Urologist Visit
I was so nervous today going to see this new urologist. I was looking forward to the appointment because of the chance that she would at least be able to help me some. I was also very nervous because let's face it, meeting a new doctor is bad enough. Meeting a new doctor when you know you're not going to have pants on is worth being a little nervous for.
Dr. Vereb turned out to be very nice (which I knew she would). Despite my nerves and worries about adding yet another doctor to frequent and copay to pay this turned out the be the very best thing that could have happened to me. Dr. Vereb thinks that I was misdiagnosed by the idiots I saw in Birmingham. She thinks that I might not have interstitial cystitis at all!
Back when all of this started I had a really bad UTI. Dr. Vereb said that sometimes the pain and trauma of an UTI like that can cause a pelvic floor dysfunction. Ever see a skeleton? Know that big hole between the hips? There's one great big muscle there that kind of holds everything up and in place. Think of it almost like a serpentine belt in a car. It wraps around everything down there to keep it in place and running properly. The only problem is that mine has been traumatized.
My pelvic floor muscle has been contracted and spasming, which is a likely explanation for all of my symptoms. The urinary frequency and urgency are explained by the bladder being squeezed. The urethra's been irritated as well. With all the compression she said that it's likely that I'm unable to completely empty my bladder which explains why I always feel like I have to go. It also explains the sensitivity and pain in other locations of the same locale. I don't want to go to TMI, but you get the drift.
The general treatment plan is a couple of medicines to help relax my pelvic floor muscle and get it to open back up. I'm also going to have to go to physical therapy for it, which is a really weird thought. Yes, in basic wording, I'm going to be getting a *ahem* private massage. It still weirds me out a little but honestly at this point I've had so many different doctors involved in this that I'm far from modest if it's going to help. Dr. Vereb thinks that with the new medicines and the PT I'm likely to be symptom free within three to four months.
I also have a crazy new bathroom routine to follow. I have to watch my hands before I go to the bathroom as well now. I'm supposed to only wear cotton and use unscented toilet paper (not much of a problem with those two). I'm supposed to keep track of how often I go to the bathroom and try to space it out to more normal times to restretch my bladder. I also have a little squeeze bottle with an angled tip for rinsing after I urinate and I have to apply neopsorin after as well. I don't think there's going to be a such thing as a "quick trip to the restroom" for me in the next few months. Once again, I so don't care. If this helps, bring it on.
Three to four months is nothing. I was looking at dealing with this pain for the rest of my life. Forever. I'm only twenty=six years old! This was going to be at least fifty something years of this (I would hope!). Instead with a little hassle and a few awkward PT session I'm looking at three to four months. That's a visible light at the end of the tunnel!
It's honestly hard to explain in words how I'm feeling about all of this. When Dr. Vereb gave me the news I burst into tears in her office. It's absolutely monumental news for me, and for Daniel too. I just don't know how to begin to express it.
Dr. Vereb turned out to be very nice (which I knew she would). Despite my nerves and worries about adding yet another doctor to frequent and copay to pay this turned out the be the very best thing that could have happened to me. Dr. Vereb thinks that I was misdiagnosed by the idiots I saw in Birmingham. She thinks that I might not have interstitial cystitis at all!
Back when all of this started I had a really bad UTI. Dr. Vereb said that sometimes the pain and trauma of an UTI like that can cause a pelvic floor dysfunction. Ever see a skeleton? Know that big hole between the hips? There's one great big muscle there that kind of holds everything up and in place. Think of it almost like a serpentine belt in a car. It wraps around everything down there to keep it in place and running properly. The only problem is that mine has been traumatized.
My pelvic floor muscle has been contracted and spasming, which is a likely explanation for all of my symptoms. The urinary frequency and urgency are explained by the bladder being squeezed. The urethra's been irritated as well. With all the compression she said that it's likely that I'm unable to completely empty my bladder which explains why I always feel like I have to go. It also explains the sensitivity and pain in other locations of the same locale. I don't want to go to TMI, but you get the drift.
The general treatment plan is a couple of medicines to help relax my pelvic floor muscle and get it to open back up. I'm also going to have to go to physical therapy for it, which is a really weird thought. Yes, in basic wording, I'm going to be getting a *ahem* private massage. It still weirds me out a little but honestly at this point I've had so many different doctors involved in this that I'm far from modest if it's going to help. Dr. Vereb thinks that with the new medicines and the PT I'm likely to be symptom free within three to four months.
I also have a crazy new bathroom routine to follow. I have to watch my hands before I go to the bathroom as well now. I'm supposed to only wear cotton and use unscented toilet paper (not much of a problem with those two). I'm supposed to keep track of how often I go to the bathroom and try to space it out to more normal times to restretch my bladder. I also have a little squeeze bottle with an angled tip for rinsing after I urinate and I have to apply neopsorin after as well. I don't think there's going to be a such thing as a "quick trip to the restroom" for me in the next few months. Once again, I so don't care. If this helps, bring it on.
Three to four months is nothing. I was looking at dealing with this pain for the rest of my life. Forever. I'm only twenty=six years old! This was going to be at least fifty something years of this (I would hope!). Instead with a little hassle and a few awkward PT session I'm looking at three to four months. That's a visible light at the end of the tunnel!
It's honestly hard to explain in words how I'm feeling about all of this. When Dr. Vereb gave me the news I burst into tears in her office. It's absolutely monumental news for me, and for Daniel too. I just don't know how to begin to express it.