Post-catheter removal after prostatectomy

Had Prostarectomy last March. Avoid alcohol.until you gain reasonable bladder control

 Exercise(walking) will strengthen muscle tone generally and I believe helps with urinary control. Obviously the pelvic floor exercises are crucial. Follow all advice given as these PC teams are excellent. Give it time. 

My Post-op Diary

Kegel Exercise Tips
1: 4 sets of 10 per day is ideal - I'll do two in bed morning and night, one before lunch (standing) and one before dinner or after evening shower (sitting)
2: Make sure the bladder is empty before starting.
3: Can take 3-6 weeks to see an improvement in bladder control.

24/10 Catheter removed ten days after op.
(Catheter process successful. Made sure I kept my penis-end clean, washing twice daily. Separate facecloth for dabbing wounds dry after showering.

24/10: Kegel exercises restarted the evening my catheter removed. Started with three sets per day but moving to four from 27/10.

25/10: Quick adaptation to wee-ing and using the range of pads and pants we have. Totally drip free the first night....! : -) :-)

27/10: Main issues when standing around - and walking later in the day after I've drunk quite a lot of water.

-Big pads most of the time to start with but will introduce smaller ones once a pattern emerges and with experience.

-Very pleased overall: pain-free; walking comfortably a good distance - a mile or two is fine. Will keep building it up.

-Rucksack with spare trousers, pants and pads for trips out. Not needed for restaurant visit 26/10, tho dripped more than usual on 600m walk back from the bus (after a small glass of red wine!?)

30/10: Drinking plenty of water continues to be important. 29/10 my first wee started bright red. Checked it out online and it's quite normal a couple of weeks after surgery: a sign that the incisions are healing.

Still mainly leak when standing around at home. Regular pre-emptive wees to empty the bladder probably help. Consistently doing four kegel sessions per day as above. Overall delighted with how it's going. Big pads still the most effective at this stage and perfectly comfortable on my walks. Feel like I can walk a long way but gradually building it up. Will do c 3 miles into town and around it today.

31/10: Did the walk part-way into town and around it. More wet than usual because I was on my feet more. Got through one smaller and two large pads by the time I was home. See notes below on standing incontinence, which is the issue currently.
There are many ways to deal with standing incontinence, including:

Pelvic floor exercises
Also known as Kegel exercises, these strengthen the muscles that support the bladder and can help you hold urine.

Urgency suppression
This involves controlling the strong urge to urinate so you can make it to the toilet. You can try distracting yourself, taking long breaths, holding still, or squeezing your pelvic floor muscles.

Timed voiding
This involves scheduling times to urinate, such as every hour. Over time, you can increase the time between bathroom breaks.