Urology Clinic

We just got back from an hour walk on the trail along the ocean. The fog is back and it feels fantastic. I can breathe! We walked 2.5 miles and hope to push ourselves a bit further with each walk.

Yesterday. What a day. I drove into the city while drinking yet another bottle of water as I had to arrive with a full bladder. My visit to the urology clinic was due to the constant UTI problems as well as the fragile tissue issue during my PAP smear for the lung transplant clinic's non-invasive testing.

I arrived and was in the clinic for my 8:30 appointment (but told to be there 15-minutes early) at 7:30. Always chronically early, I was shocked that they called me in to begin right away. First, I was asked to leave a urine sample in the bathroom. By that time, I was becoming uncomfortable so it was a major relief! Then, a wonderful woman took my vitals and a quick sonogram of my bladder to see if I had been able to completely empty it. She told me the doctor was on a telephone consult but would be in as I was her first patient.

She arrived. The doctor was wonderful and listened and had read my file so she was aware of my lung issues. She told me my story was very inspiring. So sweet. After a quick pelvic exam, she came back to talk about going forward. She believed that the dryness was the cause of the constant UTIs and the fragile tissue. As I had been using Replens for over a month, she said my tissue looked and felt like normal, healthy tissue. She usually has her patients like me use Estrace everyday for two weeks then twice a week thereafter. That is a lot of hormones. But, she said the since my tissue looked healthy and I had not suffered a UTI since being on Replens, that we would stick with my routine unless I begin to get UTIs again.

They did a stick test on my urine and it tested that there were red blood cells present. She sent it down to the lab as the stick tests often have a false positive. If there was blood, I would have to have a cystotomy. So, I left not really knowing. During the day, I got the lab results. No blood. I also got an email from the doctor to confirm that, with no blood in the urine, I would not need anymore workup. I have an appointment to see her in January and time will tell whether the Replens is enough or if I am going to need the stronger stuff. Hormones.

It's so much fun getting older! Who knew I would be missing my period?