Urologist

Considering my last post, it seemed only right to search for a urologist. So, I asked my obgyn/surgeon who he could direct me to.

My bladder symptoms are a bit odd. [Reminder] I’m still dealing with bouts of bladder retention, persistent leukocytes, and the uncontrollable, intermittent Niagara Falls from my urethra. Fun times.

My obgyn/surgeon seems perplexed at how my bladder is behaving. He thinks it might be because I’m not producing enough estrogen for it to function correctly. How hilarious would that be? I had the curse of producing too much estrogen for years.

Anyways, he prescribed me some estrogen. He also prescribed me some calmer antibiotics until I can get things checked and resolved. I have an inkling that the sharp, pinch-like pain I felt from the second Foley catheter they had put in me might be playing a part in my bladder spasms and leukocytes. And I still feel that pain despite being catheter free for a week. Especially when I used a self-catheter.

What I’m not sure about, is what’s causing my bladder to be over-reactive? Is it the irritation and inflammation? Is there a nerve messing with it? Or was the removal of my presacral plexus playing into it? I’m PRAYING the urologist my doctor referred me to will help me and find the cause.

I was expecting to wait quite a bit to see the urologist. The lady on the phone said that he wouldn’t be available until the end of July. I sort of panicked and said that my issue seems to be getting worse so if there’s any possible chance to get seen I would take it. First she said she’d put me on the list to move up the line when someone cancelled their appointment. And then she suggested a different urologist. As she was doing so, out of nowhere, there’s an opening for tomorrow morning!

My brain was like GO GO GO!!

Appointment set. Then next issue arose. I was told to bring all my medical information with me to the appointment. Assuming the only relevant information was at the obgyn, I moved quickly.

So I requested, well more like pleaded, if I could get my medical info today from the obgyn clinic. And bless them, they helped me get my stuff same day. I signed the release form, drove over to the clinic when the papers were printed and ready, and paid the fee.

Pure relief. Just complete peace right now that it all worked out in such a short time.

Fingers crossed that tomorrow leads to finding the answers to my urological issues. 🤞 

Sincerely,
Jenn

Physically and mentally worn down after surgery

I had been searching for the right place and doctor to help me with my severe endometriosis. And I did after an OB-GYN at Mayo Clinic referred me to a really good surgeon and colleague of his.

The surgery itself was successful. 5 hours of surgery (laparoscopy, myectomy, and presacral neurectomy) and so much endo and several fibroids removed. Yay.

It’s the recovery that’s been hell. Pain was over the top the first five days and I took the medication they prescribed to work through it. After those five days, I developed a pain that was new. It kept getting worse day by day. And I was having trouble peeing and haven’t pooped. By the end of the week the pain became too much and I began vomiting. I was taken to the ER.

Bladder retention. I couldn’t empty my bladder. There was like half a liter stuck in my distended bladder. They put on a catheter, gave me some pain relief and nausea medication, and sent me home with antibiotics (Nitrofurantoin) to fight off possible UTI.

From this point on it has been back and forth to the surgeon’s clinic where I worked with the nurses to recover. I was stuck with a Foley catheter for two weeks. My bladder kept spasming so they gave me medication to calm it. My urethra was wrecked by the end of it so I started leaking outside of the catheter. I also developed a UTI after stopping the antibiotics meant to prevent the UTI because I ran out and the clinic said I didn’t need more.

Had to go to urgent care when I saw bits of blood in my catheter which soon turned my urine pink and saw sediment. Also because the UTI test kit showed I had positive in Leukocytes. They prescribed me Ciprofloxacin and I’ve been on it since. I had my catheter removed on the 9th and have been trying to regain proper control of my bladder. I was given self catheters in case I start to retain again and to help train my bladder.

Twice in a row now I’ve developed piercing pain in the lower left of my back. I’m still leaking horribly so I’m wearing incontinence pads and when the inflammation gets bad I can’t pee normally anymore.

I’m so tired. It’s been a month of pains worse than endometriosis appearing at random points and my bladder just seems like it doesn’t want to work right anymore. I’m scared. I’m scared things got fucked up because too much at once was done during the surgery. I’m scared I’m screwing up my insides because of the medication though I’ve done my best to use the pain medication sparingly since the ER.

I’m also scared of side effects from all the different medications (antibiotic included) and that my UTI won’t ever disappear since it’s still there and now I have positive for Nitrates in my test. It appears to show trace signs now in leukocytes though.

My belly looks so big because of the inflammation.

It hurts too.

Will I actually get full usage of my bladder back? Will the infection end or medication end up ruining me?

Sincerely,
Jenn