Young Patients that have had cysto/hydro

[Shannonmarie018]

HI. I'm scheduled to have my first cysto/hydro in a couple weeks and I"m really nervous. I'm looking forward to a diagnosis though. I'm scared just from what I've read from others that have had this done and felt awful the next day. I'm 26 years old and I'd like to know if anyone else close to my age has had this done. I might have to go back to work the next day. My work's not very sympathetic about me taking time off or me not feeling well or anything. This whole situation is so upsetting. I just want an answer. I wish I didn't have to work and could quit my job. But I don't have any other help with bills or rent from my parents or anything. I wish I could go back to a year ago when I was feeling fine.

[Gisèle]

I just had one done on monday. I didn't have a hydro, though, my doctor didn't seem to be concerned in doing it(which I don't understand,but that's a different story.) First, I can tell you this, it will be rough the next day, so I would rethink about going to work. It took me like three to four days to fully recover. The worst part for me was the VERY painful urination, I was almost in tears, and I literally tried to decrease my water intake so that I wouldn't have to go, it hurt that bad. But....what I HIGHLY recommend that I didn't know about until two days after the cysto is take a wash cloth, get hot water on it, and press it in that area, IT IS A LIFE-SAVER!!! Press it for about 1-2 minutes, then go. I wish someone had told me this. Also, with relief from that, a sitz bath or sitting in a bath tub with warm water will help. Also, before this cysto, I never had morphine in my life before, but they gave it to me, and I will never take it again. It did get rid of the pain, but the nauseous for like four days after(for me anyways)was terrible, I felt like I was going to faint. If you never had morphine before, I would recommend asking for any pain med besides morphine. Just relax afterwards and get rest, and if I were you, I wouldn't go to work the next day, but if you feel good, of course go, but if not, I wouldn't. I wasn't in any condition to do anything but lay in bed the day after. Beforehand, I was very very nervous, I started crying and all that, but ask the anesthesiologist for a sedative or something to help calm you down, it did wonders for me, I wish I would have gotten it as soon as I got there! You'll be fine with it, just remember pain meds(vicodin) and warm water on washcloth, and it will be good. Good luck!

[ICNJess]

I had mine done about 4 1/2 years ago when I was 20. The hydro is used as a treatment for some people, so I sincerely hope that you find some relief in your symptoms from the procedure. Take care and keep us posted!

[GriffsMommy]

I had my hydro/cysto done in April and I just turned 29. I have to say there is no way I would have been able to work the next day. I had a good amount of pain and was on vicoden around the clock. I actually had my hydro/cysto on a Wednesday and didn't go back to work until Tuesday. I was really tired after I had mine. I think it was from my bladder healing from the hydro and biopsy. I tried to go to work the Monday afterwards and got as far as getting dressed and that was it, I felt too tired to actually go. I will also say that even though I was in pain it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be and by a week after I was feeling back to the "normal" symptoms I had before the procedure. I'm sure everything will be fine. Good luck.

[mary124]

I'm not in your age group - but I would not recommend that you go back to work the next day!! I use the hydros for treatment like someone mentioned in a previous posting, I usually get these on Thursdays or Fridays and this way I have the weekend to recover. I can usually return to work on Monday. (I'm an Admin. Assistant) so I have a sit-down job and if I don't feel well, then I can do computer work all day and have my heating pad on me as well. (and let the filing stack up till I'm doing better). Good luck with your procedure.

[Sally939]

I am 29. I had mine two months ago. You could get a doctors note and they should let you off. What kinda wok do you do? I am asking becasue I could of sat is a chair and done very little work the next day. Honestly, my hydro/cysto made me worse. But, the pain after was not as bad as I thought it would be. Good Luck (some people find it a great treatment option)

[hdb1982]

I had a cysto/urodynamics when I was 23, last year. I was fine afterwards and went to Eat N Park for lunch. The lidocain weraing off felt a little odd but not painful. I DID NOT HAVE A HYDRO THOUGH. So that may be the painful part. I'd tell your work ahead of time you may not be there and if you feel like you can go then go. But if not don't push yourself.

[journalibra]

I am 24 and I had both done in January. I would not recommend you going to work the next day. For me, it was very painful and I could barely get up and wear underwear for a week or two. I took 2 weeks off from work for mine and going back to work and school (I'm still in school) was difficult for the first week or two.

[Ginny]

I am much older but was dealing with this when I was your age. I would say no, do not plan on working the next day. Can you reschedule it for a Friday? You should be able to go back to work on Monday.

The people that said yes on this thread did not have a hydro. Cysto or Urodynamics I could go back the next day but not the hydrodistension.

Ginny

[Shannonmarie018]

Thanks for everyone's reasponses. I'm really nervous. I've had an in office cysto before and I just felt a little pain peeing a few times after. I know the hydro is going to be a whole other story. I'm really nervous. I'm probably going to be able to get a couple days off after and that's it really. I can't take a lot of time off work and I can't call in sick. I know it's crazy. I work in a restaurant and they're very unsympathetic. I can't lose my job though I have no other way to pay my bills. I'm so worried and nervous. I've been having nightmares all week about it. Hopefully I'll be ok. I've made it this far feeling like crap after the hydro I'll probably just feel more crappier:mad: I just want an answer. I've been bounced around between so many doctors. The IC specialist was very nice and he said he'd like to do the cysto/hydro to make sure I really do have IC. I'm just nervous and I want to get it over with. I'm nervous about going back to work. I just want this to be over. I wish I could go back to over a year ago when I felt fine and maybe there's something that I could've done to have prevented all of this.

[Allies40]

Shannonmarie,
Don't blame yourself for what is happening to you. I did that at first too and wish I never had an ounce of coffee, but now that I'm 6 months into this thing, I realize that there was nothing I could do. I have to go from here and try to keep getting better.
I'm 3 weeks post hydro/cysto and I'm feeling at the same level I was before the procedure. I don't think it really helped me, but it did give my doctor a good look into my bladder.
Since you can't afford to loose your job, why not take the day of the procedure and the day after your procedure off and then see how it goes. I was able to go back to work 2 days later but as I'm reading all these post, everyone is so different. Can you take Urelle or Pyridum? Maybe these could get you through the workday? Do you have a desk job? Maybe you could sit on a heating pad?
Good luck!
-Allison

[Sally939]

I know how you feel about the ic and work. Not now but about seven years ago I served for three years. (I did not know I had IC then with light symptoms) Serving can be great fun but gets old fast. You can make many great friends but people act like it is highschool all over again. My point is resturant managers never seem to care. You feel like you are a dime a dozen. But the money seems like it is so good. I think serving is a trap. I could go on and on, but if you live in an area where there are multible restuants you could have a new job in a week. My point is this is your health. Take your few days off but if you need more and they will not give them still take them. Serving is not easy on the body. I am sure you can get a doctors note and the manager will have to be ok with it. Tell your doctor about the work pressure and they can write a strong letter. Good luck. As I said mine was not as bad as I thought it would be.

[born2swim]

I'm sorry you are not feeling so hot. I am 24 and had the hydro done. I was sore but not too bad. I had pyridium to take and I also had Ultram (non-narcotic, but is much stronger than OTC pain meds). I was fine to resume my activities after. I did have some retention, but not too bad. I think it was from the pain meds they gave me in the hospital (demerol).

I sure hope you feel better! It's hard to deal with this at any age, but especially in our 20's when we should be out living it up!

[ABliske]

hi, I'm just about your age - 27. I had my hydro right after my 25th birthday and was diagnosed with a severe case. I wish you all the best!! It will be okay. You just need to give yourself a little time to recover.
It will probably help a lot when you and your doctors know exactly what the damage is!!! I know you probably feel alone in all of this. I really did right before my diagnosis came. I'm glad you found this board though. Please, let us know how it goes.

[Nikkel]

I'm 25 and just had my first one done about 3 weeks ago. I actually had a laparoscopy done at the same time (they originally thought I had endometriosis, then told me if they didn't see signs of that, they would do the cystoscopy with hydro since I would already be under anesthesia). Anyway, turned out no endometriosis, but definitely IC. Anyway, I had it done on a Thursday, and went back to work on Monday. The first 2 days after, it definitely burned to go to the bathroom, but it got better after 48 hours, and then I'd say I felt about 90% better at the 2 week point. I hear a lot of people say that the first two weeks after are rough, but then it gets better, and can actually be even better than you felt before you had it done. For me, really the worst part of it was the reaction to the anesthesia, but everyone is different as they say. I think you will be glad that you did it, to at least get a definite diagnosis and know how to get yourself on the track to good health from that point. I was scared out of my mind going into the OR, but now that's over and I finally have an answer for what's causing my pain, I feel like I can finally start healing. I hope the same for you.