The Urethra Monologues, Part Three: In Which I Look Forward to Twenty Shots to the Bladder
For those of you tuning in late, here are parts one and two.
During my first two years self-catherizing, my urologist tweaked my medications multiple times to further reduce the frequency of my urination--and to eliminate my nocturia, which is a fancy way of saying "the need to get up in the middle of the night to pee." Vesicare was rejected because it made me so thirsty I drank enough to offset any positive effects it might have. Oxybutynin was replaced with a higher dosage of Doxazosin, which was eventually revealed to be the cause of my leakiness. So long, Doxazosin! Then Myrbetriq came along and put the rest to shame. Effective with no side effects (for me, at least), it was a godsend. A very expensive godsend ($60/month copay if memory serves) but a godsend nonetheless.
Still, I almost never peed the mere six times a day that self-catherization initially promised. It was time to try something new. In the summer of 2015, my neurologist suggested a urogynocologist with a compulsive nervous laugh and a penchant for quizzing me on Shakespeare while examining my ladyparts. What she lacked in bedside manner, she made up for in action: it was time for Botox at last!
My first appointment was delayed due to insurance issues and then a UTI (something that's no longer an issue since my doctors now prescribe a week of antibiotics prior to the procedure), but on January 19, 2016 I happily wrote the following to my family:
After months of anticipation I received my first dose of bladder Botox today. As I (over)shared on Facebook, my nurse's running narration of the prep included her referring to my urethrea, which did not make me feel I was in the best hands. Still, she did her work well enough (filling me with numbing liquid and gel) that the needles didn't hurt much going in, even in the inexperienced hands of a urogyno fellow. I continue to find the office lacking in efficiency and am tiring of having to discuss Shakespeare with my legs akimbo. If this works, though, it will all be worth it.
It was totally worth it! With Botox working with MS to almost entirely immobilize my bladder muscles, I reached the magical six pees a day goal and even slept through the night. The effects usually last nine to twelve months. I initially received Botox again in early 2017 and then was scheduled for a second treatment the following September when I ran into prior authorization issues. Not familiar with prior authorization? It's a fun thing insurance companies do where they receive a prescription from your doctor and then say, "Are you sure? Please fill out additional paperwork to prove it." Because I also receive Botox injections in my neck, it takes some administrative finesse to juggle my authorizations since (also fun) you cannot have two prior authorizations for the same medication simultaneously. It took 40+ calls to my doctors, the pharmacy, and the drug company to straighten everything out. After a lot of stress and even more tears, I finally got my Botox in February of this year.
I also got a new urologist, one who laughs at appropriate times and has a helpful, responsive staff. She administered my latest set of Botox injections this week. Curious about the procedure itself? Lucky for you I took notes.
During my first two years self-catherizing, my urologist tweaked my medications multiple times to further reduce the frequency of my urination--and to eliminate my nocturia, which is a fancy way of saying "the need to get up in the middle of the night to pee." Vesicare was rejected because it made me so thirsty I drank enough to offset any positive effects it might have. Oxybutynin was replaced with a higher dosage of Doxazosin, which was eventually revealed to be the cause of my leakiness. So long, Doxazosin! Then Myrbetriq came along and put the rest to shame. Effective with no side effects (for me, at least), it was a godsend. A very expensive godsend ($60/month copay if memory serves) but a godsend nonetheless.
Still, I almost never peed the mere six times a day that self-catherization initially promised. It was time to try something new. In the summer of 2015, my neurologist suggested a urogynocologist with a compulsive nervous laugh and a penchant for quizzing me on Shakespeare while examining my ladyparts. What she lacked in bedside manner, she made up for in action: it was time for Botox at last!
My first appointment was delayed due to insurance issues and then a UTI (something that's no longer an issue since my doctors now prescribe a week of antibiotics prior to the procedure), but on January 19, 2016 I happily wrote the following to my family:
After months of anticipation I received my first dose of bladder Botox today. As I (over)shared on Facebook, my nurse's running narration of the prep included her referring to my urethrea, which did not make me feel I was in the best hands. Still, she did her work well enough (filling me with numbing liquid and gel) that the needles didn't hurt much going in, even in the inexperienced hands of a urogyno fellow. I continue to find the office lacking in efficiency and am tiring of having to discuss Shakespeare with my legs akimbo. If this works, though, it will all be worth it.
It was totally worth it! With Botox working with MS to almost entirely immobilize my bladder muscles, I reached the magical six pees a day goal and even slept through the night. The effects usually last nine to twelve months. I initially received Botox again in early 2017 and then was scheduled for a second treatment the following September when I ran into prior authorization issues. Not familiar with prior authorization? It's a fun thing insurance companies do where they receive a prescription from your doctor and then say, "Are you sure? Please fill out additional paperwork to prove it." Because I also receive Botox injections in my neck, it takes some administrative finesse to juggle my authorizations since (also fun) you cannot have two prior authorizations for the same medication simultaneously. It took 40+ calls to my doctors, the pharmacy, and the drug company to straighten everything out. After a lot of stress and even more tears, I finally got my Botox in February of this year.
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| Comfortably Numb |
- First I stripped from the waist down (in prior visits, a hospital gown was involved) and lay on a table with my knees up (no stirrups, which felt more dignified than previous procedures).
- The nurse swabbed my urethra with iodine and then used a large, needleless syringe to inject my bladder with lidocaine jelly.
- A catheter was then inserted to transfer lidocaine liquid into the bladder.
- Lidocaine is a numbing agent, by the way, and it takes a while to do its stuff. To ensure it covered all of my bladder walls, I lay on my back for ten minutes and on each side for five. (This was much better than being told to "move your hips around," which is what the urethrea nurse suggested.)
- I received another swabbing and then another squirt of lidocaine jelly for good measure.
- A new catheter was used to empty my bladder into a big cylinder,
- Then it was time for the main event. An itty bitty lighted scope was inserted through my urethra, et voila! The inside of my bladder appeared on a screen to my left. Next thing I knew, I saw the needle within the scope puncturing my bladder walls, leaving behind a bright red trail of blood each time it exited. The sensation is tough to describe . . . it's a sort of pressure followed by a light sting. After a few minutes of discomfort, the twenty injections were done. I was given an antibiotic and sent on my merry way.
Now I await the results, which take a week to ten days to kick in. I look forward to sleeping through the night again, as well as no longer being the weak link on car trips. Sometimes it takes some discomfort (and tenacity) to improve your quality of life.
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