Doctor Docter Gimme the News

So yesterday (Tuesday September 29Th 2009) I went to see my Urologist Dr. Hoofnagle. I have been waiting for over two months to see him after going back and forth between my OB and my Primary Care doctor. At first my main Doctor thought I had Gynaecological problems but as soon as I went to see my OB I was swiftly turned around in the opposite directions to have a serious of long and laborious tests done, including a CAT scan an MRI and some X-rays. All of which showed nothing. So finally with out any REAL help from my primary care physician, I referred myself to my mothers urologist.

Now you may be wondering, "Well what exactly is wrong with you that you needed to go through all this?" IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ ABOUT THE GRAPHIC SYMPTOMS THEN SKIP THIS PARAGRAPH. Anyway... About the third week of July I was out in Idaho when I woke up one day and had what felt like UTI (Uterine Infection) pain when I urinated UTI's are quite common so all I did to help it was drink tons of fluids (and cranberry juice) But even though I was working so hard to get rid of the UTI two days later I woke up at 4:00AM and went to the Bathroom (which is abnormal for me). As soon as I started to pee it felt an excruciating pain shoot me right in the abdomen. It hurt so badly that I began screaming which woke up my roommate. She rushed into the bathroom to find me lying on the floor in pain. she asked me what was wrong and I couldn't tell her. She rushed over to me looked into the toilet to find it FULL of blood. She rushed to the phone and called my parents and my friend Levi who had a car, and then together they rushed me to the ER. At the hospital I was diagnosed with a severe Uterine Infection and no other tests were done. They gave me some medication and sent me home. Steadily, with taking the medication, I began to get better. The bleeding stopped and the pain went away. I thought nothing of it. Then a week later I was back home in MD and the pain started again, except this time not as severe and it was located more in my back. My father originally thought that it was mechanical low back pain. But after treating me with physical therapy for a week I got worse instead of better, so he sent me to the doctor.

So here I am two months later finally making it in to see a urologist. Now you must understand that by now my pain has dulled and I barely ever notice it anymore. I am able to do all kinds of everyday normal tasks with no problems whatsoever. I actually contemplated canceling my appointment because I was beginning to think there was nothing wrong with me. But I went to the Doctor anyway, and BOY am I glad I did.

I walked into the doctors office and the first thing I did was fill out some forms and take a urine sample. Next thing I new I was in with the Doctor explaining all of my symptoms and what I had been through. He then turned to me and said, "I am glad you came in today, there is definitely something going on with you in the urology department. That urine sample you gave us was still full of blood (microscopic)." He then had me lie back on his table and proceeded to prod around my stomach he got to my bladder and when he pushed and tabbed I shouted "OUCH" He looked at me with a disgruntled face and said " You should not be able to feel that" He then told me that even though All the tests I had done had come back negative (showed no problems) there could still be something wrong with my bladder. He told me how CAT scans and MRI's can't see into the bladder or tell us anything about it so he was going to have to perform a Cystoscopy on me.

A cystoscopy is a minor procedure that allows the physician to see inside of the lower urinary tract (urethra, bladder neck, bladder). A cystoscopy can be used to detect abnormalities of the lower urinary tract. In this procedure, a flexible cystoscope (a thin, telescope-like tube with a light and telescope at the end) is inserted into the bladder through the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body).
There is no prep for this procedure and I can eat and drink whatever I want the day of. But a cystoscopy is used to diagnose the following conditions:

• Bladder Cancer


• Blood in the Urine (hematuria)


• Chronic Pelvic pain


• Frequent urinary tract infections


• Interstitial cystitis


• Painful urination


• Urinary blockage (e.g. polyps, tumors)


• Urinary incontinence or an overactive bladder


• Urinary stones

The physician uses the cystoscope to visualize changes in the lining of the urinary tract. Abnormalities that can be detected include the following:

• Tumors


• Diverticula (sacs caused by holes in the urethra)


• Ectopic (displaced) Ureter


• Fistula (abnormal passage)


• Trabeculation (strands of connective tissue)


• Ureterocele (ballooning of the lower end of the ureter)

I am very worried about what they find when they take a look. The procedure is scheduled fro the 26th of October. PLEASE keep me in your prayers.