I have always been a very active person, but even in high school and college, if I jumped on a trampoline, sneezed suddenly or had to make a fast break in a sporting event, I would leak urine. It was irritating, but didn't slow me down. After my first child was born it got worse but I did kegels and improved.After my fourth child, however, even moderate walking would cause me to leak to the point where I had to wear a maxi pad all the time. I tried biofeedback and then electrical stimulation. That was real fun trying to do "kegel- type"exercises 3 times a day, 15 minutes a session locked in my attic with electrodes stuck on my you-know-what and the 4 kids banging on the door. I lasted 3 days of a 3 month regime and gave up. I then had my Gyn refer me to a surgeon who specializes in women and incontinence. After examining me for the first time, the doc told me in his most advanced medical jargon that I had a "crappy squeezer".

I'm sorry, I ran out of space- this is my first posting.This is still gravityvictim. After doing an extensive test on me,it was determined that I had neurological damage most likely from birthing babies and that no amount of kegels would solve my problem. I then had TVT surgery in which a sort of sling was put under my urethra or something. It's like a miracle--I can run, jump, hang from the ceiling and I don't leak. I can't believe I waited so long to do this surgery and put up with wetting my pants for so long.P.S. I had the surgery when I was 41.

I know I shouldn't be laughing but I am picturing the kids banging on the door and you laying there with cords coming out of your private parts! And I thought it was bad to have the kids track me down while in the bathroom!

I also got a chuckle because I will never forget the first time I played basketball (after giving birth) running full speed in a gym with spectators and all thinking...what the heck is that? Am I wetting my pants? It was hysterical. I hadn't really run hard since the baby was born and I was clueless. Needless to say, I never went to another game without the old MAXI pad! Interesting though, I no longer have that problem...weird!

I am glad you had that taken care of. Would love to see you hanging from the ceiling!

It is comforting to know that I am not the only woman fighting the incontinence battle, although I wouldn't wish this nightmare on anyone! I went to a urologist just this past week and had a urodynamics test run. This included drinking a large amount of water about an hour and a half before the test and resisting voiding for 3 hours. Then when I was finally called into the exam room, they had me pee in this huge funnel, which was hooked up to a computer. The computer measured the force of my urine stream and the amounts on a graphic screen. After I finished peeing into the funnel, the nurse inserted a catheter into my bladder and measured what was removed via catheter for residual output. Then that catheter was removed, and a much smaller one inserted, and a small rectal probe was inserted into my rectum. A couple of electrodes were placed on my buttocks to measure muscle contraction there while voiding. Then the nurse hooked the bladder catheter up to a bag of normal saline hanging from a pole and filled my bladder up with fluid. I was instructed to tell her when I first felt any pressure, when I felt as though I should void, and when I felt that I couldn't hold it any longer. Then she told me to pee. With the catheter in place, blocking my ureters, I had to lean to one side to get anything out, and it took forever. After I peed that way, she measured what I had voided. That was the end of the test. AFter lunch, I visited with the urologist again, who offered several options. Then he started me on Detrol, which is a medication for overactive bladder. He told me the next step, if the Detrol does not help, is to do surgery. One surgery involved inserting diamond chips into my urethra to help tighten it up, the other surgery was the TVT surgery.
I have noticed some relief with the Detrol, but I am still not confident enough to go without my pads.
I am told this is a pretty common problem in women our age, and that a lot of women just suffer through it without seeking treatment. I'm glad I have started trying to cure my problem, and I'd certainly encourage anyone else fighting incontinence to do the same.

I also have this problem. There is a Urinary Incontinence Center in MD. that was doing a test with a drug that was used for depression. They found out it also worked for incontinence. I tried it ,because I was desperate, and it worked very well, but I had to stop because of one of its side effects.If you want to know more let me know. If I remember correctly it will be out on the market soon.
I'm seriously thinking about the surgery,but it may be awhile.It's good to hear info about the surgery.

I took Detrol for a few years and that worked very well for me. My magic pill was losing my excess weight (which I still have some of, BTW). I don't have that problem any longer! My mother had the same thing years ago and the docs did a bladder suspension and fixed hers for years, but them it came back after about 10 or 15 years.

Yes, my doctor warned me that the surgery might not be a permanent solution. But even if I have to have it redone in a few years, it might be worth it to have 10 to 15 years of relief. I've already suffered with this problem for 25 years...and its been getting worse since my hysterectomy. The Detrol is somewhat helpful, but it has not taken the problem away entirely. I go back to my urologist in August. We'll see what he says then.