New Neobladder - Need Advice about leaking

am 66yrs old and i thought was in fairly good shape.
went in for routine phy and they found blood in urine (long story short)
had scope job plus prostate..found cancer in both..going on 4/29 for "scraping" but doc says looks like stage 2 or 3 (outside of stage 1)(also--exgressive type) ..hes already talking about removing bladder and reconstructing a new

in alot of talking w/friends..only know 1 who has b/c..arent we special !!!

have read about reconst..but very little about other choices

i'm very impressed w/this forum and hope to learn alot more about i have and perhaps help someone else in the process

Grandpa,
Tell us what procedures you have had so far, where your surgery will be and how old you are, these things help us guide you along the way. What was your grade tumor and do they suggest chemo or radiation?? Ginger

you seem to have a good "outlook" on life , something i feel is most important right now

Hard to say because it happened so gradually. A couple of weeks we drove the three hours to have my catheter removed--probably a week after that before I was really out and about. Out and about slowly, but still out and about.

It takes time, no doubt about it. But it passes quickly and the pain and inconvenience will be forgotten equally quickly.

Your body will tell you when and what you can do. That's a good thing--I guarantee you will not be tempted to hop on your Harley until your body (and doctor) tell you it's time.

Besides--this isn't exactly an elective surgery like a nose job. This is the hand we've been dealt, and playing it--for the most part--hasn't been as bad as I imagined. Ninety-nine percent of my life is... well... perfectly normal. Pretty great, actually.

Zach

s/o had breast cancer 2 years ago..and their chat room got us thru that..looks like this is just as well prepared to help
i'm sure i'll be back with abunch of questions as i move the "journey"
how long before you were out about ..but not working

Grandpa--if you get a neobladder like I have (I urinate normally--no external bag), you'll definitely have a learning curve in the beginning. Most people have some problem situations as they get the hang of it and will achieve pretty darn good daytime continence. It took me about three months to be confident in the daytime.

Nighttime can take longer, but since you probably don't drive too much in your sleep that shouldn't be a problem for you at the wheel (or handlebars). And believe me, you won't much feel like driving for a while anyway.

You've probably read here about the importance of finding a surgeon that does lots of these procedures.... he can probably best explain your options and exactly what you're a candidate for.

(I don't have any real world experience with external bags and exit strategies, but there are many folks here who can chime in with their advice).

Best wishes,

Zach