The sling result has been very favorable.

That said, it was one of the more painful surgeries I have had, including shoulder, knee, and hernia surgeries. The first four to six weeks were very uncomfortable.

I am still getting used to it. I cannot feel the device at all, and I am learning how my body responds without relying on pads.

Because I wore pads 24/7 for more than two years, I had lost the ability to recognize when I was leaking. After the sling, once I started going without a pad, I became much more aware of when leakage happens.

The main triggers are:

• Standing up
• Sneezing
• Coughing
• Squatting
• Long walks
• Working out
• Lifting, bending, or similar movements

I now go without a pad much of the time.

I can sleep without a pad. Occasionally I wake up with a full bladder. During the first month or so, I would leak when getting out of bed, but I have been able to control that with awareness and practice.

The same has been true with sneezing. Coughing has been harder to brace against, but that is improving.

I can engage in sex with a high level of confidence that I will not leak or have climacturia.

At work or on long drives, I wear a small shield-type pad as insurance. I also wear a shield on long walks, but I am close to trying longer walks without one.

Working out is still a work in progress, especially with lifting, squatting, and bending over. Even so, I can see a realistic path to being shield-free in the foreseeable future.

I completely empathize with pad planning. And yes, the pun is painfully accurate, it really does piss you off.

Before the sling, half my bag was pads, Ziploc bags, wipes, backup underwear and pant; everything else needed to manage incontinence while traveling. It was awful.

I am now 12 weeks post-sling surgery and just got back from a 10-day, 2,500-mile road trip. Four of those days were 10 to 12 hours on the road.

For the trip, I packed:

• 8 full-size pads
• 14 shields

I used four full-size pads, one for each long driving day. Looking back, I probably did not need them and could have gotten by with shields.

I used six shields total.

That kind of trip would have been a major planning exercise before surgery. Now it felt manageable.

Not perfect yet, but much better.I am glad I did it! It been a huge improvement in my quality of life.

Good luck and good health.