Glad the surgery went well and that you are doing fine!
Always great news!
My problem with retention was discovered months afterward. It just seemed to be getting harder and harder to urinate. They had me pee in a machine that measures flow and then they did a scan of my bladder to figure out how much was left in my neobladder.
It just got progressively worse so that's when I had to start cathing pretty much every time I go.
My surgeon didn't do a suprapubic tube so that's why I didn't use it.
There are options to consider (much, much later though) with regard to the nerve sparing and if enough was spared. I was pretty freaked out about the idea of the shot for a long time. Eventually (after 8 months) I tried it and it wasn't nearly as much a problem as I thought it would be and it works. Then I was kicking myself for waiting that long.
Recovery time for that varies widely though. Some folks in just a few weeks, some a few months, and some a year or more.
Maybe it's just me, but without the prostate, it doesn't seem to be on my mind every 40 seconds like it used to be.
As for continence, I think it really starts happening around a month to a month and half after getting the catheter out. That can seem like a really long time while you are in that mode but it seemed to get better and better control rather quickly after that. Your mileage may vary.
Do those kegel exercises according to the plan they gave you. From what some folks have posted, doing them too much isn't good either so stick with the schedule. Doing them not enough makes it take longer to get continent.
Mike
Keep posting back with questions and updates.
Age 54
10/31/06 dx CIS (TisG3) non-invasive (at 47)
9/19/08 TURB/TUIP dx Invasive T2G3
10/8/08 RC neobladder(at 49)
2/15/13 T4G3N3M1 distant metastases(at 53)
9/2013 finished chemo -cancer free again
1/2014 ct scan results....distant mets
2/2014 ct result...spread to liver, kidneys, and lymph...