Depends pads. Old vs new

Hi,
Been using the Depends shields to catch dribbles for years but find them a little flimsy and seem to bunch up a little. Have switched over to the Depends guards max coverage pads which have a lot larger coverage area with just a little more “padding” than the thinner shields. Seems to be working a lot better.

Dave 3+4

Hi,
Been using the Depends shields to catch dribbles for years but find them a little flimsy and seem to bunch up a little. Have switched over to the Depends guards max coverage pads which have a lot larger coverage area with just a little more “padding” than the thinner shields. Seems to be working a lot better.

Dave 3+4

Sorry...I am not familiar with a change to the "Guards" pads. I had the usual progression from full diapers, to "Guards", to now what are the thinnest "Shields" over the course of maybe 8-9 months. I am ~14 months post-RP, and I still wear the Shields for unexpected squirts and leaks. I have not seen ads for "new and improved" or however they marketed the new, different Guards. I still have 1-2 Shields in my pants pocket at all times. I used to keep one "Guard" in my pocket, and a few in my car if I would be out for an extended period of time. Incontinence is about the only thing that I can say progressed relatively well in my post-op first year. I just wish I could be 100% continent again without having to wear jockey style underwear to properly affix the Shields to the fabric of my undershorts. I was previously a comfortable and loose-hanging boxers guy. I hate jockey style. In fact, I had some skin infections/rashes when I switched to jockey style to accommodate the Shields. Even the barely wet Shield pressed against your warm skin will see that little bit of urine set up an infection in the folds of skin on your penis. I use a special anti-fungal bar soap in the shower everyday that contains Chlortrimazole. I only use it for c cleansing my genitals...it is not a full-body soap....especially at $12.00/bar. It keeps any looming infections at bay. The good news is that you WILL regain your continence...it just takes time. If your urologist did not offer you a prescription order for "Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy" (PFPT), ask for/demand one. Your insurance will likely initially-approve only two sessions, as did mine (Medicare Advantage Plan HMO), but my PFPT Therapist merely wrote a simple justification for a total of 8 sessions which were approved. There are MANY exercises and breathing techniques beyond the standard Kegel's that we all see and do. I was amazed with the additional diagrams and video links that I was sent to do the exercises. Good luck to you.

@clevelandguy when you search amazon foe depends guards they have old style thick ones and new style smaller and thinner. Wondering about the depends guards new style not the shields

to JeffMarc:
What I quietly, subtly noticed is that in my post-op reality, my un-erect penis is in fact, slightly shorter than before...the "internal" part of my penis, but...the outside...the skin of my penis, remains as it was. Thus, I have a few more "folds" of skin on the underside, which is where even just "drops" of urine can settle in the crevices of the extra folds of skin, and quickly set up a rash and infection. This potential is made worse by me wearing tight-fitting jockey style underwear to keep my "Shields" product in place for incontinence. I tried affixing a Shield to my boxers but it doesn't work because boxers do not have a bottom "panel" of fabric like jockey style do. My Shield would move around and feel uncomfortable, AND...not do its job. It only took 2-3 attempts before I caved in and started wearing jockey style underwear. That cost me close to $200 in new underwear. Ugh.
Because removal of the prostate includes removal of the portion of urethra that ran through it (~ 3/4"-1"), when the urologist rejoins the remaining penile urethra to the bladder (anastomosis procedure), there is a stretching of the urethra to allow that to happen, with sutures holding it all together until it heals. So...the shorter, rejoined urethra draws-up the penis as a result. And of course, within that small length of urethra that runs through the prostate, is the most important of the two "sphincters" that we have to control urine flow...thus post-op incontinence, until our brain and Kegel's can retrain the one remaining weaker sphincter to control and hold our urinary continence.

to JeffMarc:
What I quietly, subtly noticed is that in my post-op reality, my un-erect penis is in fact, slightly shorter than before...the "internal" part of my penis, but...the outside...the skin of my penis, remains as it was. Thus, I have a few more "folds" of skin on the underside, which is where even just "drops" of urine can settle in the crevices of the extra folds of skin, and quickly set up a rash and infection. This potential is made worse by me wearing tight-fitting jockey style underwear to keep my "Shields" product in place for incontinence. I tried affixing a Shield to my boxers but it doesn't work because boxers do not have a bottom "panel" of fabric like jockey style do. My Shield would move around and feel uncomfortable, AND...not do its job. It only took 2-3 attempts before I caved in and started wearing jockey style underwear. That cost me close to $200 in new underwear. Ugh.
Because removal of the prostate includes removal of the portion of urethra that ran through it (~ 3/4"-1"), when the urologist rejoins the remaining penile urethra to the bladder (anastomosis procedure), there is a stretching of the urethra to allow that to happen, with sutures holding it all together until it heals. So...the shorter, rejoined urethra draws-up the penis as a result. And of course, within that small length of urethra that runs through the prostate, is the most important of the two "sphincters" that we have to control urine flow...thus post-op incontinence, until our brain and Kegel's can retrain the one remaining weaker sphincter to control and hold our urinary continence.