Incontinence anxiety

Hi there 

Yours is the post I've been waiting for.

My husband had Laparoscopic Robotic prostatectomy at Medway Hospital 9 weeks ago today by Prof Sherif.

If you read my profile you will see how thing's have progressed for my husband.

He has been seeing a physiotherapist at the Meads medical centre who has been a great help with the pelvic floor exercises and he's also got the NHS  Squeasy app on his phone to remind him to do the exercises.

He had his follow up PSA 7 weeks and a day after surgery m, as advised by the nurse who removed his catheter.

Like you we were wondering when he would have husband follow up appointment for the results of the PSA  and tissue analysis and were anxiously awaiting a phone call to give him a date. We didn't get a call, but a couple of days ago a letter arrived for a telephone appointment on 4th September. We are hoping that if there was a problem they would see him in person.

As for a support group in the area, there's nothing and I posted on the forum last week asking if there was anyone else in Sittingbourne who would be interested in getting together to support each other.

I joined a brand new private Facebook support group yesterday and tried to share the details on one of our local gossip group's, but they rejected my post. 

We have been invited to a well being meeting next month at Medway hospital, which is run by Mcmillan which I think may help.

I am happy for you to send me a friend request if you think we could support each other.

Hi GR1 thank you so much for your response. I would be glad to accept your friend request but can’t figure out how. I’ll send you a request and see how that goes. 
I’ll contact my nurse about the well-being group though Medway is a bit far for me and I’m working most of the week. I’m based in Tonbridge.

Further to my reply last night.

I note that you are using the tena stage 2 pads and the number you are going through every day. My husband was given samples of these by Prostate Cancer UK and a years supply of the same by the community continence service. 

The absorbancy level of these is inadequate following surgery. Before my husband’s catheter was removed he was experiencing leakage and I did some research and discovered an online supplier of incontinence products, called incontinence choice. They do an excellent range of pads and disposable pants and they're cheaper than the Asda own brand ones. My husband has been wearing the maximum night time and daytime ones and they're excellent and have given him the confidence to get out and about. Most days he's now using one pair all day and another during the night. 

He has also gone caffeine free, although he didn't know that I'd substituted his one and only caffeinated drink of the day. The physio also gave him advice about which drinks to avoid and said that fruit juice should be diluted as it can irritate the bladder.

At his last appointment we were discussing his progress and I suggested that the process was like training a child. When they're born they have no control and they have to learn the sensation of needing to use the toilet. In the early days it's a bit hit and miss and they don't always make it it time. No 2 kids are the same. Some will cracked it quickly but others take time.

I have sent you a friend request

PS regarding a support group. Tackle Prostate Cancer have a directory of support groups and the only one I found is in Canterbury. I did a search for groups in Kent and the details came up.

Would you send me a friends request please as my husband and I are just at the start of our journey. Diagnosed last week. PSA 14 Pirads 5 and a Gleason of 7 (4+3) Grateful for any support.

Best Regards 

Beverley Haydon

Not sure if this was for redmonkey or me.

I can send you a friend request if you like x

Can I ask, what is he using for pads/pants. I've had a look at that site and see many! I'm just worried about wetting the bed, in 12 months if I've been really tired its happened twice, so I cant risk that again.

For you please xx

These are the pants I order for my husband. It is cheaper to buy them on subscription in bulk, hence the hefty total price, but it cuts down on postage costs and I only need to order them every 8 weeks.

Hi try the Maggie centre first Tuesday in the month they have a meeting with guys that has prostate cancer. Incontinence choice is very good for pants and pads. I have been using their products for months now