New member, looking for support and advice
Thu May 15, 2014 5:46 pm
I've been browsing your forum for about a week now, but finally decided to register this morning. Anyways, hi everybody.
Ok, just to make things short and to the point I'm nearing my mid 30s, I'm a female. And I'm now in diapers. I wear them at night, pull ups during the day. Until I get to see the neurologist next week.
So... To start, I had a motorcycle accident and broke my leg in two places. They had to insert a rod and a bunch of screws in. But I think I had nerve damage. How I know? Well the outside of both my legs to the small toes are numb. Not totally, I have feeling. But they're numb.
But I think there's other damage, because it affected my bladder too. I didn't want to tell anyone at the time because well... I thought I could manage it and did at the hospital (was there close to 3 weeks due to low blood and iron levels), until I got home a couple weeks ago and proceeded to actually have a full night's sleep. Only to wake up sometime after I emptied my bladder. Over the past week I started wearing diapers and I don't wake up in the middle of the night anymore. And the pullups help during the day because I'm in a wheelchair or crutches and have a hard time reaching a bathroom in time. Hope it all improves when I can walk again, but I don't know.
Ok, just to make things short and to the point I'm nearing my mid 30s, I'm a female. And I'm now in diapers. I wear them at night, pull ups during the day. Until I get to see the neurologist next week.
So... To start, I had a motorcycle accident and broke my leg in two places. They had to insert a rod and a bunch of screws in. But I think I had nerve damage. How I know? Well the outside of both my legs to the small toes are numb. Not totally, I have feeling. But they're numb.
But I think there's other damage, because it affected my bladder too. I didn't want to tell anyone at the time because well... I thought I could manage it and did at the hospital (was there close to 3 weeks due to low blood and iron levels), until I got home a couple weeks ago and proceeded to actually have a full night's sleep. Only to wake up sometime after I emptied my bladder. Over the past week I started wearing diapers and I don't wake up in the middle of the night anymore. And the pullups help during the day because I'm in a wheelchair or crutches and have a hard time reaching a bathroom in time. Hope it all improves when I can walk again, but I don't know.
Re: New member, looking for support and advice
Thu May 15, 2014 7:05 pm
Hi Bunny,
First off welcome. I am sure you will have several people to chime in with support and advice. My two cents would be to swallow your pride and speak with your doctors. This piece of the puzzle can help them zero in on exactly where problem is. Trust me, I am well aware of how hard to bring up this subject is but the doctors are professional and deal with all sorts of taboo subjects.
Now my incontinence symptoms are caused from medical reason and not nerve damage and hopefully some of the other members here can fill in a few blanks for you.
How long has it been since the accident?
First off welcome. I am sure you will have several people to chime in with support and advice. My two cents would be to swallow your pride and speak with your doctors. This piece of the puzzle can help them zero in on exactly where problem is. Trust me, I am well aware of how hard to bring up this subject is but the doctors are professional and deal with all sorts of taboo subjects.
Now my incontinence symptoms are caused from medical reason and not nerve damage and hopefully some of the other members here can fill in a few blanks for you.
How long has it been since the accident?
Re: New member, looking for support and advice
Fri May 16, 2014 12:20 am
I bet you anything you have sacral compression damage. The numbness you describe is textbook S1 nerve root compression. Do a Google image search for dermatomes. Your S1 nerves originate just above your sacrum. I also bet the compression is affecting your S3 nerves.
Re: New member, looking for support and advice
Fri May 16, 2014 2:29 am
Rope_Wrench wrote:Hi Bunny,
First off welcome. I am sure you will have several people to chime in with support and advice. My two cents would be to swallow your pride and speak with your doctors. This piece of the puzzle can help them zero in on exactly where problem is. Trust me, I am well aware of how hard to bring up this subject is but the doctors are professional and deal with all sorts of taboo subjects.
Now my incontinence symptoms are caused from medical reason and not nerve damage and hopefully some of the other members here can fill in a few blanks for you.
How long has it been since the accident?
I had the accident on 4-7-14. Been non-weight bearing on my left leg since.
Just don't ask me how my bike fared :/
Re: New member, looking for support and advice
Fri May 16, 2014 11:25 am
Bunny,
Welcome to the group. Although the with the welcome comes the issues that we face and that is not fun. I commend you on dealing with it the best you can and finding this forum and seeking advice. I have found all the members here to be very welcoming and open to help in any way they can.
I echo what rope wrote in humbling yourself and seeking medical advice. The advice here is good. And we have some medical professionals such as Spartan. But nothing beats talking with your doctor and getting everything checked out.
I wish you luck in your endevor and hope for a speedy recovery. And I am curious what the bike looks like.
Welcome to the group. Although the with the welcome comes the issues that we face and that is not fun. I commend you on dealing with it the best you can and finding this forum and seeking advice. I have found all the members here to be very welcoming and open to help in any way they can.
I echo what rope wrote in humbling yourself and seeking medical advice. The advice here is good. And we have some medical professionals such as Spartan. But nothing beats talking with your doctor and getting everything checked out.
I wish you luck in your endevor and hope for a speedy recovery. And I am curious what the bike looks like.
Re: New member, looking for support and advice
Fri May 16, 2014 7:30 pm
Hello Bunny, welcome to the community and I wish it´s as helpful to you as it´s being for me (I´m quite new too). About your problem, I ain´t no doctor but if you haven´t injury in the same bladder check your back, try the reflexes in your knees because if it isn´t bladder I think could be spine??!! But I repeat I am not doctor but I have my own experience. Tell us what says your neurologist. And as said, hope you receive all the support that you need and receive my regards form spain. Salutations and hope to see you posting again soon. Byee!!
Re: New member, looking for support and advice
Sat May 17, 2014 4:15 pm
I'm not actually a medical professional, I'm an academic.
I taught mammalian physiology, human physiology, and medical terminology at a mid size state university to put professional students. I also taught human anatomy & physiology at several other colleges before I stopped teaching, and started pursuing a doctorate in a nonmedical biological field.
I would bet good money that my ultimate diagnosis is correct, but I'll mirror that other's advice; you'll need a neurologist to help you find the proximal causes and develop a treatment plan for you.
I taught mammalian physiology, human physiology, and medical terminology at a mid size state university to put professional students. I also taught human anatomy & physiology at several other colleges before I stopped teaching, and started pursuing a doctorate in a nonmedical biological field.
I would bet good money that my ultimate diagnosis is correct, but I'll mirror that other's advice; you'll need a neurologist to help you find the proximal causes and develop a treatment plan for you.
Re: New member, looking for support and advice
Sat May 17, 2014 5:33 pm
MSUSpartan,
You may not be an osteopath or a medical doctor, but those credentials impress me as about the closest we have to an MD here. I'm glad and grateful for your medical expertise.
You may not be an osteopath or a medical doctor, but those credentials impress me as about the closest we have to an MD here. I'm glad and grateful for your medical expertise.
Re: New member, looking for support and advice
Sun May 18, 2014 2:29 pm
MSUSpartan wrote:I'm not actually a medical professional, I'm an academic.
I taught mammalian physiology, human physiology, and medical terminology at a mid size state university to put professional students. I also taught human anatomy & physiology at several other colleges before I stopped teaching, and started pursuing a doctorate in a nonmedical biological field.
I would bet good money that my ultimate diagnosis is correct, but I'll mirror that other's advice; you'll need a neurologist to help you find the proximal causes and develop a treatment plan for you.
I'm sure you're right. For now I'm just managing until I get to see someone on Tuesday this week.