel than a hospital, and the care was really first class.
All that helped. Even the food was great when I could face more than
soup.

Best wishes to everyone, whatever your stage of recovery. Reading
about other people's experiences is a great help I find.

Robert