www.incontinentsupport.org

I am 18months out from my prostatectomy. Ever since my catheter was removed, my incontinence has persisted. I tell myself every month that its going to get better. I guess I am an overachiever because I am in the 5-10% that is still incontinent 1 year out. Recent urodynamic tests show that I have mixed stress and urge incontinence. These results are consistent with my symptoms. Cough and sneezing are bad. And urgency would be delightful if that meant I could actually make it to the toilet. The severity of the symptoms have not changed.

I am getting more tired of feeling wet and changing so often. I am also tired of worrying about having leaks. So I decided to increase my protection from the pullups to diapers. I have been ordering diapers from northshore for the past 6 months.

To add insult to injury, there are some days when my diaper is dry. I can exercise without leaking. I can hold it long enough to untape the diaper and use the toilet. And I think that I've turned the corner. Only to wake up in the morning with a wet diaper and sometimes wet bedpad.

Uggg. I am so frustrated.

I do want to thank you all for your helpful posts. I've been on the sidelines for some time and I want to start contributing

-STL (SkiTennisLife)

skitennislife:
I applaud your decision to just move on to tape-up style diapers, at some point you just have to get real and move on to what works best for you. It sounds like you have picked a good source for top quality diapers but it will take a bit of trail and error to find which ones work best for you so please don't get discouraged. It may take a little while to get use to wearing diapers 24/7 but once you do you will be amazed at the reduction in anxiety and peace of mind that comes from being well protected.
BTW... You mentioned untapping your diaper when you can make it to the bathroom and in fact you can often just pull them down (rear first) similar to regular underwear. I'm pretty sure that after a fairly short time you will begin to see them just as regular underwear and not (hardly) give them a second thought.

I see that i'm not the only one in the 5%-10% club. My prostatectomy combined with the removal of a large diverticula plus a long history of poor control has caused my prolonged incontinence. My prostatectomy was over 3 yrs. ago. There are procedures/surgeries that can be done to possibly help with continued leakage, but I have decided to not pursue them. At least at this time. I am 73 yrs. old, and have had a multitude of tests, and have decided enough is enough. In addition I have developed several major heart issues. I had a pacemaker implanted yesterday, and I forsee other tests involving the heart in the future. Getting used to wearing diapers does take time. In fact, just saying the word gave me cringes. Now, it doesn't bother me. Some of my friends and family know of my need for diapers, and they are very supportive. Yesterday when I was being prepped for my pacemaker the nurse saw my diaper, and all she said is "I see that you are incontinent". End of conversation. Hopefully, you will see some improvement soon. If not, you are not alone. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that the 5-10 percent is a little underrated.

I appreciate the support and my wife and family/friends have been very supportive.
In the grand scheme of things, there are worse things than urinary incontinence because my health is still good enough to allow me to do what I want namely skiing and tennis.
I was offered an artificial urinary sphincter several months ago. The results seem promising. Realistically, I don't think I would regain complete continence. My urologist said that a realistic expectation is that I could probably wear a pad instead of a diaper. However, I am nervous about having the surgery with Covid concerns. That option is on the table but I am going to wait and see what happens with Covid. In the meantime, I will stick to my plan and hope for the best.
Is there a way to get diapers through Medicare? How do you save money on your diaper purchases?