Anxiety in the Urologist's Office

[songbird7]

I had a very anxiety producing experince in the urologist's office. My urologist that I've seen for decades wasn't in. A doctor's assistant gave me my Heparin, Marcaine, water cocktail. I told her that I was able to pee afterwards the last time but sometimes I can't. To make a long story short she didn't want to catherise me afterwards when I couldn't pee and I live a long way away from the urologist's office. I wound up scared and feeling unsafe. I was afraid if I put my clothes back on she'd never catherize me. So I got an anxiety attack and walked around the office (inside office where the patients have rooms to be treated looking for this doctor's assistant. As far as she was concerned I should just go home and I'd be certain to pee sooner or later. I know someone on this board who couldn't pee afterwards and had bad kidney pain from that going on for a long time. I asked her what would happen to me and she said she didn't know. Finally I found her and she said she'd catherize me and to wait in the room. The room was freezing and it was quite awhile. She finally came in to catherize me, quite a bit of urine came out. Like I needed this aggrevation when I already suffer from generalized anxiety and panic attacks sometimes, mostly because of the IC.
I still feel anxiety hours later although I have no reason to. I am waiting for a call back from my urologist whom I intend to let know how his patients are treated (he wasn't there; another doctor was).

[kelly McC]

((((Song))))
I am sorry your experience was not a good one.. Hope your feeling better and I think your letting the doctor know is a good idea...
huggs,
kelly

[poetgirl]

Wow, Songbird, I am so sorry that happened to you. I can understand your anxiety completely. After I had gallbladder surgery almost 8 years ago, I couldn't pee for a week and I remember being in the hospital, trying to go, in a lot of discomfort and not being able to. It was several hours before the nurses finally consented to catheterize me and they had to do that a few more times until my doctor finally had me foley cathed for the rest of the week until my bladder and urethra healed enough and the spasms passed.

I hope you're feeling better.

[songbird7]

Thank you everyone for your caring and support. PoetGirl, your experience after surgery was even worse than mine. Yikes! I am glad it finally worked out. Why do they have some people who are not attentive to patients' needs in the position of providing them?
My urologist remained out of touch the rest of the afternoon seeing patients. They said someone "put a note on his desk" and he'd call me after seeing patients. I called back after 5 pm, doctor still seeing patients and was told he'd call later. I didn't even want to go out to the mailbox in case I missed his call. So I stayed hyper alert as people who deal with anxiety do. About 7 pm I realized there would be no call back today. It's been weird lately. First a light bulb blew up when changing it. A few days ago. Maintence came and put in a new light fixture today when this one finally broke, (light flashing off and on and not staying on when tightened) even after they fixed it; just got too old. Also today was the garbage disposal wouldn't turn on and the latest, I went to make some hot water and the stove wouldn't turn on. Sheesh!
At least my bladder is feeling ok but I am exhausted. Took a nap earlier.

[ICNDonna]

Have you thought about asking to be taught how to self catheterize. Honestly, it isn't difficult once you know how --- and it really gives a feeling of security to know that if you ever are unable to urinate, you can take care of it yourself.

Warm hugs,
Donna

[songbird7]

Donna, it's an idea. I think I've had it with installations. DMSO hurts now more than is helpful and the Heparin cocktail helps for a day or two then things get worse. People, please keep me in your thoughts and prayers, my anxiety levels are high.
To everyone with anxiety, depression, especially from this silly disease, you are in my thoughts and prayers,
Love,
Songbird

[mallenajolie]

I am so sorry. I suffer from severe retention, and my uro can usually tell if its bad, and offers to catherize me. They should be able to tell, or respect your concerns.

[jaime15]

I hope you feel better soon. And I'm glad you plan to follow-thru with your regular uro. He needs to know how his employs "didn't know what to do with you."
You are in my prayers...... :grouphug:

[ad8123]

I am so sorry that you had this terrible experince :( I hope your doc does better by you next time even when he is not present. i do not do bladder instilations (they are just not possible for me) but I have anxiety before any proceedure (I have to take valium). I hope it gets better for you soon :) My prayers are with you!

[songbird7]

Follow up. I called and talked to my urologist who agreed that it was a terrible experience I had in his office with the installations. He said from now on to schedule them only when he will be there. I didn't think of everything at the time but one thing came into my mind that I think will help other people who have installations. That particular doctors' assistant acted that way because she was treating me like someone reading set in stone instructions like a government manual. She was afraid of getting into trouble for not following some undefined proceedure. So I wrote the doctor a letter and told him that there are times when emergencies come up and even though I may be scheduled for an appointment in sequence for intallation, he, my doctor may not be in the office. This causes problems. I think a proceedure needs to be set in place for these occasions which will insure whatever doctors' assistant started a proceedure continue the proceedure even if they technically are working for another doctor at the time. I think this will help others too. Meanwhile I just got too shook up with anxiety from my experience to have the last in the series. The results aren't really in yet anyway. It usually takes a few weeks to know if it worked or not. So I wanted to let you all know what happened. Right now I think the best I can do for myself is to stay away from installations of all kinds unless in a few weeks something unusually good happens with the IC as result of these installations.
With love and compassion,
Songbird

[DawnsRuby19]

Songbird, I know the feeling. When I was going in for my DMSO treatments and my new Elmiron ones, I had this one nurse who was also had IC herself. I felt very comfortable with her, because she understood how I felt about things. She always let me stay in the room for the 15-30 minutes I would have to hold the solutions in my bladder for. Then one day I had a different nurse and after she put the solutions in me and took the cath out, she was like "ok, put your clothes on and go home" I, like you live a long way from my urologist building. I got really scared. She needed me to get out of the room because they were busy that day and needed the room for another patient. I dont know about you, but when I get scared/anxious or anything, I flare up like crazy and I start having to go every 2-3 minutes and I'll actually have a very full bladder which is crazy. To top things off I get really anxious in cars because of my IC and having to go. I was a mess after that. Luckily my boyfriend was with me, and he calmed me down. He walked me up and down the hall outside the lobby where the restrooms were. We waited out the time there. Got me to think about other things, like our dogs. Just anything he could come up with to get my mind to settle down and not focus on being anxious. So I was always in full view of the restroom and wouldnt have to worry about trying to find another one if someone happened to use it.
Crystal