C/H tomorrow -- ?'s about bladder perforation, pain meds, etc.

[snicky58]

UPDATED

Well, my c/h for tomorrow has been called off. My ENT doc had me get a CT scan of my sinuses on Tuesday, and he just got the report back late today. Since it shows a lot of infection, they don't want me to go under general anesthesia. Thanks for the good wishes and prayers -- I will need them whenever the d/h gets rescheduled!

Hi everyone. This is my first post on these boards. I'm so glad I found this place!

I am having a cysto/hydro tomorrow morning, and I'm worried about a few things. I guess foremost is this: the only other time I had a c/h (back in 1996), I got a bladder perforation, which was excrutiating. I could hardly move, and I had no idea what was wrong until my mom drove me to the hospital and they examined me. (This was the day after the c/h.) I had to use a catheter for a couple of months.

That c/h was done by one of the most respected uros in my city (Houston, TX) -- although, who knows? Maybe someone much less experienced actually *did* the procedure, with my doc supervising?

I stopped going to urologists altogether in '97. It just seemed futile -- like nothing else could be done. Anyway, I got completely fed up with the pain a few months ago, and am now seeing a new uro who was recommended by an ICA support group I had started attending. This doc assures me that he has never had a perforation, but I can't stop worrying about it. As I recall, my old uro told me that the perforation had occurred at the site of a lesion, where the tissue would be weaker, of course. I have tried and tried to get the old uro's office to send my med. records to the new uro, but no luck so far. I wish my new doc could at least know exactly where the perforation was.

First question: Have any of you had a perforation with a c/h? Is it fairly common in IC patients?

Now, the other thing. Before I went to this new uro, I went briefly to a pain management clinic. I would like to stop going there, as it's an extra expense, it's way across town, and I also just don't see why I should need it if I have a decent uro who understands IC. (I was referred to the pain clinic by a uro I went to just one time last summer. He gave me the cheery medical opinion that pain management was probably the only option for me.) The pain clinic had given me a script for hydrocodone (generic of Vicodin), no problem. I've now completely run out of it, thinking that my new uro would prescribe more w/o a second thought. Turns out the new uro only wanted to prescribe Darvocet -- the baby aspirin of painkillers, as far as I'm concerned. :rolleyes: It does NOTHING.

I swear, if he won't give me something strong, and plenty of it, to use after this c/h tomorrow, I'll ... I'll ... well, I'll get pretty huffy, anyway. ;) (Why are docs so worried that everyone is a druggie? I really, really resent the fact that the recreational abusers have made it so difficult for chronic pain pts. who genuinely need adequate pain meds. :cussing: )

What do you think I should say to him tomorrow before the procedure? I don't want to make him mad, but I want to be dang sure I get substantial pain meds. I tend to offend doctors, so I need to be careful what I say and how I say it.

Sorry for the Tolstoy-esque length of my first post. I appreciate anyone's responses!

[donutgirl]

Gracious!!! Sounds like you had it really rough during and following your last procedure. I am so glad you are not going to that urologist any more. I think it is perfectly normal that you are worried about the same thing happening again. I had a dentist one time that caused all kinds of problems for me and it took several years before I got up the nerve to go back to any dentist. So......I completely understand. The good news is that what happened to you is rare. I'm much more concerned about you not having pain meds after than I am about the possibility of a perforation. YES, do talk to the doctor prior to the procedure. Let him/her know you are extremely nervous about the procedure and would like some reassurance that you will have pain meds to get you through until you can get back to the pain clinic. The other possibility is to call the pain clinic, explain that you are having the cysto/hydro, that you are out of pain meds, and find out about the possibility of getting a few pain meds until you can get back in to see them. I know you said you wanted to discontinue those visits, but right now just focus on getting through this procedure.

Good luck!!!! My thoughts and prayers are with you!
DIANE

[IC SARAH-CPP]

I would just ask the doc when you first go in there and they are asking you the thousand questions that are "standard" what script you will be getting for pain after the procedure. I had mine done two weeks ago and my husband actually asked my doc about it and they handed him the script to take in. He told the doc he didn't want to have to worry about it after the surgery. If he tries to give you darvocet, i would tell him that it does NOT work for you and I would not leave the hospital without a decent pain med. I had to refuse to be checked out last week because I was still in pain. My doctor had written the scripts for me to have a certain amt of morphine every 30 mins and the nurses gave me none!! So make sure they know if you are in a lot of pain.
I have only had one cysto done and I didn't get a perforation. I don't think it is common because my uro also told me he had never had it happen, and he has been in practice for twenty years.
Let us know how it goes!! I really feel for you, having just been through this.
Love Sarah

[Babs RN]

Good luck with your procedure and welcome. I know all about the chronic pain/pain management scenario since I am experiencing the "you are druggie"attitude right now. Know that we are all here pulling for each other with a listening ear(well mostly eyes I guess since this is online)and shoulders to cry on.

Hugs,
Barb :grouphug: :welcome:

[snicky58]

:love: Thank you all for your warm replies and welcomes! I really appreciate the advice and the caring! I hope I can be of help to people here in the future. :)

[vm]

I do remember someone else here saying they had a perforation during the cysto w/ hydro, but that's the only one I have had of here in the last almost 4 years. I think it is fairly uncommon and since your uro knows it happened in the past it seems like he would be extra super careful when he does the procedure.

A lot of uros aren't comfortable prescribing narcotics and have people go to pain clinics instead. Mine did (prescribed pain meds) after my cysto w/ hydro, but only after I asked and then only 3 days' worth....

God luck with your procedure. Make sure to let us know how it goes. :)