Bathroom visits spinal stenosis

[Jenharri]

Obviously I'm doing to much what with poor hubs having sustained a broken hip.

Pain is breaking through the 10mcg of Butrans doc has put me up to 15mcg. It's that bad today and for some reason a certain pain I have in my lumbar spine I know it's going to be a bad day visiting the loo more often already I have been 15 times. Having to work around those visits is a nightmare.

I take dogs to beach sit on bench they can run. Today visit loo 4 times in quick succession before going out get to beach want to go no toilet! So a quick drive back in car get to House use the loo. Get back in car dogs due at groomers get to groomers 5mins use their loo. Drive home use the loo and so on. For some reason some days are worse than others.

Not a good day for me as I need to go out more than usual feel tired and in pain.

Does anybody else suffer the debilitating affliction with stenosis.

I can't have anything sorted until the Autumn until hubs has made a big improvement 😩🤕

Jen xx

Scudding clouds Minster from the days when walking wasn't too bad!! Oil on Canvas

[PFKAAde]

Ooh, I like that one Jen.

I had a spell when my back was at its worst, just before and just after the second laminectomy procedure. I needed to go very frequently but for me it went off before I'd pursued it with the surgeon.

I was told if I started to have any bladder / bowel problems to report it ASAP, but I'm guessing you've been there / done that?

Don't know what else to suggest, not drinking isn't an option and apart from having a portaloo in the boot of your car...

[Jenharri in reply to PFKAAde]

I have my portable thingy for the car. Today has been a very bad day finding nearest Loos etc 😩

Jen xx

[Jenharri in reply to Jenharri]

Doc is always reminding me if you can't control bladder or bowel get yourself off to A&E medical emergency 🤕

[Bananas5]

No don't have it but going to ask you something.

With your husband incapacitated ( mine had the same op 2 yrs ago) why do you have to go hither and thither?. Could the dog groomin not be postponed for a while?

It is called pacing yourself and learning to stop before the pain kicks in.

Yes it is hard. I am David's full time carer and in the past he has been my eyes. Now as he degenerates and does less I have to do more. But on my terms not as before.

It just makes life a lot easier, less stressful for your husband seeing you in pain while he can do nothing

Of course alternatively where Tena...I do!!

x

[Jenharri in reply to Bananas5]

Yes I do wear Tena. I know exactly where you are coming from and thank you Jen

Xx

[Hidden in reply to Bananas5]

i think you make a really valid point there,my brother constantly shouts at me for not pacing myself after he came home after his back surgery i thought i was superwoman and could do everything i used to do,i feel such a failure and my depression has come to the fore again crying for no reason other than frustration as i can no longer do the things i did before i was ill they did the op on him that they will not do on me as they will not risk putting me under due to heart problems and it will benefit him i hope as he is such a trooper and a chirpy soul he is my baby brother and i love him to bits,its been really tough since he came home he had to return to a hospital 3 times within the first week,he was misdiagnosed with an infection 3 days after and given anti biotics that he was allergic to i rang for an ambulance as he could barely breathe and they said it was not an emergency so he ended up going in a cab to casualty and he did not have an infection at all then they said he had a heart murmur but it is a bone in his chest that hurts after surgery we are now muddling along and i am trying to hide the angina from him and the tears but earlier this evening i was walking slow up the stairs and i wet myself right through i take water tablets but have not had any for two weeks as the pharmacy did not deliver them,i have had close calls before and cannot get in the bath or shower without my brother helping me so i washed up and changed and i am thinking its the nerve that is trapped between my groin and back that is to blame i would like some info about tena knickers please i am 57 just thank you for reading xxx

[earthwitch]

Stenosis back problems plus that kind of bathroom problems = definite need to discuss with doctor and preferably a neurosurgery consultant. That is a fairly clear sign that something is impacting on the nerves that control bladder and/or bowel and needs investigating quickly to make sure it doesn't become a major or permanent problem, or develop into something worse.

[Jenharri in reply to earthwitch]

All they ever say is long as you have control I've been to A&E they weren't bothered I was in such severe pain & urinating couldn't stop all day. Put me into see the locum doc!? I went home. My doctor was surprised they didn't check me out.

I won't be able to have any treatment until hubs broke hip improves 🤕

Jen xxx

[earthwitch in reply to Jenharri]

One thing that can happen that causes really frequent urination is when your bladder doesn't empty properly and gets to overflow stage - that is still a neurogenic bladder problem, even if you can control it to some extent. Can you see a continence advisor? or if you do go to A & E again, ask them to scan your bladder to see if you are emptying it properly. My experience of not being able to empty properly was that it got to just what you describe - having to pee every 20 minutes or so, because my bladder had got so full it wouldn't hold any more, but because it didn't empty when I did go to the toilet, it would only be 20 minutes or so before it was uncomfortably full again. A continence advisor nurse should be able to do a simple portable bladder scan that after you have tried emptying your bladder to see how much is remaining. If a bladder scanner isn't available they can also tell by getting you to try and empty and then passing a catheter to drain the rest. Maybe if you tell your doctor that you really don't feel like your bladder is emptying fully they will check it out further.

[Jenharri in reply to earthwitch]

Thank you for your advice who do I ask to be referred to? Then I can get a private appointment quicker rather than wait months driving me mad. What with all the other sufferings and off she goes to the loo as she writes lol

Jen xx

[Hidden in reply to Jenharri]

do you know what jen i do not pity you i bloody applaud you for keeping such a sane and normal ability about you,i have fell to bits while looking after my brother you just roll with it what a woman xxxxxxxx

[Hartleyhare2]

Hi Jen, sorry to hear of your continuing pain and troubles, hopefully the stronger patch will help, let us know. Did you manage to follow up with the GP about some kind of home help? It sounds like you could certainly do with some to take the pressure off you.

The seaside landscape is beautiful, such colour and detail.

Patrick x

[Jenharri in reply to Hartleyhare2]

Thank you Patrick . Have a lady coming today to see if I need anything done.

He cx

[Hartleyhare2]

I would have a very long list!😂😂😂

[Jenharri in reply to Hartleyhare2]

Ha ha ha you made me laugh out loud ironing they can do the ironing, much improvement today hubs made a sandwich! He fancied corned beef which he hadn't had for years he said it's easy to eat. Without back teeth lol

Jen xx

[Hartleyhare2 in reply to Jenharri]

My Grandfather loved corned beef hash, I think it wasps corned beef with spuds and onions. He called corned beef desert chicken! Slang left over from his army days I think!

I'd get a pack of post it notes and write clean me on them and stick them all over the house!

Glad to see you and hubbie seem on a bit better form today. Is the new patch helping?

Patrick xx

[Jenharri in reply to Hartleyhare2]

Yes indeed the extra 5mcg is working no breakthrough pain so far.

Although hubs is tire now he has had a much better day it's amazing how this rubs off cheered me up too.

Ps you made me laugh LOL

Jen xx

[Hartleyhare2 in reply to Jenharri]

That's such good news😊 I hope it continues. Keep laughing people will wonder what you've been up to and sometimes it stops the tears. xxx

[Jenharri in reply to Hartleyhare2]

So very true x

[Hidden in reply to Hartleyhare2]

patrick i still make corn beef hash,my kids when little well my eldest heard my dad call it corned dog and from that day despite loving it before he has never touched it since he was only 5 so funny another war term for it hehe x

[grace111]

hi jen, glad to hear that your husband is making big improvemnts. thats great news. for you and him.when you say your going to the loo can i ask is it a wee your going for or a bowel movement? iv got reasons for aksing this as iv had terrible problems with my bladder for a month at least. and had to have a catheter put in as i could not wee at all at one point. but usually its the reverse im always weeing.so im getting sent to a urologist.they were thinking of putting me on gaba pentin. but have not done so yet. its for a pain i keep getting. anyway. thanks for your good wishes when i was in the hospital.i hate hospitals i really do. it could not wait to get home. and maybe i even came home to early, im sorry your in pain jen and tired. you seem to suffer so much of the time, all my love to you, and hope hbby continues to get really well. and you to jen, love grace xoxoxo

[Jenharri in reply to grace111]

Dear grace yes wee up to 30 times a day, they said it's a nerve & if I loose control straight to A&E For some reason there are days when it can be quite Normal. I don't think a urologist can sought a nerve problem. If I see Doctor Hammond in the autumn the one that did my Epidural's he said he would do a MiLD decompression to help take pressure of nerves. I'm hoping he will help the matter. Otherwise they just seem to leave you to get on with it.

Anyway, back to you I know you still feel weak but always better off at home. BTW grace what op did you have?

Sending you my best wishes for a speedy recovery

Jen xx

[grace111 in reply to Jenharri]

Hi Jen. Iv been having really bad problems with weeping sometimes to much or the reverse and can't wee at all. It started after a bladder infection which thet say has cleared up. Still have small amounts of blood in urine. Though it's not visible to the naked eye.the pain is constant and agony I can't sit down and have to walk about all the time.i have very strong painkillers called OxyContin and they keep the pain at bay totally. As I'm in real pain after operation and can hardly walk at all and am also getting severe nerve pains like electric shock and burning. I get that when I move at times and even my clothes touching the skin can set it off. I do think that's part of the healing process as I was cut and my insides pulled out and sewn up inside as well as outside. They have cut through a lot of nerves and iv read that the burning pain is the nerve cells knitting back together.iv had to get a friend to stay with me as I can't bend down.the operation I had was called a hepatico-jejunostomy for Mirizzis syndrome type VI that's exactly what it says on my procedure sheet. I also had a 3 cm stone in the bile duct and a stent from previous procedure I had to have the bile duct reconstructed as the stone was so big my bile duct was torn up,. I am so enjoying lovely food again it sounds silly but iv been living on fish and bland chicken and rice cakes for so long,I'm enjoying my food and feel so happy eating it and no pain. It's such a blessing. As soon as I'm able to walk I will be at gp to try to sort out the weeping/non weeing as I don't know what is causing it. There were to many doctors dealing with me and one put me on the OxyContin and another from the pain clinic said she thought it was a nerve pain and wanted to give me gabapentin however I've ended up on the OxyContin sorry Jen I'm all over the place and this is a long post, I'm trying to explain things the best way I know how, keep well yourself Jen your in pain an awful lot,best wishes and prayers to you and hubby thanks for showing interest it's much appreciated,love grace xoxoxo

[Jenharri in reply to grace111]

Hi Grace,

Oh it sounds like you have been throughy an awful lot. I really do hope that the op is a success and you heal well.

Today the wee thing isn't half as bad.

But I would still like to get the bottom of it LOL

Thinking of you

Take cate xxx

[Jenharri in reply to Jenharri]

Sorry about the typos I have Bletharitis my eyes are half closed xxxx