@graniteridge5/">@@graniteridge5, I really appreciate you sharing that post.. I’m actually still in recovery from... well, I’m not even quite sure what yet. I had surgery for a fibroid back in July (so about five months ago), but seven months before that, I was dealing with similar symptoms—though the fibroid surgery didn't exactly solve everything. Now, on top of those old issues, I'm dealing with this burning sensation in my lower abdomen (maybe the bladder area?) and a sharp, radiating heat that travels down toward my pubic bone. Plus, if I overexert myself even slightly, I deal with some minor leakage.
My doctor told me I absolutely need to see a urogynecologist and strongly suggested a urodynamics study. I already went to a urologist for a cystoscopy and a battery of other tests, but all they could tell me was that everything looks "fine," except for some signs of chronic irritation in one specific spot.. Honestly, I'm terrified. I am scared that any further testing or intervention will just irritate the area even more and push it past a "breaking point"—if it hasn't already. I'm worried about reaching a point of no return where things won't just settle down on their own once given enough time to heal..
In any case, your post really helped ease some of my anxiety. Thank you so much!
@Petra... I can't help but wonder if my issues might actually be hormonal. My cycles have been acting so strange these last few months—they’ve shortened by half and the flow has dwindled significantly. Am I freakingly heading toward perimenopause? 😲 It feels a bit premature, doesn't it? 😁 Though, then again, at 47, perhaps it isn't entirely out of the question... We shall see. Once this cycle passes, I intend to book a private appointment with a urologist to get a comprehensive ultrasound—both transvaginal and abdominal—to determine if there's some kind of pressure on my bladder or if something has simply failed. A little more data will allow us to be smarter about this... closer to the truth.
And oh, the misery of it all... I suppose I should vent to you all, though what choice do I have? To go from being an active, healthy woman to feeling like an invalid for an entire year now—I simply have to let it all out. It all traces back to that one moment when I spilled ice water over my thighs on the final day of my period, and my suffering began right then and there. That is why I want to tell every woman reading this: those old wives' tales our grandmothers told us about being careful during your period? They aren't just superstitions. You truly do need to be cautious during those days. 😢 If only I had taken them seriously sooner... but alas, I didn't. Well... hopefully, things will improve. We take it one step at a time.
@Casey Palmer5/">@@Casey Palmer5, Look... I honestly don't know. I'm just in too much of a state right now to even attempt any kind of effort, let alone actual exercises. If my only issue was incontinence or something similar, fine—I'd be out there working out! But for me, the real problem is this sensation of an "enlarged," painful bladder. It’s hyper-sensitive to everything—touch, pressure, you name it. It feels heavy, like it's just getting in its own way.
And according to my urologist, nothing is technically "wrong." They say it’s just slightly irritated—maybe from constant pressure caused by a fibroid? But then comes the heaviness (which hits me at the slightest exertion, and my definition of "exertion" for my bladder is frankly ridiculous), and then that overwhelming urge to go kicks in. It feels like a pregnant woman dealing with a massive baby pressing down, except in my case, it doesn't feel like the uterus is squeezing anything. It feels like the bladder itself is the culprit, just taking center stage and causing all the trouble. Poor thing. So, yeah.
I had a cystoscopy done at Mayo Clinic.. and let me tell you, what they shoved inside me can be called just about anything except a "tiny tube." Honestly, folks, that "tube" was nearly as thick as my own finger! 😲 Hey, I’m staring at the thing and my eyes are practically popping out of my head in pure disbelief!
I have no idea how they even managed to get it in there, but hey, mission accomplished. It burned like hell. It’s over quickly enough, so you'll survive... but the worst part is trying to pee that day. I intentionally drank less water just so I wouldn't have to run to the bathroom as often..😁
And another thing I didn't care for: he just sat there watching, jotting down his little notes while the screen stayed dark. I couldn't see a single thing—and since I’m clearly not a medical expert, I'm clueless here—he won't explain anything to me. He just tells me everything looks fine, no polyps, no fistulas, just some signs of chronic inflammation in one spot. Then he says, "Go home, take it easy." That's it. No anti-inflammatories or anything else. 🤦😁
I think next time I'll go to a private specialist if I ever need this again (which, God willing, I won't). I highly recommend going private if you can swing the cost. If you can't, then this isn't the end of the world either... it sounds way worse than it actually is. I mean, come on, we're tough; we can handle just about anything, as long as it doesn't drag on too long. 😉
Thank you so much for getting back to me! I’ll definitely try to implement all of that when the time is right..
So, I ended up at the urologist. I actually had to head to the ER because I just couldn't take it anymore.. The urinary retention has subsided for now, as I managed to force things back to a somewhat normal rhythm.. They ran some tests and even did a cystoscopy. Thankfully, there aren't any polyps or tumors; they just found signs of chronic inflammation in one specific spot.
And then, of course, they just send me home without any kind of treatment plan. "Rest".. seriously? How am I supposed to just rest?! I honestly don't get it.. After all that bed rest and making one little mistake, my bladder issues clearly flared up again.. They really should have prescribed me some anti-inflammatories or something.. it's ridiculous..
But hey, I guess the good news is that nothing is physically growing inside. Not that I was expecting anything else, really. My main concern was figuring out how to stop this ongoing "deterioration" of my bladder caused by all this pelvic inflammation.. I just wanted them to give me something to help dampen that chronic inflammation (which apparently isn't even "there")—some anti-inflammatory medication to lower the risk of things getting worse.. but nothing.. just "go rest".. oh my God..
Whatever. I have patience.. if I could manage to stay in bed for an entire year, I can handle one more.. 😲🤦😁
I’ll probably go see a private urogynecologist to check the positioning of my pelvic organs (just to make sure they aren't pressing against my bladder or that it hasn't prolapsed..) and to finally get some anti-inflammatory meds.. I'm not leaving their office until I walk out with a prescription..! 😁
@casualbadger22/">@@casualbadger22, would you happen to have a link to that website where you found those exercises? I would truly appreciate it if you could share it...🙂
I haven't even attempted those Keglov exercises because the second I try to engage anything (you know, actually doing pelvic floor work), I get these dull, aching pains in my uterus right where the internal stitches are... so basically, I've given up for now, though certainly not forever. I fully intend to start those Keglov exercises as soon as my uterus allows it. That’s my only sliver of hope right now. And that was before this whole burning sensation and urinary leakage started. Now, on top of that dull ache—which flares up if I exercise or carry anything heavier than a small water bottle—there's this intense burning and pain in my lower abdomen. It feels like I have an open wound down there. It's horrific... 😲 So, exercising is completely out of the question at the moment...
At this point, my bladder is the biggest nightmare. My leaks? They're even worse than they were yesterday... I finally tracked down a urologist (he's actually a family friend of my mother's from back home), but he won't even see me for a consultation until this Sunday, and even then, he just wants to talk first to figure out what's going on; he refuses to do anything over the phone. Typical. Honestly, I feel even worse after that conversation... I don't know if I can even make it to Sunday, let alone wait for him to schedule a full exam... oh boy! 😲 My period is tapering off; it should be completely gone by tomorrow, so maybe I could manage some exams then. But that lower area just keeps burning and burning, truly like a raw wound. I'm terrified I'll end up having to go to the ER, and then may God help me... I'll probably just have some residents or interns shoving a catheter into me. 😲 🙂 I am praying I can hold out until Sunday, and then through next Monday, without ending up in the emergency room. I would much rather this doctor see me immediately... 🙂 Please keep your fingers crossed for me so we can somehow convince him to squeeze me in...
Thanks so much for all the info, I really appreciate it. I'm going to have to weigh my options and see what makes sense. My mom is actually staying with me right now and she knows a specialist urologist, so we’re probably going to start by scheduling an appointment with him to see what he thinks..
The thing that’s really keeping me in a state of shock is this: I’ve been reading up on it, and apparently, for these kinds of issues, they use a catheter—and there’s even a chance that catheter might become permanent... 😲 Or, if they actually find the root cause (and my hunch is it's a prolapsed uterus—though nothing is confirmed yet), then the uterus comes out! 😲 I mean, it's a total horror movie. Honestly, incontinence itself isn't even what scares me as much as the thought of a hysterectomy, or whatever else might happen...
I am completely spiraling. This is the breaking point. After spending nine months mostly stuck in bed following doctor's orders, followed by surgery, then another four months of forced rest (interrupted by one massive, stupid mistake—carrying a one-year-old around—I'm such an idiot!!), and now this... I was terrified that something had gone wrong with my stitches, or that I wouldn't develop enough adhesions because of this (it felt like they were growing, which was hard enough to deal with, but whatever...). I thought I had come to terms with everything, but this is just too terrifying.. I don't know... I can't wait for my period to end so I can finally go see the gynecologist and the urologist. But given how long the wait times are here (my gyno is private, but the urologist is giving me a real runaround), I have no idea where to turn.. Does anyone have a solid urologist they can recommend? Please, please help me out with any experiences or recommendations for a good urologist!! Thanks in advance!
Ladies, I am honestly in total shock. My health issues have been dragging on forever. And now it’s becoming clear that these urinary problems were just a symptom of something deeper. I am at my wits' end. I truly don't know what to do anymore. Basically, I dealt with this "persistent inflammation" down there—fibroids, doctors being unable to pinpoint the exact cause of my pain, and all that. Everything was blamed on the fibroids, and they told me surgery was the only way out. Well, fast forward to now: the fibroids are gone, but the symptoms? They haven't budged. What I'm dealing with is chronic sensitivity in my lower abdomen, described as this intense, burning pain. I foolishly assumed it was just my poor bladder being crushed by a uterus weighed down by massive fibroids, so I rushed into surgery to fix it once and for all. However, during those nine agonizing months leading up to the operation, alongside the typical symptoms explained by the fibroids, I would occasionally feel that same burning sensation right above my pubic bone. My gut told me it was my bladder, but I rationalized it as the uterus pressing against it, thinking everything would resolve itself once the fibroids were removed. That didn't happen. I mean, maybe it did initially, but about two months into recovery, I made the mistake of picking up a small child, and I felt it—that uterine pain. The sharp pain subsided (right where the internal incision was), and an ultrasound showed the uterus and the surgical site were fine, but that heavy, bloated feeling in my lower abdomen persisted. I managed to keep everything under control until I had to step in and help my mother. She's elderly, and she needed assistance getting to a surgery for cataracts. Fearing any complications, I spent the day before helping her pack; I was packing myself (with some help from MM) for our trip. The next day, MM was handling all the heavy pots and pans while I just flipped the meat. But I was on my feet a lot. Constant sitting and standing. I wasn't resting. Even though it had been four months since my laparoscopic surgery and I decided to try being a bit more active, God, that was a costly decision. That burning pain flared up again. I thought to myself, *fine, it’s probably not the first or last time.* But after spending two days following my mom and MM around hospitals (though I tried to stay seated most of the time), that burning sensation intensified. Okay, I thought. Enough. Let MM handle things; I’m going to bed. AND THEN THE SHOCK—my bladder actually started leaking urine! 😲 And then I remembered what my gynecologist said during my last exam—how she noted my bladder was full, even though I had been in the restroom just three minutes prior! When I pointed this out to her, she just looked at me and said, "That's impossible." She insisted, "Trust me, you probably just drank too much water before the appointment." Fine, whatever, I thought, but a seed of doubt remained. Once that involuntary leaking started, everything finally clicked into place. It turns out my bladder hasn't been functioning correctly for this entire year. It doesn't empty completely. So, the issue was that localized pain all along, not the uterus recovering, as I had originally believed. So, what now? Nothing. I'm heading to a urologist. I'll see what happens next. I am in a state of total despair. After all the struggles with my uterus and fibroids, I've now opened up a whole new, terrifying chapter of misery. Does anyone here have experience with retention or involuntary voiding? What are my actual options? I will let you all know how things progress. Keep your fingers crossed for me, ladies... 😢