My Neurogenic Bladder

One of my very first symptoms before getting diagnosed with NMO was having problems with my bladder. After experiencing many embarrassing moments with my bladder, getting pelvic floor therapy, and learning how to self-catheterize, it seemed like an ongoing problem without resolution. In the midst of all this I was getting hit week after week with an aggressive and aggravating UTI that would not leave me alone.

I searched for help and guidance on how to manage my bladder.

Neurogenic bladder

I had a neurogenic bladder. There was no controlling a neurogenic bladder, at least that’s what it felt like for me at the time. I tried oral medications for my bladder spasms, and it did not work for me. I did pelvic floor therapy and it seemed to help at that moment, but my bladder spasms would always come back. Then, botox injections into the bladder helped me out. I believed that was my final solution.

But after 2 years of bladder botox injections and months of a bad UTI with uncontrollable body spasms, the situation for me was becoming extremely challenging.

Suprapubic catheter

A suprapubic catheter was mentioned to me through the course of my neurogenic bladder journey, but I never considered it. The idea of having a hole in my lower abdomen and carrying a urine bag was not a fashion statement I was ready to flaunt. A suprapubic catheter is a medical device installed in your bladder to help drain urine from the bladder.

For me this meant various life choices had to be prioritized.

Weighing my options

If I didn’t get the suprapubic catheter, I would live my life limited when it came to my outings. Limited because wherever I would go, I must consider the bathroom situation. If it was handicap accessible and if someone was available to help me physically get on the toilet and to my wheelchair.

I would have to continue planning my trips and vacations around my bladder botox injections to get the full benefits of the injection on my bladder. I felt like my bladder's slave and my whole life was scheduled around my bladder.

Deciding to get a suprapubic catheter was not a easy choice, but a wise one.

Impact on quality of life

When I finally understood that my quality of life was going to be positively impacted by getting a suprapubic catheter, I started warming up to the idea. Having the freedom of going out and not worrying where the bathroom was or if the setup was handicap accessible. Not having to worry about leaks because I didn’t make it to the bathroom on time.

Getting the suprapubic catheter meant freedom for me. I even looked into fashionable crossbody bags to wear and cover-ups for the urinal bag.

I made a choice.

Scheduling the surgery

Considering I had been battling a severe and obnoxious UTI that affected the rest of my body, it became almost a no brainer to get the suprapubic catheter. So after some educational consultations with my urologist, we scheduled my surgery date. I continued to research more on the suprapub catheter and find an online community that helped and supported me throughout the process.