I read your story with interest because some of the symptoms you describe are similar to my personal experience. As far as the urination and bladder control or rather the inability to empty your bladder completely is very familiar to me.
I now self-catheterise four times a day to empty my bladder due to nerve damage as a result of my hysterectomy in Feb 2000. The diagnosis and subsequent management plan came about after a series of tests. Having scans alone isn't going to give the urologist the full picture, and a test called "urodynamics" needs to be performed. This test measures under controlled circumstances your ability to void - empty your bladder. If you haven't had any discussions with your doctors about this kind of examination I would suggest that you ask about it at your next appointment. It is possible that adhesions on the OUTSIDE of your bladder are preventing it from emptying or indeed filling to its normal capacity.
The obvious difference between you and I is obviously gender and I am not sure exactly how this affects our anatomy in regard to bladder function. Again it is something that you need to discuss with your doctor.
As for your breathing difficulties and weak heart, you need to be taking this seriously and demanding that your doctor investigate your symptoms thoroughly.
I have a friend who has just undergone her twentieth adhesions surgery and adhesions continually interfere with her liver and diaphragm function. To see a very good slide showing adhesions attached to the diaphragm visit this URL: http://www.ntero.com/aboutadh.htm
Please let us know how you get on with future testing.
Yours in Friendship, Jo Eslick
At Sun, 2 Mar 2003, John wrote:
>
>I had my colon perforate in Oct 2001 due colitis and a previous surgey
>causing my to have an emergency ileostomy and exploratory surgery
>Scar tissue goes from bladder to diaphragm
>
>My scar tissue never healed right and was tight and unfortable, but I
>was still usually able to move around ok...when I would get tense my
>scar tissue would get tighter
>
>My gut is still huge from the surgeries.
>
>All of sudden, in late December 2002 there was a hardening at the bottom
>of my scar tissue. It became very uncomfortable and disabling. No
>hernia has been detected. I really cant even lay comfortably. It feels
>strange when i have to urinate, and it takes forever for the urine to
>come out. Mulitple CT scans have shown nothing going on at my bladder.
>Would an ultrasound pick something up better?
>
>I am also have a tightness in my diaphragm. Breathing is uncomfortable.
>Also have a hiatal hernia and weak heart which might explain some of
>this.
>
>Can anybody shed some light on whats going on? I feel like im going to
>be dead soon. There more to the story, but im exhausted.
>
>--
>John P
>
-- Joanne Eslick Founder Australian Adhesions Support Group http://www.bombobeach.com NSW Australian Co-ordinator of International Adhesions Society http://www.adhesions.org
-- I am not a medical person, and all my messages are based on personal experience. I am a fellow adhesions sufferer reaching out to help others.