Bladder leakage

I'm three weeks and one day post partial vaginal hysterectomy. I have had bladder leakage since the day I came home from the hospital, and I have never had this. Last thursday, I thought I had a yeast infection because I also developed an odor and itching. I called my Dr. and they called me in a prescription for Diflucan. The med. stopped the itching, but the odor and leakage is still there. I am also a type 1 diabetic, but my blood sugars habe been under control. My doctor rescheduled my two week post-op for tomorrow because of an emergency she had the day of my check up. So I haven't got to ask her about the leakage. Is this normal for any of you out there? Also, I'm real nervous about the exam tomorrow, will it be painful? Should I take some tylenol or something before I go?

I had a bladder injury during my TAH and had leakage. I bounced back and forth between a urologist and my obgyn. No one could tell me why I was leaking!! Finally they did a cystogram and I was diagnosed with a Vesico Vaginal Fistula. I had a hole in my bladder and to allow the urine to escape it formed a tunnel to my vagina. I had to have corrective surgury.
I am fine now. Leakage is not normal from all my experience I highly recommend you to see a uro/gyn or a very experienced urologist.
Is the urine comming from your urethra or vagina?

i developed leaking about 5 weeks post op. my obgyn made me wear a cathereter for 4 weeks (terrible moment), this was to allow the bladder to fold on itself and hopefully close up the hole...and also to avoid having corrective surgery. 4 weeks later to determine if the hole had closed my urogyn did a cystoscopy. He could not find the hole however there was some leakage into my vagina. I do not have to wear a pad during day or night...he thinks it might close over time (the hole must be so small). If i want to have the surgery i can...however my life is not hindered in any way. So at this point i am not going to have surgery.

Thank you Catlady66 for the info. I went to the Dr. yesterday and she took some swabs from my vaginal cuff and sent some urine off for testing. She told me it would be a week before the results would come back, but no driving, no bathes, and keep my feet up. She did ask me where my urine was leaking from and I told her I wasn't sure, that on my pad it was toward the front, but I never feel it seeping, I just go to the restroom and see it there. She said that it isn't anything major because there wasn't very much, and that if it is still happening in about three months, then she will do some more testing. This morning I got a call from the Dr.'s office and they said that some of the results were back and I have a bacterial infection and a minor yeast infection. I don't go back to the Dr. for another three weeks. I wonder if these infections are causing the leakage, or if what I think is urine is actually the discharge from these infections, guess I won't know for weeks. She is putting me on antibiotics, Diflucan, and wants me to take plenty of acidophilus and drink more water. In the meantime, I can't stand sitting around the house and I still have three excruciating weeks left. The exam yesterday did make me sore, so that makes me feel bad all over again. Sometimes I wonder if I'm ever going to feel better again. I have felt not right for three months because of the blood loss before I ever had surgery. And now there saying it could be six more months before I really feel good again. After a year of this, I don't think I'll ever be the same person again.

tygre,
I promise you will feel all better someday. My tah was Sept 12, my abdominal VVF repair was Dec 20. Thats two abdominal surguries in 5 months and lots of complications, bladder infections for months straight. I have been feeling so good lately, almost 100% the same as before my surguries!! I have lost 30 lbs. I am excercising and I have lots of energy.
So, if I feel all better so will you.

Hi Tygre,
I am another VVF sister checking in...hopefully your bladder infection is what is causing your leaking problem. I know it is hard to stay in one place, but you only have one chance to recover properly, so make sure you don't overdo!!

After your surgery, everything is a bit swollen. So, if you do have a fistiula, as your body begins to heal from the surgery, and the swelling and inflammation from the hystery abate, the leak with gradually get worse. If the leak is from having a bladder or UTI infection, the antibiotics/diflucan combo should knock it out!

Here's hoping that's what happens!

Dee

I also posted in thepostop forum and then saw we had our own forum! Did not realise it wasso common to have bladder problems afterwards. I had my LAVH on 20 Feb, major manipulation of bladder and dissection of adhesions from bladderand uterus, had catheter for two days, headed home on Thursday not feeling like I was emptying properly.

Friday morning woke went to the loo and had major burning right up into my armpits all through body etc, and then ent into total body cramps in abdomen etc. Called ambulance as home alone for short time, petrified and in major pain. Taken to public hospital (surgery done private) had catheter replaced, drained loads went home with it in and to see gynae on Tuesday. Thought would have removed all ok...

But no did that Tuesday at 2.30pm by 6.oopm back on way to hospital with smae troubles after trying to wee, found out the burning was urine shooting up through middle of body, burning up to throat, and under armpits. Had ctheter inserted and deflated bladder again, Weds had exploratory surgery found small 5mm tear in bladder, no have super pubic catheter in for two weeks to see if it will heal naturally or if surgery needed...

What a awful pain, it was like labour pains at their worst but did not let up just a constant all over cramp for 45 minutes... The car drive was the worst... Anyway I feel reasonablly good now but must head off to bed, don't feel any pain from the LAVH just the bladder troubles and the catheter sites.. Just hope they can fix it,but I am terrified to wee again....

Kazzy,

I feel so bad for you! The only good thing I can say is the sp cather was much less irritating for me than the foley. It must have been scary to be home by yourself and have that terrible pain.

I am glad the drs figured out what it is and can now work on getting you cured.

Let us know how you are doing!
Dee

Thanks for your kind words and advice, I am doing better today but felt lousy yesterday and noticed blood in the urine and spots of it in the bag (too much info sorry!) felt awful although a little better today after a full nights sleep. I am finding after an hour or to up (as in lying on ouch and doing a few little chores - very minor) then I need to lie down again.

I have been reading so many of these threads about bladder problems and I thank you all for pointing me in the direction of getting a Urologist opinion. I have a Monday morning 8.30am appointment and will be glad to speak with them. I feel my gynae who did the LAVH is outside his area of expertise but only after reading the threads decided to seek more advice. I spoke to my doctor for a referral to a decent urologist who was shocked to hear that I had not seen one already.

Will keep you all posted on the progress, thanks for listening.

Karen

Karen,

I am so glad to hear you are going to a urologist. I don't know what I would have done without the one I found to "fix" me. It is so frustrating to have surgery to correct a problem, only to have new problems pop up that you never even heard of before or could even imagine. And scary, too.

When I first went to the urologist, I had a whole pages full of questions, starting with, how many of these have you seen in the last year, and how many were you able to fix on the first try? After realizing the gyne had messed up with something she was supposed to have experience with, I didn't want a urologist who maybe had not dealt with this complication before.

Let us know how Monday goes. I'll be thinking of you!
Dee