8 replies to this topic

[Seier]

Hi Everyone,

Just a quick bit of history; My husband had an operation to remove a tumour from around his spinal cord in July last year, he was in rehab for six months...got out a week before Christmas
We've been getting used to this 'new' life situation...catheter times, a good bowel programme and turning etc etc.. and it's going pretty well. Yesterday he got a letter from the hospital saying he has an appointment for a urology examination (not sure if that is actually the right word for it cos the letter was in Finnish!) ...He's still nervous when it comes to anything to do with hospitals and just hates going back in there. So he doesn't really want to go and noone has explained to him why he needs this examination. So I just wanted to find out if anyone had any information..is it helpful to have this examination..? Is it painful?

Really appreciate any comments

Thanks!

[quadinva]

Yes! Its worth it. I have the same mindset about doctors as your husband and avoid them at all costs (hadnt vistited my gp for 4 years prior to my accident). But keepng your bladder healthy is one of the most important things with an SCI in my opinion. From what I hear, problems with the bladder that lead to kidney problems are NOT something you want to deal with. The urologist is the only doc I regularly see for checkk ups bi-annually. I also have a urodynamics test and ultrasound of kidneys and bladder once a year. I cant imagine hell do anything painful to your husband, probably just discuss fluid intake and urine output to determine if yall are on the best cathing schedule. My advice is develop a good repor with a good urologist.

-Bags

[hannibal]

I would do the exam, when I had mine it was discovered that my bladder generates alot of pressure which can cause problems. You are usually in and out in about a hour from what I rememeber. The only side effects was that I felt burning pain in my bladder which went away in a couple days.

[Seier]

They said something in the letter about ultrasound and putting two caths in his bladder, one to fill it up and the other to measure the pressure in the bladder and the flow of urine out.
They will also have some kind of sensor in the bowel to measure the pressure in there.

They give an antibiotic called cipromed before to avoid catching an infection.

I'm pretty sure he'll benefit from going but he just wants to know a bit more about it to put his mind at rest..

[quadinva]

Seier, on 24 January 2012 - 09:34 PM, said:

They said something in the letter about ultrasound and putting two caths in his bladder, one to fill it up and the other to measure the pressure in the bladder and the flow of urine out.
They will also have some kind of sensor in the bowel to measure the pressure in there.

They give an antibiotic called cipromed before to avoid catching an infection.

I'm pretty sure he'll benefit from going but he just wants to know a bit more about it to put his mind at rest..

This is the urodynamics test that I mentioned and that is used to measure the bladder pressures hannibal described. Nothing to worry about with the test, it feels like getting cathed. They insert the catheter and a sensor (wire) in the bum. Then slowly fill the bladder with water until you feel the urge to wee and it expels it. Its used to measure how much liquid the bladder can hold and what kind of ppressures your bladder experiences. Totally painless procedure in my experiences.

[mellowgator]

quadinva, on 24 January 2012 - 11:46 PM, said:

Seier, on 24 January 2012 - 09:34 PM, said:

They said something in the letter about ultrasound and putting two caths in his bladder, one to fill it up and the other to measure the pressure in the bladder and the flow of urine out.
They will also have some kind of sensor in the bowel to measure the pressure in there.

They give an antibiotic called cipromed before to avoid catching an infection.

I'm pretty sure he'll benefit from going but he just wants to know a bit more about it to put his mind at rest..

This is the urodynamics test that I mentioned and that is used to measure the bladder pressures hannibal described. Nothing to worry about with the test, it feels like getting cathed. They insert the catheter and a sensor (wire) in the bum. Then slowly fill the bladder with water until you feel the urge to wee and it expels it. Its used to measure how much liquid the bladder can hold and what kind of ppressures your bladder experiences. Totally painless procedure in my experiences.

quadivna,

do you have feeling below level of injury?

i did the urodynamics test and didn't like the feeling of a cathater up my bung hole. one thing i wish they had told me was to do a bowel program before the procedure. i would of been more comfortable and it would of been easier for the nurse to get the catheter in.

[quadinva]

mellowgator, on 25 January 2012 - 01:37 AM, said:

quadinva, on 24 January 2012 - 11:46 PM, said:

Seier, on 24 January 2012 - 09:34 PM, said:

They said something in the letter about ultrasound and putting two caths in his bladder, one to fill it up and the other to measure the pressure in the bladder and the flow of urine out.
They will also have some kind of sensor in the bowel to measure the pressure in there.

They give an antibiotic called cipromed before to avoid catching an infection.

I'm pretty sure he'll benefit from going but he just wants to know a bit more about it to put his mind at rest..

This is the urodynamics test that I mentioned and that is used to measure the bladder pressures hannibal described. Nothing to worry about with the test, it feels like getting cathed. They insert the catheter and a sensor (wire) in the bum. Then slowly fill the bladder with water until you feel the urge to wee and it expels it. Its used to measure how much liquid the bladder can hold and what kind of ppressures your bladder experiences. Totally painless procedure in my experiences.

oops, youre totally right gator...I fully intended to preface that post with "I don't have feeling down there but.....". Sorry about that

quadivna,

do you have feeling below level of injury?

i did the urodynamics test and didn't like the feeling of a cathater up my bung hole. one thing i wish they had told me was to do a bowel program before the procedure. i would of been more comfortable and it would of been easier for the nurse to get the catheter in.

[Seier]

Thanks alot for your replies! He mostly doesn't have feeling below the injury level but sometimes gets a burning sensation after the catheter,

Thanks Mellowgator, really good to know! I'll get him to do a bowel programme right before we leave.

[isobar]

Yes it's well worth it and may give you more insight about your bladder function. Knowledge allows us to take better care for ourselves.