That’s a question, if ever there was one…Just what is the fluid content of a healthy adult bladder? HTF should I know, and WTF does it have to do with the 3 Amigos? Keep reading and I’ll provide an answer by the end of this post.
To post or not to post? That is the Question
I ‘wrestled’ with myself over whether or not to even post this. Especially the picture below. I took the photo on Thursday morning of this last week, after a maudlin few days. But what the hell! Welcome to my current 3 best friends – my new, 3 Amigos. Here they are. In all their splendour.
My Lemtrada Journey’s End?
It’s 6 weeks since finishing what will hopefully be my last EVER, MS treatment. I won’t be cured, (despite the thoughts and views of some family members. Aaaargh! Family. You have to love them. Killing them is illegal, after all. Isn’t it?)
I won’t get better. Don’t feel sad for me. That’s not what this post is about. My MS won’t kill me for God’s sake. Amen.
But, if the science works, I shouldn’t have any further relapses. The scarring on my nerves – that causes my disabilities – won’t heal. But there’ll be no new scars, with no new disabling effects. This will be amazing.
But what’s really pissing me off at the moment, is that after February’s MS flare, the 2nd round of Lemtrada, (my amazing MS drug https://wheeliebigadventures.com/ms-awareness-week-22-28-april-2019/) and 3 back to back Urinary Tract Infections… my disability/ability is miles off my pre-April 2019 ‘baseline’.
I’m not talking a smidgeon here. It feels like ‘to the moon and back’ miles. According to NASA, that’s 477,751 miles – a not too inconsequential distance.
Fatigue like I’ve never felt before & my 3 Current 3 Amigos
At the moment I’m knackered. In fact, I’m worse than Knackered. I’m weak. Constantly weak. Everything is an effort.
Mentally, I can push myself to exercise. And I do – that’s why the resistance band is one of the ‘3 Amigos’, (let’s call it Amigo No. 1) – but it’s not what I’d call exercise. It’s exercising sat in my wheelchair, pulling and pushing an 8lb resistance band. 8lb! I know the treatment is chemotherapy. But 8lb! At least it’s a vibrant red colour. If it was the black band, it might have pushed me over the edge.
This weakness also has a knock on effect to how far, and for how long, I can push my wheelchair, (my legs). Currently, this is not far – basically around the house and the back garden. This is NOT good.
I keep telling myself it’s a start and I’ll get back to where I was, perhaps even better. How’s that for positive optimism? Every story has a start…right?
Amigos 2 & 3
Amigo No. 2 – and this is the ‘eye waterer ’ for my fellow males – are my Coloplast Speedicath Flex. Amigo No. 3, being my prophylactic antibiotic – Nitrofurantoin. These are both to (hopefully) stop me getting further UTIs.
The effect of UTIs on My MS
People tell me that having a UTI is generally not a pleasant experience. In my ignorance, I thought it was an opportunity to drink more Ocean Spray. Generally not an UNpleasant experience. Cranberry heaven. Burp!
I hadn’t realised the havoc a UTI would cause with my MS. The last one left me only able to move my head and left arm. Terrifying. But intravenous Nitrofurantoin soon reversed that – albeit it took 3 hospital admissions in April and beyond the May Day Bank Holiday, to get to where I am now – a mile below baseline.
What exactly is Speedicath Flex?
I’m back to shouting it loud and shouting it proud…the Speedicath Flex is only the bloody Ferrari of bladder emptiers, (catheters).
So, going forward for me, that’s 3 times a day I have to do a process called Intermittent Self-Catheterisation. Literally, ‘threading the eye of the needle’. Gulp! But, according to the lovely Urology team at Royal Bolton Hospital, ISC, and 3 times a day ISC, is my new MUST do.
If I don’t do it, I’ll have recurrent UTIs, a seemingly never improving MS position, and I’ll keep bouncing in and out of hospital.
The cause of my UTIs is the stagnant pool of urine that is left in my bladder. That’s despite my knackered nerves telling me I’ve emptied completely. Turns out that I’m not just anally retentive, I suffer from water retention.
So what exactly is the fluid capacity of a healthy adult bladder?
Here’s where I answer the Question. Dr Google tells me that a normal human bladder has the fluid capacity of 500ml to 700ml. My ‘stagnant pool’ is c. 300ml. And that’s after my knackered bladder nerves have told my knackered brain nerves that the pee I’ve just done has emptied my bladder. Bonkers!
A ‘normal’ person, has a pee, fully empties their bladder and then doesn’t need to go again for a good while – probably every 2 pints, if I remember my pre-MS, White Horse boozing time correctly.
But I’m not ‘normal’. For ages now, I’ve been going for a pee, frustratingly waiting for the flow to start, eventually ‘finishing’, and then wanting another pee 10 minutes later.
Believe me, going round Disney World spending more time sitting on toilets rather than sitting in rollercoasters is just potty. See what I just did? Laugh…I nearly did.
Shout out to the Brierley Family. It must have been a nightmare.
Amigo 3, a.k.a. The Silent One
Prophylaxis /ˌprɒfɪˈlaksɪs/noun: prophylaxis
A treatment given or action taken to prevent disease.
I’m enjoying blogging. I’ve always liked the process of learning – sad, but true. And, blogging allows me to do this. And to share it with you good people.
Nitrofurantoin is a prophylactic. For my treatment, it’s being used as a low level, daily antibiotic to treat any remaining ‘stagnant pool’, and make it into a pure, disease free, mountain loch.
Prior to the assessment by the Urologist, the longest that I’d managed between hospital admissions was 5 days. Since being introduced to Amigos 2&3, I’m day 18 and counting. I hope this isn’t tempting fate. I love you, 3 Amigos.
Enjoy the rest of your Bank Holiday Weekend.
Bye for now. David
