frustrated....bladder/bowel problems!!!

hello sisters,

i had discussed this problem in an earlier post, however it was lost when we changed to the new system. there were some great suggestions in that post and i would love to have some of them repeated, if possible.

i am constantly going to the bathroom. i have to urinate every hour or so it seems. there is no pain or burning, just a lot of peeing. and when i go i sometimes have to wait for the urine to come down. it feels like the muscles ( or whatever is down there) don't want to work right. this has been going on for a couple of weeks now. i have discussed it with my DD and have been tested twice for u. t. i. both times the results were negative. the DD suggested i give it a little more time, if it doesn't change soon, he will send me to a urologist (sp.?)

also, i am still having bowel problems.....DOES THIS EVER END...???:hair:

i don't have b.m.'s everyday but this is not the problem. i have never been one to go every day (usu. every other day or two). when i do have a b.m. it is usually very loose and i have 2-3 in a matter of a few hours. is this even close to being normal. the DD has suggested i eat foods with a high fiber content " to bulk up my stool" . unfortunately i am still having problems with my appetite and thus have become very selective in what i eat. i try to eat healthy foods whenever possible.....fresh fruits and veggies, whole wheat breads, milk, juice, and lots of water. i try to eat at least one "good meal" a day. sometimes this is difficult because i really don't have an appetite. someone has suggested that i might try high protein drinks such as Ensure (for the vitamins/minerals).....has anyone tried this? the DD says i could have irritable bowel syndrome, but it could just be the effects of the surgery....so we are going to wait a couple of more wks. to see if things improve. i am taking no laxatives or stool softners, but am on indosin (for my heart) and Zoloft.

believe it or not ladies.......i am trying to put on some weight!! right now i am at 98 lbs. and still dropping. i am frustrated by the whole situation and don't know what to do. i know i can always go to my DD but this will probably mean more tests, more specialists and who knows what else.
and on top of that i have to go back to work on Monday and hate the idea of having to take so many bathroom breaks.:cry:

dear ladies " I AM SO SICK OF BEING SICK".....:hair:
the physical problems seem to keep coming...one right after another. i just want to feel "good again".
some of you who are longer post op than i am (6 1/2 wks), please tell me that things get better. that this bladder/bowel thing doesn't go on forever!! at least that will be a comfort.

sorry this is so long.....

Dear Jene,

It took me a good two months for my bladder situation to come under control. It's because of things like this that they say the initial recovery period is 6-8 weeks long. It can take that long for our various systems to stabilize from the trauma of this surgery.

As for the bladder thing...it doesn't sound like you are able to empty out completely when going. A jumpy, post-op bladder may be the cause of this. Try a sqeeze bottle filled with warm water and squirt yourself down there when urinating. It will relax your jumpy bladder so that you can empty it more completely, causing you to feel that urgency less often.

Good luck on putting on the weight...I'd e-mail you some of mine if I could! Seriously, even though your appetite is low, try to get the caloric intake that you need to keep your weight up on a daily basis.

My very best to you...

Linda