Bladder problems after hyst

I'm 17 days post op and i am having slight leaking when my bladder is full or when i sneeze etc.I had a catheter for five days after the op. i am doing the pelvic excercises but it takes me by surprise occasionally. I just wondered if anyone else had this and it goes away with time?

Good wishes to all who have had hysts

Rosemary

I've not had your experience, but hope that others who have, shall come along and share.

I do think it would be wise to run this past your surgeon. After all, good and open communication with your healthcare team is a key factor in a successful recovery...............s....Deb

Hi, Rosemary.

Welcome to the world of women with stress incontinence! Yes, it should improve with the exercises, but little leaks with sneezing may stay with you as a souvenir even if you do a lot of kegels. I'd certainly mention it the leakage to your doctor, but it's not uncommon. (But if you start leaking constantly, then call your doctor right away!)

I had minor stress incontinence already from pregnancy, but the catheter certainly made it worse. Happily, it did improve over time.

Best of luck to you! CC

I didn't have the leakage, but I had to pee 4-5 times every night for 3 weeks after surgery. I thought for sure my bladder was damaged from surgery. I am now 10 weeks post-op and no more bladder issues. I hope yours goes away too. I would let your Dr. know in case there is something he can do.

There is a difference between having stress incontinence and not having it! I have had stress (sneeze, cough, giggle) incontinence my whole life, and perhaps it did worsen some with age, but nothing a little panty liner couldn't handle, most of the time. Actually, in these first few weeks after my hysterectomy this problem actually had gotten noticeably better.

I just went to my 5 week check this past Friday and top on my list of doctor questions was the fact that for the last 2 days I was TOTALLY incontinent. I mean it was just coming out of me without even an urge to go! I went thru so many big accident pads on thursday and friday, filling them up with pee, and still wetted my clothes. (I wrote further details in other posts.) This is not stress incontinence. When I go potty my normal functions still work fine ...I can stop and start the flow with my regular muscle control. But this is like a leaky faucet!

My gyn/onc took catheter samples and is running a urine test (I do not know how extensive) to check to see if there is a UTI going on, even though what is coming out of me looks fine... not bloody or cloudy, and I am in no UTI pain. He said that my hysterectomy operation itself has nothing to do with this new incontinence problem. I am inclined to believe that because this has taken 5 weeks to show up, rather than right away, so it could be an infection that has just taken its time to show up or is something new. In the meantime he prescribed me an antibiotic just in case which I started taking Friday afternoon.

Well, today, Sunday, I have gone all day with very little trouble at all! (I probably am all peed out and should have been able to go even more today! But, who's complaining.) So, just maybe this is from an infection. I will find out within the next two weeks. So, in other words to you as well, please get this checked out. If you feel it is not normal for you, call your doctor and talk to them. Take Care!!!

Thanks for your replies, it's great to know that there is help out there. Reading the boards here often answers your own questions. I am going to the hospital for a check up tomorrow so i will mention the bladder leaking to him then.


Rosemary

Folky

It sounds like yours was an infection and will get better with the antibiotics. It sounds rather severe though, must have been quite scary!

Have you been told you don't need any further treatment for your uterine cancer? I haven't had my results back yet.

Keep taking the tablets!

love Rosemary

Hi Rosemary. Yeah, in terms of antibiotics this incontinence thing is acting like an infection, but again I am not in any bladder pain. Right now it is about midnight here, California time, and I am taking my chances and decided to take the pad off to see it it really is going away! I was busy socializing at an outdoor concert today, fun but I hardly sat down. I know I could have strained myself and by tomorrow I will find out I'm sure.

About the cancer staging question.... I got my final results this past Friday. Second lab called it at Uterine Cancer Stage 1A. My GYN/Oncologist feels there is no reason for any treatment, chemo or radiation. My cancer was contained in the lining of the uterus, and my 60 lymph nodes were clean, and the precaution/cure was to take everything out so nothing could spread. I have red on a few sites that chemo and/or radiation can also be recommended for this very early stage as well, but I do not think the statistics show that much of a leap in terms of better outcomes.

My doc said that in this first year there is an 84% chance of non-reoccurrance (which I would believe is the positive way of saying there is a 16% chance of it reoccurring). I asked if they took out everything where would it come back? And he said in the vagina or in the pelvic region. The second year there is a 99% chance of non-reoccurance, so it is important to keep those followup appointments! Once all this heals up I am sure the picture will look a lot brighter. I am confident that we got all my cancer, but if not I am feeling pretty hopeful about staying on top of it and seeing it thru to a cure.

Best to you on your dx. Please keep us posted! Everyone's experience here shared has helped me so much! I hope I can begin to do the same in return!

I am 32 and went for my 5 week post-op check. Stitches inside are not fulling disolved yet but anytime. Have had a problem with leaking of fluid for 4-5 days now and asked. She said that I could have incontinence or I could possibly have a fistula. Scary! She put me on a med to change my urine orange. I have to wear a pad and tampon for the next three days to see where the color change shows up. I hope not a fistula. That means an extensive surgery again. I don't leak when I sneeze or laugh, it just comes on its own.
Good luck to everyone.

There’s an article called “Vaginal Dryness” on the bottom of the main Post-Op page. It discusses how not staying lubed can also affect your urethra and cause some leakage. The urethra runs alongside your vaginal wall. It also mentions different forms of lubes that are out there.

I actually went from having to go constantly pre-op to not going very often at all post-op. By having the op, I found out why I was going so often beforehand - my uterus was enlarged, and guess what's right in front of it - the bladder! Now my bladder can hold more. I had thought I needed to carry along a port-a-potty like they showed on the commercials.