Bladder Update

I wrote recently about my bladder ultrasound scan, and the conversation about having significant urine retention. I recently had another appointment at the hospital. I was asked to keep a urine diary for 3 days, where I had to measure everything I drank and how much urine came out.

The how much out scores were that I go for a wee about 12 times a day, and that typically 200-300ml comes out each time. There's a bit of variation in how often and how much. I'm quite pleased that I dont often need to get up in the middle of the night to wee.

I returned to Southmead with a full bladder. They wanted to test my urine for infections. I 'delivered' a sample of just under 200ml which was tested. They then measured how much was left inside me, with a volume over 500ml - i.e. my full bladder was larger than it was at the previous appointment.

We discussed the retained urine, and if there is a large quantity of retained urine there is a risk of kidney infection. So, whilst the intermittent self-catheterisation reduces the risk of kidney infection, it comes with increased risk of urinary tract infection.

The advice for me is to start using intermittent self-catheterisation. I had a go at doing this in the clinic, which felt quite unusual! No particular surprise to see about 500ml of urine in the container at the end. That will be the emptiest my bladder has been for quite a few years. The advice is for me to do this twice a day, once in the morning, and once before bed.