www.incontinentsupport.org

Hi
Glad I found this forum though not glad about the reason why I found it...

In Denmark where I live there's not such forums like you have here, so please forgive me for my English.

Short about my background and reason for signing up here.

I’m a male in my forties, I’m 42 next month to be more exact, and living in Denmark.

It started out as I had to go to the toilet more and more often, it was strange to me, as I have always had what some call a trucker bladder and could literally hold myself for hours, and then slowly that has changed to the situation now, where I have to go more and more often. Sometimes though despite feeling an urge to go, nothing comes out when I’m standing at the toilet? I also suffer from a somewhat shy bladder, as I cannot use urinals if someone stands next to me.

I usually can make it to the toilet to pee, then one day I experienced that my bladder simply released whatever was in it, straight into my pants and underwear without any other warning than a very sudden and very strong urge while I was sitting at my desk at work, I really panicked about this, here I was at work sitting in wet clothes…worrying about what others would think, if they noticed…I’m working in an office environment, Thankfully I was close to leave for home anyway and I managed to sneak out without being found out.

Since then, I have had a few more of these infrequently accidents where my bladder all of a sudden just releases after a very strong sudden urge which just happens out of the blue. It happens so infrequently – that planning for it, is close to impossible..and after revealing it to my wife, I decided to go get some of those Tena Maxi pants, they look a lot like ordinary underwear, I can get them at the local shop though my wife gives me a helping hand here, and usually it’s her who buys them for me….

To be honest, I’m having a hard time here as I am not entirely sure if I fit into the usual perception of an incontinent person when reading about others in here who have more frequent accidents (Sorry if anyone feels offended) I also have difficulty viewing me as such, sSince my accidents are so infrequently and most of the time I can make it to the toilet, but still feel I have to wear such protection for the “just in case accidents”…which happens with no warning.

I decided to go visit my doctor and I had a chat with him about my problems..he asked me to fill out a diary covering three days of liquid intake and output and have some blood and urine tests done. The tests came back and they didn’t show anything, thank god, but neither with an explanation.

According to my doctor the diary shows signs of an overactive bladder condition and to be honest I really hesitated telling him that I have had a few episodes of accidentally wetting myself but I ended up telling him. Anyway after having tried medication which was supposed to help with reducing frequency and urgency to no prevails other than I experienced some pretty annoying side effects from the medicine. My doctor had me signed up for a urodynamics study….I got the letter a few days ago, and in August I’m going to the urologist, long time to, but we are closing in for summer holidays here in Denmark.

The tests I have been informed that I’ll be undergoing are:
Peeing in a special toilet, ultra sound of my bladder to see if it empties itself normally, ultrasound of my prostate through my private parts and maybe an endoscopy of my bladder and bladder neck.

To be honest I don’t look forward to the tests I have to go through, especially not after reading other peoples experiences of such tests…let alone the embarrassment of having to go through these tests and the reason for them.

From the urologists office I have been told to arrive with a full bladder and strong urge to go…that made me call them and ask for other options, as what they were asking me for, was the exact reason I’m going there in the first place, and I have no plans on arriving with either wet pants and or a wet tena pant.

Hopefully they’ll be able to figure out what is going on with me, and provide solutions for the problem. But what if they cannot find anything wrong with me, then what? What would the next step be then? I have the impression that I’ll be subjected to all the tests available…

I’m not even sure if I should wear any protection at all, when I arrive for the urodynamics tests….that might be even more humiliating wearing protection like the maxi pant even more if it's wet or damp when I arrives , and being told nothing is wrong with me after the testing or the test come out as inconclusive then I would actually feel even more embarrassed than ever…having no medical reason and still feeling the need to wear an absorbent product..

What have other people experienced from undergoing urodynamics testing? did they come up with a conclusion and a solution or not ? I’m just trying to get my head right and be prepared….

I hope to learn something about this problem I have from others and make some new friends.

jms

Welcome to the forum JMS. Your English is fine and well understood. The tests your urologist is doing will give him a lot of insight as to what is going on with your bladder. Those tests will even measure bladder contractions so every aspect of your bladder will have been evaluated upon the conclusion of those tests. The ONLY thing those tests maybe not tell the doc is causing your bladder problems only that you have a problem and what type of problem you have.

Keep us posted.

jms,

Welcome. With johnstone, I agree that your English is more than satisfactory.

As for the tests, brace yourself. Medical tests for incontinence are not for the squeamish or the easily embarrassed. As for your reluctance to wear protection, either because of fear that you may waste time and money if you do not need it, or embarrassment if you do, you will soon learn that 'better safe than sorry,' is an adage nobody here will ever forget.

Again, welcome. Your insights will be useful for all of us, especially those of us whose memory of being newly incontinent has been made hazy by the years.

jms, I also wish to welcome you to the site. And also agree that I had very little trouble understanding your English. In fact, I feel that the problems you are describing that you have match up with what I have almost exactly. I have frequent urges and sometimes can't go when I'm standing at the toilet. I can sometimes get to the toilet and go and sometimes I can't. So, I wear diapers full time for the times that I can't because I cannot predict when those time will be. And I would rather not take the risk of having wet clothes while at work becuase I did not prepare correclty. Thank you for sharing and do report back how your testing went.

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"Why is the rum always gone?" - Captain Jack Sparrow

"There is no human problem which could not be solved if people would simply do as I advise." -
Gore Vidal

Thanks a lot for the warm welcome. I wished the circumstances could have been different.

I'll report back once I have the results. However I'm very interested to hear from others who have been going through these tests...what was your experience from the tests, even if you like me for instance only have infrequent accidents, did you wear protection when you came to the urologist? What was their impression of you having it on.
Did you leak during the tests, before etc. As you most likely do know from own experience, one thing is peeing yourself without other people knowing, another thing is doing it in front of people who'll make judgements about you....

I really do fear, that if I have a absorbant pant on, and the test results come out inconclusive or even worse, they cannot find anything wrong with me (That I have it all in my head...not that it's worse in that regard, but anyway.....I might end up with a feeling, I have wasted their time) and I'll be embarresed beyound what I can even imagine.

However why I'm so worried about whether I should wear or not, is that if I don't and take my chances I might end up with wet pants or at least wet spots. Well that might actually help me or them in understanding that it's not for fun I show up.

I'm a very discreet about my issues, only my doctor and wife knows so far, my son doesn't know, and I preferr he stays that way...

Well....I think I have to use the time until the test to prepare myself mentally if that's even possible.

The urologist, above all people, isn't going to be phased by it. Urologist see more people with bladder control problems, than anyone else on the planet.

If they can't find what's wrong, it's not you that's wasted their time, it's they whom have wasted yours.

You should wear whatever makes you most comfortable, and they, as professionals, should be able to deal with it.

JMS,

My situation is a bit different. I became incon from an accident that damaged the nerves in my spine and as a result of the accident, I became incon over night. As long as I don't have a UTI, or any kind of a need, I only I see the urologist ever two years and get a full work-up just to be sure everything is a least "stable". In the beginning, I was both nerves and embarrassed about people seeing me wearing a diaper including medical professionals. It really is no big deal to ANY medical professional. Incon is very common and they see people wearing protection all the time. Don't worry about wearing a diaper it really is NO big deal to any of them,....they see it all the time especial a urologist. I was even wet the last time I had an apt with the urologist and that too was no big deal as you will need to remove your diaper for the tests so be sure to take an extra diaper in a backpack, shopping bag. Your urologist may have a small supply of diaper just for patients that need a one before leaving. DON'T count on your urologist having any spare diapers just be sure to take an extra diaper with you when have the apt.

Hope this helps.

I will also extend my welcome to the Forum to you KMS, I read your story, and it sounds much like my own. I had to laugh about going to the Urologist with a FULL bladder, I called him and told him that isn't going to happen, that is the REASON I am seeing you... lol, he managed fine without me being full, or at my risk wet! Same as the Ultrasound for bladder, I only drank about 200mls, so not to hit the "gotta go" point where we both seem to have troubles holding it. My symptoms are due to a car accident, low back where the nerves are that send bladder signals, along with Chronic non-bacterial prostatitis, which adds to the gotta go factor when it flares up, not fun to cope with for us guys in our 30s or 40's, or any age for that matter! Don't sweat the tests, I have been through them several times, as many on here have, they are only scary to read about, and the techs have seen it ALL! Hope you get some answers to what is causing it all! Puffy

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Puffy
BC, Canada
Fighting the "Bladder Battle" since 1995

I want to add my voice to the warm welcomes here. I started off with similar symptoms. I noticed that I was peeing a lot and then dribbling after I went to the bathroom. I ended up with a typical days total being around 15-25 times per day with small leaks after I went to the bathroom. I could always hold it until I made the bathroom but leaked for 15-20 minutes after in relatively small amounts.....I've been to 3 urologists. 2 of whom I disliked intensely. One made a pointed comment about my pullup diaper. I didn't go back to him. I have worn regular tape on diapers to every appointment since and the others haven't raised an eyebrow. I also have a prescription for Foley catheters as there were nights I'd be up 5+ times to pee and I wasn't getting any sleep. Further, it was impossible to rode in a car for more than 1 hour without being uncomfortable. I've had all the tests and they haven't found a thing yet. I've now been to 11 doctors and had numerous blood, urine tests and a surgery that ended up being needless, 4 MRI's urodynamics tests, 2 cystoscopy's........no I live my life with diapers 24/7 and catheters inserted usually for several days out of the week to give my bladder a break so I can sleep, and live my life outside of the bathroom.......this all started late February/early March 2014 during an extremely stressful time in my life and has yet to go away......it's been suggested that this is a somatoform disorder.....it's the only thing they can come up with....,a really nice way of saying its in my head.......I understand what you're going through and hope you have a better time with things than I've had.

JMS,

Welcome to the group. The urologist have seen it all. So don't be embarrassed. I know that is hard to do from my experience, but to them you are another person with bladder issue and they want to get to the bottom of it as much as you do. I remember when I went for my Urodynamic test. I showed up with a full bladder doing the pee pee dance after the elevator ride. they had a little trouble setting up the machine and while I was waiting my bladder started leaking right there. Luckily, I had a guard on and it didn't leak. At least it wasn't an all out flood and I still had enough in my bladder to continue the test. Than the fun part came with the caths and the probe, but all in all it was over before I knew it. The nurses made me feel at ease even though during the test I ended up wetting the floor. Guess next time if there is a next there will be a bigger bucket.