www.incontinentsupport.org

My question is this,
When is it o.k. to give up going to a urologist?
As most of you already know urologist don't always have an answer. Mine is no exception. After running what test he could in his office and trying me on two meds, nothing has helped. When I go in to see him, all he really does is look at the chart and say, "I don't know what's causing it, wish I could send you down to the doctor who trained me so he can take a look at you." I am wore out going to doctors and not getting anywhere. I know they don't have all the answers but at what point does one finally give up?

Thanks for listening
Kent

Hey Kent sounds like you have stayed the course and it has failed. Don't feel bad ! That I think is what seems to happen to most of us. My advice just wear the proper protection and get out and live! Look on the bright side with diapers and no doctors tests and meds you sure to feel better and may find you have more $$$ in your pockets. After all you could buy allot of diapers for what those medical bills will add up to be.

Take it from someone that's been wearing diapers 24/7 most of her adult life. It's really not that bad. Not to say I myself wouldn't love to be free of them. But these are the cards I've been dealt and I'm going to deal with them and NOT LET IT GET ME DOWN!!.................Sandy

Kent,
I make an appointment with my urologist every year. My main reason being I'm a male in the age that prostate problems crop up. My urologist realizes I've accepted my incontinece and am content on wearing diapers to manage. He respects my decision and does not push me to try new meds or any other treatment.
He does give my bladder an ultrasound every other year to make sure my bladder looks OK. It amazes him how open I am to talk about how I manage. I guess most of his patients are too embarassed to talk about their incontinence.
Anyways, my PSA count continues to look good, but having him there to check out my plumbing is OK by me. .................Paul Martin

Hi Paul and all my problem as you know is bph but I'am on prostate trial get psa and regular check every yr. So choise to use diapers instead of alot of tests and meds.

I think it's perfectly valid to stop at this point. Unless they've actually found something worth treating, it's probably not worth it.

Even with medications, a success rate of 50% is considered really good. I figure that with incontinence, it's all or nothing! Maybe you only need diapers 50% of the time, but unless you know which 50% you still pretty much need them all the time. No thanks. If I'm going to be in diapers anyway, why bother?

Thanks all for your support. If I could, I would give up on all my Dr.'s, but my wife is one that can't accept the fact that they can't find anything wrong with my incontinence issue. I have accepted that they don't know, but still struggle with the management side of it. This weekend, I started to pay closer attention to an area on my low spine that swells after wearing my abdominal brace all day and or after lots of lifting. This area cause lot of pain at that location and when it does, I have noticed what little control I have gets worse. So under the advice of my physical therapist, I will go see my family Dr. about this since it is also hampering my abdominal tear recovery.

Doctors, one of those things that are good for you but you can still hate them.

Hey.. that seems to be my situation currently.. ive been taking vesicare.. but..im still not comfortable wearing regular underwear..ive been taking it every day.. and i have yet to have a day where i don't see some sort of leakage..i have to wear diapers.. now.. it may have reduced the number of diapers i use.. and... i will say today has been a rather dry day, no really wet diapers.. but still..i leak urine.. so..if they cant get me to stop leaking.. i dont know what im going to do..with or without the meds, im still in diapers..
Thankfully.. medicaid will be paying for my diapers now.. which is good.. because i have the feeling that they are not temporary, unless they find some drug that we haven't tried..

_________________
"We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love" Mother Teresa

"THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!" - Captain Picard from Chain of Command, Part II

I don't know if not seeing a urologist all together is such a good idea for most people with incontinence. Just having a annual check-up with the urologist can give you some peace of mind that you have not missed out on some new med, or procedure that could cure the problem. Maybe it's false hope, but I also think its a good way to monitor any changes to your incontinence that might have occured over the last year........things can sometimes change. Regardless of any change to your bladder condition, I think having a check-up once a year is a good idea.