Urinary Incontinence Support Group
Urinary incontinence is the involuntary excretion of urine from one's body. It is often temporary, and it almost always results from an underlying medical condition. Stress, functional, and urge incontinence are the most common forms. Share with other support group members and learn from their stories and experiences.
My interstim journey
Monday june 30th
I had my medtronic interstim sacral nerve stimulator implanted today. I suffer from urge incontinence. I was to be at the hospital bright and early at 6:30 in this morning. Once I arrived I didn't have to wait very long maybe 20 minutes or so and I was called back to the surgery waiting room. I got all the usual jazz from the nurse asking about my medicines and some of my history. My doctor came in, (Dr. Woolums) and explained a to me that he didn't not want me to be discouraged if the interstim did not work the first day. He said it may take some fine tuning for it to work or to work in a way that was satisfying for me. Then he smiled and said, "But I have confidence that we will get it right initially or right after". He is a nice guy but doesn't say much more than he has to so after that he left saying, "see you soon". Then the anesthesiologist came in and went through a few more things with me asking about allergies and then gave me the "happy juice" as he called it to relax me. It wasn't long after that before the medicine took affect.I started to feel drowsy and out of it. I tried to stay away as best I could, but you can't fight that stuff! It got the best of me and in and out I went. I was taken to the surgery room. I don't remember much now, but oddly I do remember knowing a little of what was going on around me. I just can't remember the details of it now. Kind of like remembering a dream when you wake up then forgetting it as the day goes. You knew you remembered it then, but something happened and now you don't know much. Anyway, as of now, I have one thought that strongly enters my memory bank, I kept wondering if I was going to be intubated. I didn't get to ask at the time, but upon waking up for one of the last times in the operating room right in front of me on my chest was a endotracheal tube sitting there. It was so close that I did not really see anything else only that it was there and the end of the package it was in was opened and I saw the wire with the loop on the end of it sticking out towards me. Maybe it was an illusion? But no, it wasn't. My later awakenings in the surgery recover room confirmed that the breathing tube was in fact real as my throat was a little bothersome and scratchy.
Not long after the nurses came in and told me that I could go home soon. They asked if I was in pain and since I just had something implanted in my behind of course my answer was yes. So one of them went and got me some dilaudid and some zofran to make sure I didn't get sick. It seemed like every 5 minutes the nurses were coming in telling me I could go home. Its not that I didn't want to...I just wasn't ready yet. That is the one thing that bugs me..... that they try to rush you out so quickly. The am I in pain part kept coming up as well. Three times I told them I hurt and all three times I was given pain medicine as well as nausea. They said they would keep me there for a while since I was still in pain. I appreciated that. Plus it got me more of a chance to wake up and shake the drowsiness off that the general anesthesia had given me. My brother who was in there with me got anxious to go home and was trying his best to get me up. Finally he told me I should get dressed so we could leave and that it would wake me up a little more. I guess so I said. So we had the nurse come in after I got my clothes on and wheel me out to the van.
So I am home now. I don't have much pain and I feel ok overall other than the drowsiness of the compazine (spelling?) and other medicines I had. I was curious about my interstim and went to the bathroom to look at it. Surprisingly I found that it is implanted in my right butt cheek. I thought it would be up much higher and in my lower back. I have very minimal pain so far. I know once the lidocaine and medicines wear off that it will hurt more, but for now I am surprisingly mildly hurting and happy about that. The trial I had already hurt more than this, but then again, I did not have anesthesia for that or pain medicine. I was only given lidocaine injections where the leads went. So as far as right now, I am doing well.
Monday june 30th
I had my medtronic interstim sacral nerve stimulator implanted today. I suffer from urge incontinence. I was to be at the hospital bright and early at 6:30 in this morning. Once I arrived I didn't have to wait very long maybe 20 minutes or so and I was called back to the surgery waiting room. I got all the usual jazz from the nurse asking about my medicines and some of my history. My doctor came in, (Dr. Woolums) and explained a to me that he didn't not want me to be discouraged if the interstim did not work the first day. He said it may take some fine tuning for it to work or to work in a way that was satisfying for me. Then he smiled and said, "But I have confidence that we will get it right initially or right after". He is a nice guy but doesn't say much more than he has to so after that he left saying, "see you soon". Then the anesthesiologist came in and went through a few more things with me asking about allergies and then gave me the "happy juice" as he called it to relax me. It wasn't long after that before the medicine took affect.I started to feel drowsy and out of it. I tried to stay away as best I could, but you can't fight that stuff! It got the best of me and in and out I went. I was taken to the surgery room. I don't remember much now, but oddly I do remember knowing a little of what was going on around me. I just can't remember the details of it now. Kind of like remembering a dream when you wake up then forgetting it as the day goes. You knew you remembered it then, but something happened and now you don't know much. Anyway, as of now, I have one thought that strongly enters my memory bank, I kept wondering if I was going to be intubated. I didn't get to ask at the time, but upon waking up for one of the last times in the operating room right in front of me on my chest was a endotracheal tube sitting there. It was so close that I did not really see anything else only that it was there and the end of the package it was in was opened and I saw the wire with the loop on the end of it sticking out towards me. Maybe it was an illusion? But no, it wasn't. My later awakenings in the surgery recover room confirmed that the breathing tube was in fact real as my throat was a little bothersome and scratchy.
Not long after the nurses came in and told me that I could go home soon. They asked if I was in pain and since I just had something implanted in my behind of course my answer was yes. So one of them went and got me some dilaudid and some zofran to make sure I didn't get sick. It seemed like every 5 minutes the nurses were coming in telling me I could go home. Its not that I didn't want to...I just wasn't ready yet. That is the one thing that bugs me..... that they try to rush you out so quickly. The am I in pain part kept coming up as well. Three times I told them I hurt and all three times I was given pain medicine as well as nausea. They said they would keep me there for a while since I was still in pain. I appreciated that. Plus it got me more of a chance to wake up and shake the drowsiness off that the general anesthesia had given me. My brother who was in there with me got anxious to go home and was trying his best to get me up. Finally he told me I should get dressed so we could leave and that it would wake me up a little more. I guess so I said. So we had the nurse come in after I got my clothes on and wheel me out to the van.
So I am home now. I don't have much pain and I feel ok overall other than the drowsiness of the compazine (spelling?) and other medicines I had. I was curious about my interstim and went to the bathroom to look at it. Surprisingly I found that it is implanted in my right butt cheek. I thought it would be up much higher and in my lower back. I have very minimal pain so far. I know once the lidocaine and medicines wear off that it will hurt more, but for now I am surprisingly mildly hurting and happy about that. The trial I had already hurt more than this, but then again, I did not have anesthesia for that or pain medicine. I was only given lidocaine injections where the leads went. So as far as right now, I am doing well.
billytex1
wishing you the very best, man - I'm going to do the trial test later this year.
doubleaaaron
Ty Billy. I hope it works for you. If you got any questions about it just message me. I'd be glad to help.
Monnie45
Hi, I have a problem with rectal incontinence. I did see a urogynecologist and he suggested the implant. I am skeptical, sounded like it was more for urinary incontiinence. I am also a bit skeptical because I have a form of muscular dystrophy that may be causing that problem. My muscles deteriorate. Is it pretty obvious, you can actually feel it? I was told it could be porblematic if I need an MRI. Is that so?
Ann60
This has been suggested to me by two doctors. Mine is caused if I sit at the computer longer then 2 hours without going to the bathroom and always a night. I have read about some complications. I am on Myrbetriq medication which has helped but very little. I think if I got up 5 hours after going to bed and go to the bathroom I would be ok. I am going to try that. Good to know that someone has it and it is working. I thought it would be put in a person's side, not sure why I thought that. The battery has to be changed at least every 5 years like a pacemaker battery.
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