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Experiences with neobladder surgery for bladder cancer
Bladder Cancer | Last Active: 4 days ago | Replies (19)Comment receiving replies
I had surgery for a neobladder on February 19th and finally had the catheder removed yesterday, March 20th. Urine was leaking outside of the catheter for probably 3 weeks which was awful and I had to drive 6 hours to see the surgeon where I had the surgery done as they wanted to see the leaking for themselves. Turned out it was fine but was very frustrating. Now that the catheder is out I am faced with the same problem, incontinence. I am trying Kegel tightening but as it has only been 2 days now, it isn't really helping. I wasn't expecting all this leakage, I thought the problem I would face would be learning to drain the neobladder. Hopefully with time I will get this figured out, and with help from a professional.
Replies to "I had surgery for a neobladder on February 19th and finally had the catheder removed yesterday,..."
Keep up with the exercises. It could take months, but if you keep at it, things will improve. I had ladder cancer and along with BCG treatment with irritated the bladder, and a TURP operation, which also can cause incontinence. I have urinals all over the place. However, I’m finding more and more control after months of problems. I try to empty my bladder before I have to travel, and still wear a sanitary diaper. Which is more for my peace of mind than what I’ve experienced. Every time I’ve been able to make it to the location I was going and find a bathroom before any type of accident. Hope your life improves. I know it’s very frustrating and inconvenient.
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Hello Tanya. Your urethra has to get used to being without a catheter again so be patient with the leakage. Normal kegels done 2-3 times a day will help to get your muscle control back but it takes time. I would hope your surgeon's office has a nurse or PA who can coach you through this as you have questions. My husband dealt with daytime leakage for weeks before it became better. Now only leakage at night and it is minimal. Just imagine the massive trauma in your abdomen with that surgery. It will take months of healing, and nerve tissue is very slow to heal so bladder control can really take a while. Don't get discouraged, and remember that all this you are going through is better than having cancer.