Today I had a rough day and so I thought I would finish sharing my story, because I always feel better after I look back and see how far I have come.
So, I left off with starting meds I believe. Well lets just say this, they were not fun. I can not even remember then names of them that is how much I just hated them. So The doctor started me off on a med that was supposed to make my bladder contract more. She was hoping that is would start the nerves working better. All I can say is that it made the wrong nerves work better. Once the med really kicked in I started having a lot of pain in the muscles that surround the lower abdomen. I still had no feeling in my bladder, but I could feel the muscles in that area were spasming more. Also during this time I kept getting a lot of urinary tract infections. Not cool!!! Another thing that I did not really connect with the med at first was the fact that when ever I went into the hospital they would put in a catheter to get a urine sample. Well I soon noticed that any intrusion into that chasm of doom led to a lot of pain and spasms that would have me nearly in tears. I stopped letting them do that and when they asked for samples I took to just sitting on the toilet until my bladder decided that it was time to go. That can take a while. If it was urgent that they get the test I just let them use a catheter and dealt with the pain. But that was only when necessary.
So anyway, once we knew for sure that med wasn't going to work, We told the doctor and she decided to try Flowmax. I don't know what that one was supposed to do, but once again it did not work. And this one made me really sick all the time. I stopped that one pretty early on. I was just miserable at this point and at my wits end with all the doctors.
My mom was really the one that was so focused on the fact that I needed to go to the doctors for the incontinence. I really just wanted to leave it alone. I had my fill of them for the time being. I had been in the hospital for years and doctors were the last thing on my list of favorite things to do. So seeing as she was so persistent about it, I told here that I wanted to see a different doctor cause this lady was just not getting the picture. I had been like this a year (I think) and I was just so sick of it. But I did give in and we found a new doctor. Boy was I surprised at this doctor. He was wonderful. He explained to my mom that the tests have all concluded that I have non functioning nerves in my bladder. He said they are dead and not really much they can do about that. He pretty much said there is no use in beating our heads against the wall trying to get them to work again. He would rather focus on getting my infections down. So he did a bladder scan and it showed that while it seemed like I was emptying my bladder all the way when I did go, that it was not the case. I was retaining my pee pee pretty much every time I went to the bathroom. That was the reason I had infections. His goal became getting my bladder to empty every time. He put me on a med I think is called Doxazosin. He said this will cause the bladder neck to open all the way and that this is what would make it empty fully. I have to admit I was skeptical about it. But to my surprise I did not have another infection after I started that medication. I was very happy. I had No UTI's for over a year or more. But I soon grew tired of the many pills I was on and stopped taking it after a few months. I still have it and I take it on and off if I feel I am having an issues again.
Now that I was feeling better, as far as the bladder goes, I turned my attention to making the best out of the whole incontinence thing. I figured that seeing as I was going to be this way for...Well forever, that it was time to accept it for the way it was. Also I wanted to find a product that really worked well for me as I just could not use the store diapers anymore. I was tired off all the leaks and wet beds in the morning. I wanted something that could set me free, so to speak. I wanted my life back. This was about the time that I started looking into support groups and finding people that have gone through some of the stuff that I went through. I started sharing with people and hearing their stories and about how they lived day to day life, and it showed me that I could live again to. That I could do everything I used to and not be scared. I felt like I was learning to breathe all over again. I suddenly had a new lease on life and it felt so good.
So, I left off with starting meds I believe. Well lets just say this, they were not fun. I can not even remember then names of them that is how much I just hated them. So The doctor started me off on a med that was supposed to make my bladder contract more. She was hoping that is would start the nerves working better. All I can say is that it made the wrong nerves work better. Once the med really kicked in I started having a lot of pain in the muscles that surround the lower abdomen. I still had no feeling in my bladder, but I could feel the muscles in that area were spasming more. Also during this time I kept getting a lot of urinary tract infections. Not cool!!! Another thing that I did not really connect with the med at first was the fact that when ever I went into the hospital they would put in a catheter to get a urine sample. Well I soon noticed that any intrusion into that chasm of doom led to a lot of pain and spasms that would have me nearly in tears. I stopped letting them do that and when they asked for samples I took to just sitting on the toilet until my bladder decided that it was time to go. That can take a while. If it was urgent that they get the test I just let them use a catheter and dealt with the pain. But that was only when necessary.
So anyway, once we knew for sure that med wasn't going to work, We told the doctor and she decided to try Flowmax. I don't know what that one was supposed to do, but once again it did not work. And this one made me really sick all the time. I stopped that one pretty early on. I was just miserable at this point and at my wits end with all the doctors.
My mom was really the one that was so focused on the fact that I needed to go to the doctors for the incontinence. I really just wanted to leave it alone. I had my fill of them for the time being. I had been in the hospital for years and doctors were the last thing on my list of favorite things to do. So seeing as she was so persistent about it, I told here that I wanted to see a different doctor cause this lady was just not getting the picture. I had been like this a year (I think) and I was just so sick of it. But I did give in and we found a new doctor. Boy was I surprised at this doctor. He was wonderful. He explained to my mom that the tests have all concluded that I have non functioning nerves in my bladder. He said they are dead and not really much they can do about that. He pretty much said there is no use in beating our heads against the wall trying to get them to work again. He would rather focus on getting my infections down. So he did a bladder scan and it showed that while it seemed like I was emptying my bladder all the way when I did go, that it was not the case. I was retaining my pee pee pretty much every time I went to the bathroom. That was the reason I had infections. His goal became getting my bladder to empty every time. He put me on a med I think is called Doxazosin. He said this will cause the bladder neck to open all the way and that this is what would make it empty fully. I have to admit I was skeptical about it. But to my surprise I did not have another infection after I started that medication. I was very happy. I had No UTI's for over a year or more. But I soon grew tired of the many pills I was on and stopped taking it after a few months. I still have it and I take it on and off if I feel I am having an issues again.
Now that I was feeling better, as far as the bladder goes, I turned my attention to making the best out of the whole incontinence thing. I figured that seeing as I was going to be this way for...Well forever, that it was time to accept it for the way it was. Also I wanted to find a product that really worked well for me as I just could not use the store diapers anymore. I was tired off all the leaks and wet beds in the morning. I wanted something that could set me free, so to speak. I wanted my life back. This was about the time that I started looking into support groups and finding people that have gone through some of the stuff that I went through. I started sharing with people and hearing their stories and about how they lived day to day life, and it showed me that I could live again to. That I could do everything I used to and not be scared. I felt like I was learning to breathe all over again. I suddenly had a new lease on life and it felt so good.