[seanlondon]

In July 2007 I started having a strange and unusual pain whilst going passing urine. Being 23 and sexually active, I thought it may be an STI so I went off to the GUM Clinic to be screened for STIs. My symptoms at the time was just an irritation when urinating. There was no discharge or unusual colour. Over the course of a month, I kept going back to the clinic to tell them my sypmtoms and everytime they told me my test results were all negative.

In August getting really fed up with the situation and starting to see strange things happening to my urine such as it turning red at the end of the urine stream, finding small blood clots and also some mucous, I decided to go and see my GP.

I was asked to provide a sample and having done this blood was visible and when the dipstick test was done blood and protein was showing up as + and +++ respectively. I was then asked to do another sample the following day for sending off to the hospital and also a 24 hour sample. All of the tests came back showing the same results and so was sent off to have an ultrasound of the urinary system and also some blood tests including full blood count, kidney function and, lipids and a referal letter to the Nephrology department was sent.

In September I went to have the ultrasound test. My kidneys were fine and in working condition but, my bladder showed a thickening of the back of the bladder wall and a projection which the technician reported as being 1cm by 9cm. At that point, a referal letter was sent off to the Urology department. I got a phone call within hours from my GP about the results and he seemed to think it was quite urgent. I made an appointment to go back to see my GP to get the results of the blood tests as well and they all came back as normal which was a relief to me.

I went to both the Urologist and Nephrologist in September for initial meetings and a Cystoscopy and biopsy was arranged for October. The Nephrologist weighed me and took another urine sample. Now blood was showing as ++ and protein was reading ++++ and the Nephrologist was starting to look for possible causes for my symptoms. It wasn't a sexually transmitted disease so started to think that I may have caught something abroad maybe in a place like Egypt, but I have only been to Ireland, the Czech Republic and Spain recently and, only for short periods of time.

It's now October and I have recently been to have my Cystoscopy and biopsy and a large ulcer was found. The consultant doing the exam was quite surprised to see this as I was told, it is quite rare and the treatment will be having it scraped out and i'll need to be booked into hospital for a few days. A biopsy was taken for testing. After the examination the consultant asked if I had come into contact with any industrial chemicals a question which I am not sure about. Before the symptoms started I was working as a theatre technician, a career I have been in for 7 years. I have worked with some potentially dangerous materials including solvents and explosives but I don't remember working with any of the chemicals mentioned.

I am currently waiting for the opeartion and will continue to write up on this issue.

[UroDoc]

Thanks for posting let us know what happens, good luck