rc post surgery questions

AS far as the back pain goes. I had left lower back pain 1 week after surgery. They said the kidney fungtion was down on the left side. They got that fixed up. And no pain since. I also have have had issues with the poop shut not working as I woild like. But it is slowly geting there. I am 13 weeks post op. But the urine leakige was under control very qiuicly. Just the slight leak when I need to pass gas. If I havent went to bathroom to empty new blader recently. Don

Newbladder,

You will be fine and if you are like me you are no longer bashful in any situation and modesty is gone forever after having so many people see you naked at least from the waist down. What works best for me is the large daytime pads and if needed Depends at night or the large pad, at first I felt ashamed but then I told myself I had to learn to pee again just like a baby and so I have been working on it. When at home I do not wear a pad but at work I do because if I get stuck in a long meeting and do not go to the bathroom I can squirt on myself. The worst problem I have had is with the bowel, it is getting better with the help of Metamucil tablets and I hope some day to be normal on that end as well, but the first 8 to 10 weeks was tough. Just take it slow and don't be ashamed to wear pads or Depends because like a baby you will get out of both!

Dale

17 weeks post-surgery
Dr. Seth Lerner - Baylor Coolege of Medicine
Houston, TX

Hi Pat,
I have a local urologist who will take care of any problems & will communicate with my surgeon at Sloan Kettering. When I did my original research on RC I was unable to find anyone in Atlanta who did more than a few cases a year. For many reasons I can't stay in NY any longer. I have been here almost a month!

good luck Newbladder with the trip home. May i ask .. do you have a urology team to follow up in the Atlanta area when you get home? Pat

Dale50,
Thanks for your encouraging words. I have some concerns about my flight back to Atlanta on Wed. We have purchased a whole range of incontinence products & will be "experimenting" with them today & tomorrow to see which is best.

The leaking will get better every day as you learnhow to control the new bladder, I am 14 weeks since starting to use my new bladder and still wear a pad in the day. If I have not gone to the bathroom in a couple of hours and sneeze then I will still leak, also if I am real tired at night I will sleep for 5 or 6 hours and can wet the pad but as long as I get up every 4 hours or so I am just fine. One of the best days of my life was the three week mark when they removed my catheter, actually my home nurse did it in my shower and the extra 2 foot of string attached to my stint was the worst part. Your life will get better now and you will learn to control the leakage, I fly all over the world now and never worry about accidents.

Dale