HealthCare Journey for Multiple Sclerosis
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Virtual MS Center
    • Q & A for Virtual MS Center
    • Read About Our Virtual MS Center Staff
  • News & Resources
  • Seminar Registration
  • Health & Wellness
  • Blogs
    • Physician Blog >
      • Healthcare Provider Blog
    • Physical Therapy Blog
    • Patient Blog
    • Caregiver Blog
    • Research Blogs >
      • "Ask Dr. Debbie" Research Blog
      • Multiple Perspectives In Multiple Sclerosis Research Blog
  • About MS
    • What is MS?
    • Diagnosis
    • Treatment
    • MS Tips
  • Symptoms
    • Balance and Walking Issues
    • Breathing/Respiratory
    • Bowel Dysfunction
    • Cognitive Dysfunction
    • Crying/Laughing Uncontrollably (PBA)
    • Depression and Anxiety
    • Dizziness/Vertigo
    • Dysphagia
    • Fatigue
    • Foot Drop
    • Hearing or Smell or Taste Changes
    • Heat Sensitivity
    • Leg Weakness
    • Loss of Hand Dexterity and Coordination
    • Memory and Mutliple Sclerosis
    • Migraines
    • Numbness/Tingling/Altered Sensation
    • Nystagmus and Oscillopsia
    • Pain
    • Sexual Dysfunction
    • Sleep Issues
    • Spasticity/Spasms/Cramps
    • Speech/Swallowing
    • Urination/Bowel Problems
    • Vision
  • MS Clinics
  • MS Topics
    • Pregnancy and Infertility
    • Caregivers and Family Members
    • Employment and MS
    • Medical Costs and Insurance
    • Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis
  • Register With Us
  • Terms of Use/Privacy/HIPAA
  • MS HealthCare Journey

Let's Talk About What We Don't Talk About

7/15/2013

5 Comments

 
So I’m at Target yesterday and as I was browsing through the makeup section, I got the feeling that it was time to hit the ladies room.  One large Dunkin Donuts ice coffee and a bottle of water probably wasn’t one of my smartest moves given that I knew I’d be running errands all day, but I desperately needed the caffeine boost and the bottled water for hydration.  Anybody with Multiple Sclerosis who has been out in this heat should be sympathetic.  But I digress.  As I walked into the bathroom, my nostrils were immediately assaulted by that lovely odor that only comes from pubic bathrooms.  I silently said a prayer that this trip to the bathroom would be brief.  Luckily, a stall was available so I walked in, shut the door and inspected the toilet.  Ok, there was nothing floating in the water so my eyes then moved to examine the seat.  Gross.  Somebody who came before me must have stood, but didn’t have great aim.  The seat was a wet disaster.  Still, the need to go was becoming urgent, so I hooked my purse on the door, dropped my capri paints, and assumed the position.  Ladies, you know what I’m talking about—“The Squat”.  The urine started to flow freely, but my relief was short lived.  All of a sudden the flow just stopped.  I still felt like I had to go, but my bladder didn’t want to let anything out.  Ok, so this was not going to be a brief visit.  It was time to gear up for the long process that had become a dreaded battle for me over the past three years. 

I started to concentrate, and a few meager drops came out with some serious effort, but it I wasn’t close to being finished.  My squat that had started up pretty high above the toilet seat was lowering as my thigh muscles protested the strain.  So then I stood up, hoping that a change in position would get things going again.  No luck.  I lowered myself back to “The Squat” and focused.  Who would have ever thought that at 37 years of age I would have to give myself a pep talk on peeing? !?!  I expected this later in life, around 80 or so, but 37?  Really?  As those thoughts ran through my head I felt my thigh muscles rebel and I started dropping towards the seat.  NO!  I could not let this happen!  The hot mess they call a toilet seat would not touch my skin.  I stretched my arms out, bracing each one on the opposite sides of the stall walls.  Phew.  That was a close call.  But now back to the real work.  I must have remained in that position for a good 5 minutes or so before it finally happened.  The damn broke! Well, sort of. The urine starting coming out it spurts, as if was on a schedule, evacuating my bladder every 30 seconds or so with a burst of energy.  Finally, the last burst came and breathed a sigh of relief.  Literally.  I looked at my watch.  Only about 12 minutes was spent here, doing something that used to take me seconds.  As I left the bathroom, I was exhausted and my legs felt like jelly.  Luckily for me, the Starbucks was only about a hundred feet away…


--BLOGGER J
5 Comments
    If you would like to become a blogger, please contact us and let us know!
    CLICK ON THE RSS FEED ICON BELOW TO GET A LIST OF ALL OUR PATIENT BLOGS

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    October 2020
    March 2020
    January 2019
    September 2017
    March 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013

    Categories

    All
    Caregivers
    Cortisol
    Depression
    Diagnosis
    Diet
    Donn's Blogs
    Emily's Blogs
    Exercise
    Fatigue
    Fatique
    Foot Drop
    Heat Sensitivity
    Holly's Blogs
    Insurance
    Lizzie's Blogs
    Mobility
    Pain
    Service Dogs
    Spasticity
    Steroids
    Susan's Blogs
    Terri's Blogs
    Travel
    Treatments
    Tysabri
    Urination
    Work
    Yoga


© 2022 HealthCare Journey, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
HealthCare Journey™ is a trademark of HealthCare Journey, LLC
Picture
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Virtual MS Center
    • Q & A for Virtual MS Center
    • Read About Our Virtual MS Center Staff
  • News & Resources
  • Seminar Registration
  • Health & Wellness
  • Blogs
    • Physician Blog >
      • Healthcare Provider Blog
    • Physical Therapy Blog
    • Patient Blog
    • Caregiver Blog
    • Research Blogs >
      • "Ask Dr. Debbie" Research Blog
      • Multiple Perspectives In Multiple Sclerosis Research Blog
  • About MS
    • What is MS?
    • Diagnosis
    • Treatment
    • MS Tips
  • Symptoms
    • Balance and Walking Issues
    • Breathing/Respiratory
    • Bowel Dysfunction
    • Cognitive Dysfunction
    • Crying/Laughing Uncontrollably (PBA)
    • Depression and Anxiety
    • Dizziness/Vertigo
    • Dysphagia
    • Fatigue
    • Foot Drop
    • Hearing or Smell or Taste Changes
    • Heat Sensitivity
    • Leg Weakness
    • Loss of Hand Dexterity and Coordination
    • Memory and Mutliple Sclerosis
    • Migraines
    • Numbness/Tingling/Altered Sensation
    • Nystagmus and Oscillopsia
    • Pain
    • Sexual Dysfunction
    • Sleep Issues
    • Spasticity/Spasms/Cramps
    • Speech/Swallowing
    • Urination/Bowel Problems
    • Vision
  • MS Clinics
  • MS Topics
    • Pregnancy and Infertility
    • Caregivers and Family Members
    • Employment and MS
    • Medical Costs and Insurance
    • Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis
  • Register With Us
  • Terms of Use/Privacy/HIPAA
  • MS HealthCare Journey