Bladder Control

[lindainillinois]

Looking for feedback. 2 wks ago (12/17) had above sling procedure. Post procedure I still could not urinate by day 4 and went home with catheter. On 12/27 Doc removed catheter and scheduled a followup in 6-weeks.

I was able to urinate, but that evening there was extreme pain and incontinence. Pain decreases daily, but I continue to be incredibly incontinent (the procedure was done to resolve this issue and i was less incontinent before the procedure). I need to urinate every 30 to 45 minutes, sometimes more frequently. What can I do personally to help control my bladder? Is this incontinence normal? How long should recovery take ... both to maintain continence and to resume relatively normal activities?

Thank you for any feedback you can provide...

[gracetou]

Hope your still checking these forums. I had what my Dr. called a bladder suspension. (Not sure if it is a "sling"). I also had vaginal prolapse and recotocele, and uterus removed and some perinium reconstruction. I too have worse incontinence now that I had before. Before it was just when coughing, sneezing, laughing, aerobics, now it is spontanious and sporadic. Even after I void, when I get up, I feel a little spontanious leaking. I wear the mini poise pads now all the time. I too had trouble voiding in the hospital and was sent home with the catheter for 3 days. Removed and two days later I had to go back and get another b/c I was still having trouble. I now go very frequently and it is hard to hold. Since it has been a while since your post, I'm wondering, are you doing any better since. My surgery was Jan. 29. See username "gracetou" for my other posts under the "Vaginal Prolapse" forum. Some of them are more detailed of my experience. Hope to hear from you.
gracetou

[lindainillinois]

Hi Grace,

Thank you for replying.

I have some really good news. I am nearly completely fine now. I think the expectation that things would be better sooner was just too optimistic. I was really suprised at how bad things were the 1st 6 weeks.

One of the things that helped ... my doctor had me self-catheritize for several weeks before going to bed. I don't understand how this all helps but that really did seem to. The doc said that the bladder has to learn to empty itself more completely. I don't need to self-catheritize any more now a. Sometimes I do have to physically push my bladder a bit to get it to empty fully. What is so funny is that i never realized how much urine I was really retaining and it seems like this is a key to eliminating the incontintence (emptying the bladder as fully as possible).

It's been now 2 1/2 months since my surgery. I am wearing the tinest pad (a serenity brand pad) but very rarely need it. I do make sure I use the bathroom before I leave whereever I am, but not the problem is not anywhere nearly as severe as it was. Sometimes I've even forgotten to wear a pad and 9 days out of 10 that would be fine.

I hope things improve for you like they did for me. It is so hard to be patient with this. But I hope it will be OK for you too.

[gracetou]

Hi Linda
Oh my gosh, I am so glad you posted this. My doctor told me to self cath too before bed, after my last void. I have only done it once before, and it is not very comfortable and I'm afraid I'm going to hurt myself. I have been putting it off and I have my 6 week check up on 3/11. She wanted me to do this after my 2 week check up and keep a record of my daily voids (as many as I can while I'm home. Can't measure while I'm out and about, which is not often, but I do run errands here and there and always have to stop to go), and then a record of the amount after the cath at the end of the day, and I still haven't. I guess I kept hoping it would get better by itself. You have given me the info. I need to force myself to do this.
How did you steralize your cath each time? The one time I used it, I washed it with soap and water then poured alchohol over and thru it. How do you keep it clean while not in use. I put mine back in the paper wrapper it came in, but it sits there in a cup, and I'm afraid of getting an infection. Any suggestions? Do you clean it each time before you use it as a precaution. The Drs. never really gave me thorough instructions on that part, and I just haven't called them about it, b/c I wasn't doing what she asked me to do. I will begin that process now though. I will be away this weekend at a retreat though, and so I won't be able to do it there. I'll be sharing a large bunk room with other parents and their teen daughters. I'll have to face the music when I see the Dr. about not doing it. I'll share with her what you said. I'll start tonight and then continue after getting back from the retreat. So, it took you about 2 1/2 months to feel relatively normal. I don't mean to be personal, but are you still sexually active? I'm vey concerned about resuming normal sexual activity with my husband. I read some of the other threads that said they had trouble with that too. UGH!!! This is all so yucky. Why do our parts fall apart when we get older. (At least I am not as young as some of the othe poor young ladies I read about on these posts. Some were as young as in their 20's and are having problems already. I guess I need to be gratefull this all happened later. I'm only 54 though, and hopefully will have a normal life again in this area, one day.) Thanks again. I'll let you know how things turn out for me.
Best wishes,
gracetou

[lindainillinois]

I was so afraid to self-cath too. But it helped so much. I didn't do it religiously (but about 5 X a week).

I didn't sterilize ... i was also worried about infection though. I used hot soapy water and then rinsed it really well. i also did as you did to store the cath. I did rinse it usually before using it though. And I never hurt myself it was all OK.

And they asked me too to measure how much I cathed out. Initially it was a lot, more than 500 (ccs?) I think. Doc said to get down to 100 (ccs?). The last time I cathed I was doing it 3X a week ... and got down to LESS THAN 75.

I don't mind the personal Q ... right now I'm not sexually active. But was not so long ago (before surgery). For right now, the way I feel I KNOW if I had a partner that being active would NOT be any problem. But, while I was healing and still had the incontinence I would have wanted to wait.

I agree it is YUCKY. I'm 56. But now that things are working it doesn't bother me to talk about it really which is kind of suprising! I feel sorry too for the young ones with this problem.

I hope things get better for you really soon. And my bet is that it will be sooner than it seems now.

Good luck! And hope your retreat is nice.

Linda.

[gracetou]

Hi linda
I've been trying to cath, but am having problems. I did it a few days ago and I only got 100 cc's out. It felt like there was alot more in there, so I started to remove it and reinsert it, (before it came all the way out.) I thought maybe I didn't have it in right. It was pretty uncomfortable/painful, and I couldn't get any more out and when I removed it, it had blood on it. I don't know what that was about, and then it hurt when I urniated later. I go for my 6 week tomorrow and will talk to the Doc. about it, but I haven't done much cathing. I know I'm going to have to continue this. UGH. I'm sure she'll give me good advice. I can't wait to feel all the way better. Glad you are feeling so good. Your story is an encouragement to me. Thanks for sharing.
gracetou

[lindainillinois]

Hi Grace,

The big thing that hurt me when I did the self cath (at first) was bladder "contractions or spasams" I don't know what else to call it. I had blood in the beginning too maybe 1st 8 or 10 weeks. Ultimately the blood went away.

Are you using lubrication on the cath before inserting? That's what helped me. KY jelly (any water soluable brand) should help.

If you are not getting all of the urine out, maybe the cath is just not placed correctly? I know that I'd insert it until the urine started to flow. Then I would leave it alone till it was done emptying my bladder. Early on, after i was done I'd have at least 45 minutes of bladder spasams after taking the cath out. That really hurt alot. Inserting would irritate me too a bit.

Hope this helps ....

[bkrum]

I wish I could help you I am having the exact same problem. I would rather be the way I was before the procedure . If you have found anything out please let me know I want my life back instead of my bladder controling it
BKrum