When women wet themselves, there is often a baby to show for it, or at least a laughing fit with friends. And somehow this accidental expulsion adds to the hilarity. Wetting oneself is not glorious for a woman, but the ROI is better. Pain for glory. “Why do I wet myself? Just look at this beautiful baby.”

When men wet themselves, it smells bad, and there’s no baby to show for it. There’s a funny Adam Sandler movie scene, but it’s not funny when it happens to you. It’s just wet and obvious.

Perhaps the most glorious scenario in which a man has urinary incontinence is through the recent removal of cancer from his body (in the form of a prostatectomy). 

Recently, I saw a man who had his prostate removed about five weeks prior to our visit. The procedure was laparoscopic and nerve-sparing. This is important. Without the nerves, the continence mechanism and the mechanism for the return of erectile function cannot occur. 

His first visit included an ultrasound assessment to determine whether he could properly relax his pelvic floor. If the pelvic floor tissues can’t move, they can’t recover. The only way to get them to move is to breathe, and to breathe effectively. 

I anticipated that this breathing assessment and training would merely prepare his pelvic floor muscles for the needed strength training to correct his incontinence. 

But we were both surprised.

The next week, he reported using only two pads a day, not because he needed them. He only had them in case coughing or sneezing got a little out of hand.

There’s no glory for a man with incontinence. But there is glory in enduring suffering and in taking responsibility for what you can to make your life better in order to serve others.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Todd Rundell, DPT