Depends pads. Old vs new

As I read these posts I have to ask, does the incontinence ever stop? I am a 68-year-old who is 3 weeks away from my RP.

@freed58 I was continent in 5 months after RP and put the pads away. Radiation ruined all of that.

I read all the responses on this thread. I have had some level of incontinency since my operation and radiation 10 years ago. For the past five years, inconstancy increased to 100%. Depending on the pad, I go through about 200 pads and 40 pull-ups per month. VA gives me 104 pads per month. Some pads last an hour and a half, others last two hours. They all leak if you leave them in too long. For maximum utilization, I use a pullup and nest a pad inside of it so I can change the pads as needed. I tear off the only about a one-half inch of the paper covering the adhesive, so it doesn’t tear the pullup lining but stays in place. I then use a nylon jock strap on the outside to keep everything tight and in place. When lying down, sitting, driving, the urine pools in my bladder, upon standing, it floods out, filling a pad. I know I need an AUS installed but my local urology office seems overwhelmed and can’t get is scheduled. I now have an appointment in December at Johns Hopkins, hopefully to start the process to get the valve.

For all pad and pullup users, I have a remedy for pad and pullup disposal. About five years ago, I found a nearly new “Diaper Genie” at a Good Will for $5. I bought it and found it provides a clean way to dispose of pads and pullups. Bag refills are available on Amazon and moat grocery stores. I use 2 small electrical zip ties between the bags about an inch apart. I cut the bag in between the ties thus extending the life of the bag refill. You can get 1000 4-inch zip ties on Amazon for $4.95. The usual way to separate the bags is to cut them and tie a knot in both ends. The zip ties extend the bag refill life by 50%. Make sure they are tight. Just an idea to make life a bit easier.

@freed58 - generally speaking, it’s like this: a few very fortunate men will have no incontinence following surgery, or just a little and recover very quickly, and a very few unfortunate men will have significant incontinence forevermore (unless they get a sling or AUS fitted).

The overwhelming majority can expect to have full or nearly full bladder control by 18 months post-op (if the studies most docs provide are accurate), with 90% reaching that point around the 10th month.

I’m nine months past surgery and am currently leaking about 40ml a day.

@chippydoo
I appreciate you sharing. I am sorry to hear about the reversal, though. All the best.

@freed58 I would rather be undetectable and leak vs. the other. Working with a pelvic floor specialist for the next 6 weeks. She stated they burned me, which I kind of knew and that there should be some improvement but more than likely not as good as it was. The doggo's and I shared a box of pee pads lol.

@turtbean
That’s for that input on the general pop, and your status. Best of luck on the remaining 40 ml!

@freed58 - glad to share. One thing I wanted to add, for comparison…I had my surgery in January ‘26, catheter out mid-month, and was totally incontinent - we’re talking floods of biblical scale.

I didn't start weighing my pads (that’s how to track leakage) until mid-May, and at the mid-May point, I was leaking, on average, 550ml a day (in addition to whatever I was peeing out into a toilet).

As you can see, at 40ml, that’s significant improvement, but it does mean I’ve cut out every bladder irritant known to humankind (alcohol, fizzy drinks, caffeine, spicy foods, acidic foods, etc)…matter of fact, I was leaking as much as 150ml a day just a couple of weeks ago, and I think I tracked that culprit down to my daily very vigorous 2.5 mile walk. Troubling, since that’s the only exercise I get, and it’s good for both weight control and lessening the chance of cancer recurrence.

So…it’s a trade-off. I’m hoping that I can get that last bit under control, then slowly introduce things back a bit at a time in order to give my bladder a chance to adjust.

Should that happen, I’ll be the guy walking a 3k while eating a habanero burrito and drinking a lime-heavy rum-and-coke. 😆