Frank Haematuria: Blood in Urine with Clotting
Firstly, a quick note to offer my apology for not producing a blog post for the past month or so. The reason will become clear as you read on…
Frank Haematuria:
My regular readers will probably recall that one of my longer term health issues has been recurrent episodes of frank haematuria: which is blood in the urine.
That in itself is no great problem because, within reason, one can always reconstitute the body‘s blood loss with appropriate dietary considerations, minerals and supplements. The problem arises when blood clots form that are large enough to block the urethra, thereby causing retention of urine (and blood) in the bladder. The consequence of that is considerable pain as the bladder fills and also, the danger of urine being forced back to the kidneys – or in my case – my lone kidney.
More often than not the blood will disappear within a few days with self treatment drinking copious amounts of water. On occasion though, as in this instance, the residual blood clots become too big to pass and they create a blockage.
Two Emergency Hospital Admissions:
The only recourse for a blockage is a quick trip to the nearest hospital emergency department, a quick insertion of a catheter tube and several days in hospital for irrigation of the bladder. Only in my case, having been released at 10am in the morning with all systems clear, I was readmitted at 10pm that same night with yet another blockage.
The urology department staff and I are quickly becoming old friends.
Catheter Size and Type Important:
One useful aspect is that I am now more familiar with my own requirements regarding the size and type of catheter needed. This information becomes critical in the Hospital’s Emergency Department where the catheter is first inserted. On an earlier occasion a small catheter was used and later had to be replaced by a larger one because of repeated blockages. Another important factor is that not all catheters have a separate valve or nipple permitting the attachment of a syringe for clearing blockages. I use a size 22 catheter (24 is the largest) but even so I still manage to block them. But I am now able to advise medical staff of my previous experiences with catheter’s and request a specific size and type of catheter, which helps them as well as me, of course.
I have noted that most nursing staff are very considerate, even sensitive, about using catheter’s, and do their very best to ease the discomfort and potential embarrassment. The problem is that when removing the catheter each nurse seems to have a different view on how slowly or how quickly the withdrawal should be. My own experience indicates that if too fast, there is increased discomfort (or pain) at the time of extraction and later, a longer period for the urethra to return to normal, together with an added risk of infection.
Bleeding is an Ongoing Problem at Home:
Another three day stay resulted in another ticket to leave but would you believe it, I started to bleed again that very night. This time however, the clotting did not cause any problems and cleared itself completely after several days.
Regrettably however, the bleeding and clotting then returned every few days or so for the following three weeks, but happily, without requiring hospital assistance.
Could my Prostate Gland be the Source of my Bleeding?
But I must say the month was not entirely wasted. As with several other urologists in recent years, the hospital urologist was unable to determine, without undertaking exhaustive, invasive tests, the source of the bleeding. Even with internal examinations two urologist’s had previous failed to give me an answer to this mystery.
Anyhow, I have always thought the probable source being my enlarged (now cancerous) prostate gland and over the past few weeks I think I have enough probable evidence to confirm that contention.
Following each of several bleeding episodes I held back from using the computer. In the first instance I held back for three days, then four days and later, for five days.
Not surprisingly, on each occasion when I thought I was safely healed internally and had returned to sit at my computer – I started to bleed again – within an hour or so. I am convinced now that sitting at the computer compresses and distorts my lower regions, the very organ congested area of bowel, bladder and prostate, and impacts on the prostate gland itself.
To Bleed or not to Bleed? That is the Question.
So now you know why folks, I am hesitant to do any type of work necessitating me sitting for long periods, and especially at the computer. I am even having to write this post in chunks so If it is a bit distorted you’ll know why that is. I must replace my desk-top with a lap-top, I guess.
Where to From Here?
So what is next you may well ask? Not much I’d say. The hospital urologist suggested I talk to my own urologist with regards to having another internal examination (cystoscope) of the bladder and also a transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP),
Problem with that is I have had two previous cystoscopy examinations neither of which revealed anything useful. And as for the TURP, well, I have had that twice also and whilst in normal circumstances that would be advisable I’m dead set against it this time around. It is clinically well established that with any form of invasive procedure to any part of the body the risk of cancer spread, when cancer is already present, is very high indeed.
Well,that said and considering my main battle with my own aggressive cancer is firstly to stop it spreading and secondly, to find ways to ameliorate it or kill it altogether, I can’t see any justification to increase my risks, simply to stop my hemorrhaging.
Beside, I have now found a natural substance to stop the clots forming. More about that later.
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