Okay, I'm bad. I was traveling again last Thursday (and through last night) and spaced doing my update until I was prompted by an email from a friend yesterday.
Perhaps I need to get on a monthly schedule now that things seem to have calmed down for the most part.
Although I'll have to admit that, after writing the last update to this blog, boasting about going padless for several weeks, I went outside to pull a few overgrown shrubs out of the landscaping in the front yard and found that heavy physical activity can cause leaks. But other than that, I remain relatively "dry" through normal daily activities. Guess I just need to get a bit more active so my muscles can adapt and get stronger.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Week 27 - Windy City
Yes, I've been on the road yet again. This time, it was back to Chicago for my oldest nephew's wedding on Sunday.
It was a very nice, small affair in an intimate chapel followed by dinner and one of their favorite restaurants. The wacky Chicago spring weather could have cooperated a bit more. Overcast, windy, cold (40-degrees) and rain before the ceremony. Just overcast, windy, and cold after the ceremony.
Of course, with the wedding on Sunday, that meant that I just had to take another vacation day on Monday.
After having lunch with my sister, I took the scenic route back, stopping in the town of Warsaw, Indiana to check out a lakefront home of one of the relatives. Very nice. I contacted a friend in nearby Ft. Wayne to see if she might be available for dinner, but she was already booked. (That's one of the problems with spur-of-the-moment ideas--not everything works out.)
Work has been busy as we're preparing the FY 2012 budget plan. That meant another couple of days buried in my mega-spreadsheet. (With more to come.)
The incontinence continues to improve to the point where I've not worn a pad since the wedding on Sunday (and that was for insurance purposes). No incidents at home or work, so that's good. Still, I find myself running to the bathroom more frequently just to drain my bladder and make sure that there's only minimal "ammunition" available for a leak should one occur. Given a bit more time, the confidence level will go up.
So that's it for this week.
It was a very nice, small affair in an intimate chapel followed by dinner and one of their favorite restaurants. The wacky Chicago spring weather could have cooperated a bit more. Overcast, windy, cold (40-degrees) and rain before the ceremony. Just overcast, windy, and cold after the ceremony.
Of course, with the wedding on Sunday, that meant that I just had to take another vacation day on Monday.
After having lunch with my sister, I took the scenic route back, stopping in the town of Warsaw, Indiana to check out a lakefront home of one of the relatives. Very nice. I contacted a friend in nearby Ft. Wayne to see if she might be available for dinner, but she was already booked. (That's one of the problems with spur-of-the-moment ideas--not everything works out.)
Work has been busy as we're preparing the FY 2012 budget plan. That meant another couple of days buried in my mega-spreadsheet. (With more to come.)
BIOLOGY AHEAD
The incontinence continues to improve to the point where I've not worn a pad since the wedding on Sunday (and that was for insurance purposes). No incidents at home or work, so that's good. Still, I find myself running to the bathroom more frequently just to drain my bladder and make sure that there's only minimal "ammunition" available for a leak should one occur. Given a bit more time, the confidence level will go up.
So that's it for this week.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Week 26 - Oops!!
Oops. I forgot to post an update last night. Not to worry. All is well.
I was, in fact, just returning from another trip. This time it was for work, visiting a supplier in the greater Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. It was a good conference that even included a trip to PNC Park to watch the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team get defeated by the Los Angeles Dodgers on a perfect weather spring night. The last time I had been to a professional baseball game was in 1977 when I was in Seattle on a training cruise. We saw the Mariners play in the King Dome.
Now that the weather has gotten better (far less rain), I’ve started walking the mile home for lunch. It gets me out from behind the computer for 20 minutes each way, and will hopefully begin to pay off in being just a little bit more fit.
Today, the 13th, is the 15th anniversary of my joining my current employer. My boss put together a great little ceremony this morning to mark the occasion. It was very much in the format of “This Is Your Life.” I was afraid of what was going to pop up next on the screen.
BIOLOGY AHEAD
As far as the incontinence is concerned, it’s finally turning the corner.
Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, I went without wearing any pads and did quite well. I had a minor incident where I was in a garden filled with blooming flowers and my allergies kicked in. I sneezed and leaked. Tuesday evening, however, things deteriorated a little and I was back wearing a pad. I guess my body was just tired.
Wednesday and Thursday at the conference I wore pads more for insurance than anything else. I think I could have gotten away without. (Except Wednesday night when a few of us went to a bar after the game. After midnight, my body was getting tired and I’m glad I was wearing the pad. Throw in a couple of beers, and that was even more reason to wear one.)
Today I’ve spent the day without one and have done fine so far.
I’ll have to admit that I’m a bit more cautious in how I move without a pad in place than I am when I am wearing one. Having a pad can act a bit like a crutch. It makes me a little less apt to try and control my pelvic floor muscles consciously.
So I'm really pleased that things continue to improve.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Week 25 - Another Ocean
First, apologies for last week's truncated post. I started it on Tuesday, forgot about it on Wednesday, and just hit the "Publish Post" button on Thursday as I was sitting on the beach in Coronado, California.
Yep. I spread my wings and took my first post-surgery flight to San Diego on Wednesday night for a five day weekend in paradise. Two weeks ago, I was pretty much on the Atlantic Ocean; this week, the Pacific.
I stayed near my old apartment on the island and just spent Thursday and Friday walking up and down Orange Avenue and the beach. It was great. Very relaxing. On Saturday, I checked out of the hotel and spent the next two nights with some friends that I served with when I was in the Navy. It was great to see them again.
Photos are available via the link to the right and below.
I did have some concerns over getting through security at the airport with an absorbant pad shoved down my pants in case I got the full body scanner treatment, so I took a chance and went to the airport without wearing one.
As fate would have it, I did get the full body scanner screening and made it through just fine without it. Afterwards, I asked the TSA agent what would happen if I had to wear the pad through the scanner. He explained that I would be taking into a private screening area and be given a more thorough personal screening in there.
Even though I had extra pads in my carry-on bag, I opted not to wear one during the entire flight and, save a cough-induced leak, did quite well.
For the return trip, I did the same thing, but I could tell that it might be a leaky day, so I took a pad out of my carry-on, hit the men's room, and put it in place.
Walking several miles in an afternoon didn't seem to bother me too much at all. I need to do more of that if the rain around here would only stop.
Things are getting better with time...
So that's it for this week.
Yep. I spread my wings and took my first post-surgery flight to San Diego on Wednesday night for a five day weekend in paradise. Two weeks ago, I was pretty much on the Atlantic Ocean; this week, the Pacific.
I stayed near my old apartment on the island and just spent Thursday and Friday walking up and down Orange Avenue and the beach. It was great. Very relaxing. On Saturday, I checked out of the hotel and spent the next two nights with some friends that I served with when I was in the Navy. It was great to see them again.
Photos are available via the link to the right and below.
* * *
BIOLOGY AHEAD
As fate would have it, I did get the full body scanner screening and made it through just fine without it. Afterwards, I asked the TSA agent what would happen if I had to wear the pad through the scanner. He explained that I would be taking into a private screening area and be given a more thorough personal screening in there.
Even though I had extra pads in my carry-on bag, I opted not to wear one during the entire flight and, save a cough-induced leak, did quite well.
For the return trip, I did the same thing, but I could tell that it might be a leaky day, so I took a pad out of my carry-on, hit the men's room, and put it in place.
Walking several miles in an afternoon didn't seem to bother me too much at all. I need to do more of that if the rain around here would only stop.
Things are getting better with time...
So that's it for this week.
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