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Difficulty with urination

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Posted 5/7/2013 5:42 PM (GMT 0)
Hello everyone, I hope you all are having a decent week. I am off to a rocky start. I fell on Saturday and landed on my tailbone/ lower back. My pain levels are off the roof!

So far I think my SCS is working fine but I am having a hard time urinating. I hadnt gone since 3 PM on Sunday so I called my PM dr Monday morning and they sent me to the ER. The ER wanted to do an MRI but of course due to the SCS they couldnt so they settled for a CT scan. The CT was normal by all accounts considering what I have going on in there. So I spent the day in the ER with a catheter. They said I was not retaining urine because they were only able to drain 800cc. They said that wasnt enough for a 12 hour period to be considered excessive. They took the catheter out around 5PM and sent me home with instructions to come back if I didnt go before 11PM. I was so tired I fell asleep and hubby left for work so I didnt go back.

This morning came and I was able to force a very small ammount of urine, I would say less than a urine sample cup to take a guess. I called my PM dr back because the ER wanted me to follow up today and they are very upset I wasnt sent home with a catheter in place or admitted. So this afternoon They want me to head back to a larger hospital ER to be re evaluated. I allready feel like a pincushion!

Does this sound like it could be cauda equina? The PM dr didnt say that specifically, but they are encouraging me very much to get to the ER again ASAP.
Posted 5/7/2013 6:38 PM (GMT 0)
Shell so sorry to hear about this. I know cauda equina has been discussed in the past. Mrs123 here at the forum has had this problem so maybe if she see's your post she will respond. I suggest going into the Mayo Clinic's website & reading up on this to see what all of the symptoms are. I know the only time I have see people have it was right after having back surgery, that is the only ones I know that got dx'd with it. I have no clue what all of the causes are to get it. I always go to the Mayo to check things out because they are such a reputable source.

Let us know what you find out.....Susie
Posted 5/8/2013 12:55 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks Susie.

Got to the ER at 3:00, by 3:30 I was told I was being admitted, then by 5:30 they decided to transfer me to another hospital. I just saw the trauma surgeon who is talking to the neurosurgeon who did my SCS to decide what to do with me.

They havent told me the dx of CES but I heard them say that dx while giving report. They better make up their mind soon, I am hungry. Any experiences with treatment would be appreciated.
Posted 5/8/2013 4:07 AM (GMT 0)
Shell,

I'm sorry to hear about your fall and all the pain you are having. It sounds like you may be/may have had surgery by now. I hope that if you did have surgery earlier things went well and you are resting comfortably.

If you've not had surgery but will be having it, you'll be in my prayers that it goes well and that you will feel better real soon.

When you get a chance let us know how you are doing. Best of luck to you and hang in there.

Hugs,
Barbara
Posted 5/8/2013 4:06 PM (GMT 0)
I am still waiting for the neurosurgeon to show up. The trauma surgeons come about every two hours to check on my reflexes and stregnth. I am hoping that we can avoid removing my stimulator to figure things out.
Posted 5/8/2013 4:07 PM (GMT 0)
Sure hope so too Shell! Will be saying prayers for you...Keep us posted..
Posted 5/8/2013 4:18 PM (GMT 0)
Has the drs given you a dx yet? I saw where Mrs 123 wrote to you here at CES, hopefully you saw the post too. Please keep us posted when you feel like it. Take care of yourself......Susie
Posted 5/8/2013 6:27 PM (GMT 0)
Shell has the neurosurgeon showed up? I sure hope so, it's a shame that they are making you wait so long to get a DX.

I hope they do not have to remove your SCS. I'll be keeping you in my prayers and please let us know how you are doing when you feel up to it.

Hugs,
Barbara
Posted 5/8/2013 6:35 PM (GMT 0)
Shell, just thinking of you and hoping and praying things are going OK.
Posted 5/8/2013 7:39 PM (GMT 0)
In the nurses report it is documented as CES, but they have not said it to me as of yet. Geeze, I didnt see a post from Mrs123, I need to look for that. Nothing to report yet, they still have not come in yet.
Posted 5/8/2013 8:07 PM (GMT 0)
I saw the other post 1st and couldn't figure it out! Now it makes sense. Lol

Sorry to hear your in the hospital and as usual waiting and still waiting. Hopefully someone will give you something to go on soon.

Sending you healing thoughts and prayers. Keep us updated when you can.
Posted 5/9/2013 1:17 PM (GMT 0)
The dr didnt show up till nearly 8PM, of course my family was here and making all kinds of noise. I hope I got all the info. I am schedued for a myelogram at 11, then we will go from there. I lost feeling in half of my left foot yesterday not sure where I am headed. They are not sure if the compression is due to a disk thing or just swelling due to the fall (which they cant do much about except wait).
Posted 5/9/2013 1:25 PM (GMT 0)
I sure hope they a confirm what is going on when they do the mylo. I cannot stand having to wait on the drs when in the hospital. I know they are busy but our time is important too, lol.

Keep us posted. Thinking about you....Susie
Posted 5/9/2013 2:07 PM (GMT 0)
Ohh...sorry you have to have the myelogram:(.....Those are not fun! I pray that it is quick and you have a skilled Dr. where they can get some answers.

Are they going to do a CTscan as well?

I am really hoping this is all just inflammation from the fall and they can treat this non surgically...

Sending you hugs (( ))
Posted 5/9/2013 6:33 PM (GMT 0)
Shell,
I said in my other post that they could do a myelogram and or a CT scan to check on the compression. I hope that it works for you. Have they given you any steroids in the event that the compression is caused by swelling? If they did, it might help with the swelling a bit but no guarantees of it working or not.
I have been dealing with CES since 2006 so if there is anything that I can help you with or questions that I can answer, you can always email me or if you want, I will PM you my phone number and you can call me....
Sandi
Posted 5/9/2013 6:48 PM (GMT 0)
Oh...just read that you already had the CT scan done already:) Sorry about missing that in your first post...But glad that it showed everything was normal. Now we just wait for the Myelogram results...

I truly hope that it's not CES and that you don't need anymore surgery!..

We are all waiting for an update whenever you get the chance...
Posted 5/10/2013 1:34 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Shell, thought I would check with you and see how the mylo went & what the drs say the mylo revealed. I sure hope they say its something from the fall that will go away in time & not CES.

When you feel like it please give us an update. Take care....Susie
Posted 5/10/2013 3:47 PM (GMT 0)
I got the results last night from the myelogram and second CT scan. It didnt look horrible, so as of now they are just saying we need to wait out the swelling from the soft tissue injury. The dr said they are hoping to send me home by Sunday.

Thanks all for your thoughts and prayers!
Posted 5/10/2013 4:33 PM (GMT 0)
That sounds like good news!! I hope that it can all get better with anti-inflammatories and rest...

I pray you will be home for Mother's Day:)
Posted 5/10/2013 5:58 PM (GMT 0)
Oh, I am so glad that it is not CES. I am sorry that you are suffering so. Hopefully you will start feeling better soon.....Susie
Posted 5/11/2013 10:23 PM (GMT 0)
Still sitting in the hospital just getting more frustrated. They pulled the foley last night and I still cant urinate so it is going back in shortly. The day I came in they took 1/2 of my long acting meds away plus the muscle relaxer. I was sort of OK since they kept my BT med at the same dose and frequency and also gave me 1mg IV Dialudid every 2 hours.

Now they pulled the IV meds. So now I have 1/2 the meds that I use every day at home, those where just barely making me able to keep up with things so as it is. Now I add in the injury and bamn, why is this so hard for hospitals to understand with CP patients? Just sitting here crying, half from pain, half frustration! They did say on Thursday that they were calling my PM dr but I guess that never happened.
Posted 5/11/2013 10:39 PM (GMT 0)
I'm so sorry to hear about how things are going:(

Can you contact the after hours number for your PM or have him paged? This is one thing that I really recommend that all of folks do is get the cell phone number for our PM's that we can use in case of emergencies like this.

I am praying for you!
Posted 5/11/2013 11:19 PM (GMT 0)
Shell,

I know you are tired and drained.... but, having been hospitalized and having dealt w/ this miserable situation - I look back and see so many things that I would do differently.

I would insist that your PM be called.... there has to be an "on call" number to reach someone from his office.

If not -- I would ask to see the charge nurse and tell them that your pain is not being treated adequately.

The *only* thing I'm wondering if they think that somehow your meds are linked to you not being able to urinate....

Anyway.... if they are pulling the IV meds - they should be replacing it w/ your regular oral meds.... if not "extra" to cover the additional injury.

Is there someone with you that can help push things along for you? Once again - I'd be asking for a charge nurse or to see your hospitalist.

Hang in there.... Love, Tina
Posted 5/18/2013 10:33 PM (GMT 0)
Tina, I think it came from the issue that I had several people covering. Trauma surgeons, neurosurgery, emergency med and the internal med guys. I swear no one was working together as on several occasions they each said they were contacting my PM dr but no one did. I called my PM dr during my admission and they said they would gladly take the call but never got anything. Completely horrible experience! Even at discharge no one could agree with what meds I should leave on. I made sure the papers stated the full amounts I came in with.

I did make it home on Sunday but I still have the catheter in. I went to the urologist on Tuesday and he wanted to leave it in another week. He looked at my records and asked lots of history issues and he feels that the retention has been a brewing problem directly related to my back issues. The fall and swelling on the nerves was just enough to send it over the edge. He feels that I will need to self cath several times per day and worst case is get a suprapubic catheter.

I still have no meds to cover my extra pain, my injury was on the 4th. They did add neurontin to my meds at the hospital, but even at a low 250mg dose once per day I am not doing great with it. I have an appointment on Tuesday with my PM so hopefully we can figure something out then.

Thank you all for your support!
Posted 5/19/2013 2:36 AM (GMT 0)
Shell,

I've had hospitalizations like that.... where no one is communicating w/ the other one.... I'm sorry -- but at least you are home.

I really hope the PM will adjust your meds and give you something to cover the pain. Neurontin is a good nerve med... but it takes awhile to build up and work right.... so you need something to bridge the gap.

Take care of yourself - and let us know how your PM appt goes.

--Tina
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