Bowel incontinence

Hi @hopeful33250, no I don’t have more problems when I’m tired. Because it was mentioned that weak muscles are difficult to fix, I’m not sure I can be helped, but I will call my MD Monday for a referral, I’ll probably have to go see her first. The only time I have a problem with urine incontinence is if I have a drink in the evening, I end up having a dream that I am out somewhere desperately looking for a bathroom and can’t find one. When I do finally find one, I sit down and with great relief go to the bathroom. That’s when I wake up in a wet bed. It’s happened about five times so now I wear disposable briefs to bed.
I will let everyone know when I have an appointment. Thanks for your help and encouragement. I don’t like to talk to my friends much about this.

Hi JK, we do have a Urogynecologist here in Maine, one in Lewiston, and in Portland. That’s a lot of liquids to drink, it must be tiring to get up so many times a night, but at least you do wake up. Thank you for writing, I’ll keep all informed when I make any progress.

@emyliander I understand completely about not talking to your friends about these problems, they can be embarrassing. I don't talk to many people about it either, and even my son and daughter do not know I have fecal incontinence, they do know about my urinary incontinence. They had to so they would understand when we are out why I have to stop so frequently.
Ahhh, so you are basically right next door, in Maine! We have a small, rustic lakeside cabin on Lake Thompson. We used to be there every summer weekend and for vacation but it's getting to be a lot to do for my husband and myself so we are trying to disposition it to our kids right now but that's not an easy thing to do. Lots of complications.
JK

I have had that same dream, usually I woke up soon enough to make it to the bathroom. Good luck.
mlmcg

@mlmcg, thank you, I never knew so many people had the same problems, my best wishes are with you all. Emy

@contentandwell , hello, we are lucky we don’t live in the 1800’s when they didn’t have disposable pants and pads, sometimes, no indoor plumbing. Always something to be thankful for. Good luck with the cabin. Emy.

Every home had a chamber pot in each bedroom so no one went outside at night. However, someone had to empty them in the morning.

Our Grandmother said that she wanted to live, once they retired, as they stared out married life on the farm. It gave the grandchildren, and those who visited, the chance to know how an outhouse worked, how to use the pump at the sink and cook on a wood burning stove. They did not have an icebox, no one had big blocks of ice anymore, so they did have electricity and a refrigerator, no phone for the first few years. (The disposable pads were called "rags", and they were rags, which were rinsed out, washed, and dried to use again.)

mlmcg

I have been reluctant to ask my family doctor for a consult with a Urogynecologist, I eventually called. Her nurse called back and said the doctor had never heard of Pelvic Floor PT. The nurse however had looked it up and showed it to the doc. She told the nurse to call my Gastroenterologist to ask if it was something he would recommend for me. So now I have to wait to hear the result. Meanwhile I am wondering how I’m going to make out traveling to Spain in August. On a 7 hr flight and traveling and going to beaches.
Emy.

@emyliander She’s a urogynecologist and she never heard of pelvic floor PT? Good thing she has a smart nurse. I can’t imagine that she would have a gastroenterologist prescribe it, that should be her call.
Doctors here, in NH and Maine, are often not as up on things as doctors in more densely populated areas, but the urogynecologist in Manchester is supposed to be good if you don’t mind waiting forever for an appointment. As I have mentioned though, I have basically all of my care at Mass General now except for my PCP. I really love that hospital. All of the doctors and nurses there are phenomenal.
JK

I didn’t make myself clear. It was my GP that hadn’t heard of Pelvic Floor PT. I still would have expected her to know about it though. I guess if she doesn’t know about it, it would be hard to make the decision as to whether it is nessasary. They could make a decision that it’s not, but not nessasarily be right. I’ll have to wait and see.