Has anybody's incontinence improved after 9 months?

Hi Guys,

There have been several threads here lately about the sling procedure. At what point someone just gives up on his leaking and decides to do it seems to be a very individual decision that has a relationship to his patience, or work requirements, or tolerance to the interference in his quality of life. As a now long term leaker (five months) I am beginning to ask myself how much longer am I willing to put up with this. I also am in contact with several other guys who are going on 6, 7, or 8 months with at least some leaking. We all have basically the same question.....if the odds are that 90% of post-prostatectomy patients get to be pad-free at 12 months, is there really much chance of improvement after 9 months? Does it make any sense to continue hope after 9 months?

So my question here for the veteran leaker brothers is: did anyone who was leaking several pads/day actually improve after 9 months to, say,one light pad or even no pads?

Any responses appreciated,

Steve

I like to keep bring this up....At my 3 month post surgery visit - my surgeon said he wanted me to be pad free by the next visit in 3 months.

He said it a way that made me think I had a choice in the matter. Two days later on Saturday I didn't use a pad and haven't worn one since.

Mind you, I was barely a 2 pad a day guy at 3 months..but I think the "Mind over Pad" worked for me. Maybe it can work for you too.

Took me over a year. I used one pad for the last three or four months, more before then. There were three things that I feel helped. Walking a lot. Losing wait. And when I was only a light leaker, I stopped wearing a pad.

Don't lose hope.

I recovered my continence fairly quickly so I cannot share any personal experience but I can tell you what the PA in my urologist's clinic told me. We were talkiing while my penile implant was being activated and I was asking him about how long should men wait before going with some type of intervention. While I was specifically referencing implants he told me that a year for leaking was when they would start suggesting a sling. It depends some on whether the leakage is stress related(coughing, laughing hard, picking something up, etc) or was occurring without any cause. The day of my penile implant surgery my surgeon was also doing two slings and another penile implant.

Tamu

I would wait a year. You never know how your body will heal. Hang in there.
KW

Thank you Mavica for the hopeful reply. If you don't mind, how much were you leaking a 9 mos.?

Steve

very interesting thread - I am still leaking - stress incontinence - walking up stairs - standing up - bending over - ... walking is fine and going down stairs are fine but frustrating and isolating - sorta stayed to myself and inside doing my work and not getting out - gained more weight than I wanted and waist size - so whole new set of pants for summer - can't wear trackpants forever ...
- at last nights real world PCa support group the main speaker was a doctor from Hamilton, Ontario - associated with McMaster Medical Centre - he stated that if you are a leaker at 6 months -that is what you will be without intervention - such as a sling etc... and he had done over 1000 sling operations as well as ED implants.
-I am willing to wait but not forever - will consider my options in October ( 11 months after surgery - after seasonal work ends - landscape garden sales) -
-still working on it - and as others have said - there is always hope

gentle hugs ( not to squeeze you too hard)
BRONSON

My thoughts exactly Jeff !

 Hello from dee in bc.

My husband was a least 14 month before he really had control,and that only if he did not drink to many beer's,That was and is still a promblem .Ido belive it dose have something as to what you drink and what you are doing ,shoveling ,golf ect .In time  it will all come together..

  DEIDRE