I cannot hold my bladder.

[Snöfrost]

I am currently over 6 weeks post op. And I have a "problem" that I supposed is common among post op, especially in the beginning, and that is that I feel that I cannot hold my bladder and have to go to the toilet more frequently than pre op. I have to keep in mind that I cannot drink anything for about 2 hours before I go outdoors. Whenever I feel that I have to empty my bladder, I have to go. It's really that bad a couple of incidents have already happened at home.

How long did it take for you until you noticed an improvement? Can I do anything myself?

[mrs izzy]

It does happen sometimes.  As the swelling goes down it might improve.

Also be on watch for a uti for these can also cause the feel or need to void more often.

Always check with your surgeon or family doctor.

Sometimes kegel exercises can be improved also to help. And also fun.  Lol 

[2cherry]

How is your control over the PC muscle? it's very important to learn to control it. Can you stop peeing on command? if so, then you can control that muscle. If you can't, you can learn to control it by trying to stop in the middle of peeing.

I know it's a delicate process, going too soon and you lose muscle control, go too late and you lose muscle control. I kept a schedule after surgery: I allowed myself 3-4 hours in between to relieve myself.

[Snöfrost]

How is your control over the PC muscle? it's very important to learn to control it. Can you stop peeing on command? if so, then you can control that muscle. If you can't, you can learn to control it by trying to stop in the middle of peeing.

I know it's a delicate process, going too soon and you lose muscle control, go too late and you lose muscle control. I kept a schedule after surgery: I allowed myself 3-4 hours in between to relieve myself.

I can stop peeing, but it takes a few seconds until it stops. And I have to squeeze really hard to do so.

[2cherry]

Kegel exercises are the way to go then... 

[Cindi Jones]

Get checked for a yeast infection too. You may get them from time to time now. And they can be wickedly hard to get rid of.

Cindi

[SarahAdcock]

Good discussion!

I had trouble adjusting to a shorter urethra (it may also be simply recovering the trauma of surgery?).  My body seemed to expect there to be a longer tube and I found it easy to misjudge until I got used to it

HRT (or at least I think that's what it is...) seems to correlate to needing to go more often with less warning as well for me

Cheers
Sarah

[Cindi Jones]

Someone I know had a very bad time with this years after her surgery. She had a kink in her urethra AND almost continuous yeast infections. She had to have it straightened. I don't know exactly how they did that.

Cindi

[pretty pauline]

It's a good discussion but very personal, I remember suffering incontinence for over a year after the srs, having to wear pads, panty liners etc. It did eventually clear up, but after all these years I still can't hold it like before. When I had the guy equipment I could hold it forever, but now I can't hold it for long, when a girl has to go, I've got to go, I've got use to it over the years, I guess it'a all part of being a woman, that's just my experience. When I see a queue outside the ladies, it drives me nuts.