Leaking Bladder

K.,
There is an insert for the bladder--like a little balloon. It was effective but I got tired of using it. If you can find a physical therapist who specializes in pelvic floor issue, that might solve the problem for good.
I decided to have surgery--the newer method that is outpatient. I was back to strenuous exercise in two weeks. Dr. Jerry Frankel here in McKinney TX was one of the pioneers. You may want to call his office to get the details and see if they can recommend someone in your area. I would discourage you from having the other kind of bladder surgery as it has a 6 week recovery period and an 80% failure rate.
Hope this helps,
Victoria

I tried Kegels, but that did not help one bit. Turns out I had a cystocele (and a rectocele...lucky me!). Surgery was the only real answer for me. I had it done (out-patient) and things "down south" are now wonderful. I swear...I could drink a litre of pop and then go jump on a trampoline, and I won't leak a drop. Best surgery EVER!

Your OB/GYN should have recommended you do Kegel exercises which strengthen the vaginal muscles and help pull your bladder back into a position that is more natural.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kegel_exercise

Unfortunately, 2 things happen as we age:
1. Gravity plays a nasty trick on where our organs are positioned as our muscle tone gets weaker
2. Having children messes up not only our muscle tone but also organ positon.

I had bad stress incontinence after my kids and through chemo (nothing worse than completely wetting myself EVERY time I threw up from the treatment).

If your bladder has descended too much, there are operations that can help bring it back up into a more comfortable position. There is also physical therapy (no joke) to help you learn to strengthen the vaginal muscles again.

I experienced the same thing. I made sure to limit liquids, especially tea/coffee (diuretic) intake before exercise. I also sometimes had to take a break in the middle of exercise to empty my bladder. I thought I would have this problem for the rest of my life but it has greatly improved as I continue to strengthen all muscles through a variety of exercise.

Get a referral for physical therapy - you want someone who specializes in pelvic floor dysfunction. I went to a PT for some related birth injuries (prolapse) and it was VERY helpful. There are many exercises that you can do to help with this. Definitely do NOT consider surgery unless you've tried all your options and it still doesn't help. PT will take some time and effort, but once you retrain your muscles you should be completely cured.

Dr. Sandra Culbertson specializes in urogynecologic conditions. She's at the brand new Silver Cross Center for Women's Health in New Lenox, right at !-355 and Maple Rd. This may be far for you, but it's a really nice place. You can read about Dr. Culberstson's background at this site http://bit.ly/dkj1bD .