Silverlady,

I don't know if this applies but I also have L4/L5 and S1 issues, nerve damage and even an old fracture in my coccyx. I had terrible "sit pain" for the longest time. And I also thought I might have cauda equina but I didn't. To make an extremely long story short I eventually saw a Urogynecologist and that was after lumbar PT through me into a tizzy! I also have a cystocele and rectocele too so between he and my spinal PM, I went into pelvic floor PT. It was the best thing I have ever done. It helped with the incontinence, even though that was minor. More than anything it helped with the levator ani muscles, piriformis muscle and yes, I had spasms everywhere. Word of caution though...watch those Kegel exercises. I was doing them too, before I went into PT, and found out that that was the worst thing I could be doing since everything was already in a spasm. I was trying to strengthen when instead I should have been having those spasms released...which she did. Ask your Neuro about it since I KNOW I have some nerve damage from the spinal issues. Just never realized how all of that interacts and comes together in the pelvic floor. It was a real education!!! And the whole time I was thinking it was something VERY seriously wrong. Just 3 visits (although I went for two months) and I was cured...at least from the pelvic floor pain.

Well, saw the doctor today and he is sending me to a Gynocologist. We will see what she says and where we go from here.

I had another incidence of this loss of bladder control today. This one was when I stood up from the shower stool to put the towel up. Had to take another shower.

I'm just incredibly tired tonight.

I am really leaning to thinking that the issues are spinal related. Just too sudden to be stress incontinence. I don't lose control when I cough or sneeze.

It's going to be another round of doctor's I fear.

Billye

It does sound like it may be more related to nerve, spinal issues than simple stress incontinence but that can still be managed. There are electrical nerve stimulators that can help some individuals, various medications etc. but as you are doing, getting proper assessment is the 1st step.
I used to get dreadful urge incontinence and had frequent accidents, mine is ms related and i was put on oxybutinin and that has really helped but i still wear pull up pads as i still occasionally get caught short (usually when somone who is not disabled has taken their hoard of kids into the disabled access toilets in malls etc so that you have to wait until the entire clan has finished their business- that really annoys me as the very same malls provode parenting rooms for just that purpose, it just means a short extra walk for them)

SL,

Let us know what the gynecologist says. That's actually where my saga began. During PT for the lumbar the PT had me to stop immediately it hurt so bad. She told me to get to my ob/gyn asap. And that I did...that's when the female issues were discovered. She, then, referred me to an expert...a great Urogyn that really knows his stuff! HOWEVER, I still had the lumbar/sacral issues to deal with. The Urogyn was the one that said BESIDES the female problems, I had nerve damage and to try to get that calmed down first BEFORE doing anything else. So, I had an RF of the L4/L5/S1, sacroilliac injection, coccyx injection and this was all over the space of a year! When that all FINALLY calmed down is when I went into pelvic floor PT...this past summer. Anyway, I know I may be mixing apples and oranges here as your situation is different. So, what the Urogyn explained was...in simple terms...the nerves of course innervate the muscles. The muscles were actually pulling apart, not cupped as they should be and all of this, he felt, was from nerve damage in my lumbar/sacral area. I took what he had to say and after extensive testing (reports) to my spinal PM. He was in definite agreement and told me to proceed with PT. It DID help with the incontinence bit. I noticed after a few visits that I was not having that problem much anymore plus I was not urinating as frequently...normal...but not as frequent as I had been. I need to go back though as I was supposed to have two months of this. It is just that my Urogyn wants a follow up appt and that is next month or in January. Anyway, there was a whole lot more involved as well since I also had sciatic type of pain. But, boy, trying to get this ALL figured out took a LOT of time. Hang in there and let us know what you find out.

Sounds like what you are having, gives you no clue that it is coming. Either your nerves don't sense the full bladder, (denervation) or there is some compression of a nerve, or your sphincter is not holding, or the cauda equina isn't a totally out there idea either. I am glad you are seeing the doc.

On my last trip to my rheumie, we told him that I'm now feeling the bones separate when I move a certain way. The bones in the pelvic area. We had new xrays done that day. They show a large break in the bone that you sit on and when I sit on anything hard or even try to move my right leg too much. Like putting my pants on, it's extremely painful. So the rheumie decided that he'd send me to an ortho for a consult. He advised against surgery due to the fragile condition of my bones but felt he needed to refer me and get another opinion. So tomorrow, we start another saga. If they decide against surgery, I'm told by the rheumie that he will probably put me to bed for 6 months.

in 6 months with bedrest, I'll simply be insane. But I do have a very nice laptop that I'm hoping they will let me sit up in bed to use.

I've also seen the podiatrist this last week and one big toenail has come off and the other one is half way grown back. I was told this was from trauma. Not feeling my big toes. And the ankle that was broken is deforming. I have to have an ankle brace that is a hard plastic thing they will heat and then form to my foot to fit in my shoe to brace the ankle. Do you know how much I don't like wearing a closed shoe?! Well I guess it's not something to worry about since I'll be in bed for 6 months.

I so needed to gripe and complain. There's a lot more, but not tonight.
I was just so ready to complain.......I think that in spite of everything, I've been pretty good about not complaining. But there comes a day that every one of us needs to grumble. I'm really tired of doctors, tests, medicines, insurance, etc. etc. etc.

O.K. I'm thru with the rant.
Billye

Billye:

I just wanted to drop in and say that perhaps the Mineral Metabolism doc will be able to help with some of this. I don't know how long you have to wait for an appointment, but hopefully you were able to get in fairly soon.

I think he will be shocked to hear your history with all of these breaks...

I would hate to see you have to stay in bed for 6 months... Complain away though, you have earned it...

Cathie

Billye,

Just reading of your travails is painful. I am glad they are looking at why you are getting so many fractures.....you have so many non-traumatic fractures. There has to be a bone metabolism issue.