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@ssonkin

Unfortunately, there are too many unknown variables for anybody, with the possible exception of your surgeon, to predict how soon and to what extent you will regain continence. I hope that your experience mirrors that of the previous poster, but even if you faithfully and correctly performed Kegel pelvic floor excercises before surgery and after the removal of the catheter, there is no way to guarantee your progress. I say all of this not to discourage you, but to provide you with some context that will help avoid disappointment and discouragement if things progress slowly. In my case, I was diligent with my pelvic floor exercises, my surgeon assured me that everything indicated that I should be able to achieve full continence, but 18 months later I still need a very light Tena Shield for everyday activities, a slightly heavier pad for my 3-6 mile runs and no protection overnight. To get to this point I first started with the pull-ups for a few weeks and gradually moved to lighter pads over time. It was tough not to get discouraged at times, and ultimately I've had to give up my hope that I would regain full continence. That said, I've adjusted to this new reality, and it hasn't changed my life in any significant way. If you read posts from others, you will find some like the previous poster who pulled out the catheter and were good to go, some who lost all continence, and most who are like me and are somewhere in between those two extremes.
Good luck and stay positive!

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Replies to "Unfortunately, there are too many unknown variables for anybody, with the possible exception of your surgeon,..."

Thank you for your encouragement and I understand you’re in ability to not gain four continents. I religiously do my Keagle exercises and are now starting to feel that they help. I will continue with a positive attitude and thanks to people like you could give me my encouragement. Stay well and healthy and continue to do whatever makes you happy.

I posted this nearly 2 years ago, and today someone responded to it. That gave me an opportunity to revisit the issue, and so I would like to provide what I believe is an encouraging update. Two years ago, I still needed a light shield (I prefer the Tena Shields) for everyday activities and a heavier pad for running. Now I no longer need the shield for everyday activities, but I do still need the pad for running. Upon occasion I will have a very minor leak from everyday activities, but it rarely is more than a slight drop or two of urine and is generally well confined by my underwear. Nevertheless, if I'm going to be someplace where a minor leak could be embarassing I will put a light pad in my underwear. Over 90% of the time, the pad is perferctly dry when I return home.
I have continued to do Kegels pretty much every day - I probably miss a few days per month for a variety of reasons. Will I continue to improve now that I'm over 3 years post surgery? Maybe, but probably not. Nevertheless, I'm happy to be cancer free and don't find my imperfect continence to be problmatic.