How we (men) control our flow ...

Hi Able

I don't think you are going to find the answers to your questions here.

The Community is aimed at people/relatives with cancer to be able to share their PERSONAL journey through cancer. The Community guidelines ask medically qualified people to stay away.

If we have any Community members with the personal knowledge to respond to your post, you may well receive a reply. Your question would be best directed to your Urology Specialist - i am sure they may well be interested in sharing their knowledge.

Best wishes - Brian.

Millibob said:

The Community guidelines ask medically qualified people to stay away.

Ah, sorry and thanks for that heads-up mate.

Do we know why such guidelines are in place though as wouldn't we appreciate answers from the horses mouth so to speak?

And surely, whilst I understand this is urology question, it has only come up as a result of prostate cancer and IS clearly something that many prostate cancer and family here suffer with / from?

Again I would appreciate the 'why'. ;-)

(Off to look for a urology forum ...)

People who have "been there done that" can freely share their knowledge and experiences with others on a cancer journey. The Community is a "safe space" for inclusive supportive discussions.

Medical staff are required to stick to giving documented advice and treatments in their place of work where they are fully insured against medical negligence.

I think that's the "why" you 're after.

Best wishes - Brian.

Millibob said:

I think that's the "why" you 're after.

It is indeed, thanks Brian.

Think you'd make a great urinary specialist able, keep going wot u are saying makes sense as well.

Steve 

Hehe, thanks Steve. ;-)

Actually, I've thought a bit more about the mechanics of it. Because the two valves on our urethra are a small distance apart, you can see how we could get a bit of leakage, if we do  something that means the 'main' valve leaks but we hold onto it for a short time with the second. That fluid is then trapped till we let go (as the second is a voluntary one) and then that short length of pipe empties (and why ladies will often wear 'accident' pads in case they sneeze etc) etc?

It's like you turn off the outlet tap on the water tank in the loft then turn on the downstairs tap till it runs dry. If you leave that tap open and the tank tap leaks, then you will just see that leakage at the downstairs tap. But if you put your thumb over the downstairs tap, all is fine as long as you hold it there but as soon as you let go, you will get all that has built up in the pipe in the meantime (and like with the boy with his finger in the dam, can't hold it forever).

So the solution is to fix the leaky tap ... and I don't believe that's done by exercising the pelvic floor muscles alone? <shrug>

Let's call a plumber for advice

Joking aside, I fully plumbed this house when I bought it 40+ years ago so I've been there done that. ;-)

I visited my plumber mate and he was just finishing off bleeding his own radiators. He said he was struggling with one small radiator in the hall that was only getting warm at the bottom. It was obvious that he had tried to bleed it as he had the bleed screw in his hand. I asked if he had some fuse wire and he found some, I 'pricked' the bleed hole to then hear the sound of escaping air and was just able to get the bleed screw back in before we lost too much fluid! ;-)

He said 'I'll probably never live this down' and I've tried to make it so. ;-)

See, it's not just yer own plumbing u can sort out .

Quite Steve and whilst I don't think for one second I'll be able to come up with some new idea about how to fix this obviously troublesome issue for many, you never know?

It seems to add a bit more information re how it all works here:

"The pelvic floor muscles are the layer of muscles that support the pelvic organs and span the bottom of the pelvis, forming a muscular support across its base. In men, the pelvic floor muscles support the bladder and bowel. Sphincters at the base of the bladder and underneath the prostate gland help to prevent urine leakage. Portions of the pelvic floor muscles wrap around these valves to assist them in staying closed."

Whilst it says "Portions of the pelvic floor muscles wrap around these valves to assist them in staying closed" (it says valveS), I don't know if they really do support the upper / internal valve?

And if it doesn't, what causes the upper one to leak after PC surgery (Other than having a catheter poked though it for 2+ weeks)?