Fear of Physical Therapy (Part 2)

I did it. I put aside my fears and went to the Physical Therapist today. I am very impressed with how much my PT talked with me beforehand about my symptoms and then told me what she guessed was the problem (later after examining me, her thoughts were proven to be correct). She had a plastic model and explained to me all I needed to know and more about the pelvic floor. I had no understanding of all of it’s functions and how large of an area it really covered.

When she did the internal examination she found several trigger points a.k.a painful areas on my pelvic floor. I can only explain the pain I felt being similar to the pain of air on an exposed tooth root. It’s going to take about 4 months of treatments twice a week but I think I’m finally headed in the right direction. I’m in alot of pain tonight that I didn’t expect as I felt pretty good when I went in there. Hopefully, this won’t be the case after each appointment. She did mention later possibly using vaginal weights but I hope it doesn’t come to that.

Special thanks to aspiegrrl, who was kind enough to share her experience with me and in turn, calm my nerves.

Sudden Fear of Physical Therapy (Part 1)

Last week when I saw my urologist, I inquired about whether physical therapy might help with the pain that I couldn’t seem to get rid of. Bladder instillation’s, heating pads, ice packs-nothing was working. The doctor agreed to it and said physical therapy is good for both IC and pelvic floor spasms. As I think I experience both, I was elated to hear this. The nice lady at the front desk gave me a brochure about a physical therapist who specializes in women’s issues; specifically IC. I called last Monday and am scheduled for my first appointment tomorrow. In a weird way, I had been looking forward to going because I was really hoping a new/different method of care might really help.

The lady at the front desk had emailed me paperwork to fill out so that I won’t have to sit in the office an extra 15 min. The first time I even glanced at the paperwork was tonight. And this is when the fear set in. Here is just an excerpt from the consent form:

“Treatment may include, but not be limited to, the following: observation, palpation, use of vaginal weights, vaginal or rectal sensors for biofeedback and/or electrical stimulation, ultrasound, heat, cold, stretching and strengthening exercises, soft tissue and/or joint mobilization and educational instruction”

I expected to receive educational instruction as well as stretching and strengthening exercises….WTH ARE THOSE OTHER TORTURE DEVICES ABOUT? I’ve lifted weights before but never that kind. Rectal sensor? Believe me, my ass is big enough-no sensor needed, thank you very much. I fear this physical therapist is going to see more of my bits than my gyno and my boyfriend have combined this year and I’m really not ok with that.

So help me out, IC community-or anyone really, who has had physical therapy using any of the above torture devices-do they help? And most importantly, do they hurt? I don’t want to come across as a prudish lightweight here but…well that’s exactly what I am! If you’ve had experiences with this line of physical therapy, please let me know if it was worth it and if it’s as creepy as it sounds.

As a side note, I’d like to apologize for the words in blue. I pushed the wrong button and couldn’t change it back. I’m sure you know what the definition of an ice pack or heat pack is and don’t need wikipedia to enlighten you,

Hurry Up and Wait

I had my follow up appointment today. I was a bit nervous as to what the doctor was going to recommend since the bladder installations weren’t as successful as we had hoped.

I was also nervous due to a daycare situation that put me in the office five minutes late. Five minutes is late, yes, but not really that unusual nor extreme. When I arrived, I checked in with my least favorite person in the office. She took my last name and then said, “You’re a bit late, let me see if the doctor will still see you,”. Umm…what? She picked up the phone and spoke to the nurse. When she hung up she said, “The doctor will see you, but there are four people ahead of you and it’s going to be an hour wait.” I have really been making an effort to be nice to people lately but I will admit that for all the niceties I’ve put out there the past few weeks, I took them all back at that moment, “I’m sorry? Can you repeat that, please?” I asked. The fool must not have seen the look of death I was penetrating her skull with or she wouldn’t have repeated herself. “So, I’m getting pushed to the end of the line because I was five minutes late for an appointment? Do you realize that on the day of my first appointment I waited over an hour to see the doctor? I’ve also waited over 15 minute’s on other occasions as well, and yet, due to a situation beyond my control, I’m now being pushed to the end of the line for being five minutes late?”  I may or may not have been yelling for the whole waiting room to hear at this point. I have no shame. “We’ve had several people we’ve had to fit in today and you’re the last appointment,” she said. I just shook my head and sat down. An hour and several trips to the bathroom later I was taken to the exam room. Thirty minutes after that I was still waiting. I really like Dr. L and his nurse but sitting there getting more and more angry as the minutes ticked by, I was contemplating getting my hefty co-pay back and seeking help elsewhere. I decided to talk to the nurse before making any rash decisions and plus, I wanted to whine to someone. We had a loud conversation about the wait time outside the patients door where the doctor was. Well, okay, to honest, I was the loud one, she was nothing but understanding and accommodating. Don’t you just hate it when people kill you with kindness when you’re looking for a fight? She won because I found myself back inside the exam room and waited another five minutes or so before the doctor came in, calm but apologetic for the wait.

I discussed with Dr. L how I have had a few really good days but not enough to consider the bladder installations a success. I also told him that it seems I’m worse on Saturday and Sunday’s, the two days leading up to the next installation, He gave me two choices: I can learn how to put a catheter in at home and give myself the treatments twice a week for an undetermined amount of time or he can do a bladder hydrodistention and cystoscopy to look for Hunner’s Ulcer’s. With the latter, I would be in guaranteed pain for about two weeks following the procedure but eighty percent of patients are reported to notice a big difference after that time period. I don’t want to have to play doctor every  few days and do my own installations on an ongoing basis so I chose the hydrodistention, I know there aren’t any guarantee’s but I’m hoping to fall in the eighty percent that are success cases. I read in ‘The Interstitial Cystitis Survival Guide’ that the effects of this procedure may only last three months Of course I’m rooting for longer but…it’s been a long time since I’ve felt good for a week, much less a month and the possibility of three months makes it worth it for me to try. Dr. L also had his nurse show me how to insert the catheter into my urethra so in the future I could do the bladder installations at home, should I get a Flare Up. So, so glad I left my ten-year old son in the waiting room. She was showing me how to insert the catheter and medication while balancing a mirror so I could see my vagina. Although I’m familiar with my vagina, I’d never seen it reflected back at me like that, full stop. Add in the view of my Stay Puff Marshmallow Man thighs and the view of the underside of my food baby and I was horrified. I tried to listen, I really did but I really just wanted her to put the damn mirror down so I could get dressed. Whatever that nurse is being paid, I’m sure it’s not enough.

After that fun, Dr. L came in and told me that he’d kept me so late that his surgery scheduler had gone home for the night. He then apologized again for the wait. I explained to him that the reason I was so irritated was because I felt that I was getting the shaft for being five minutes late when he was late by an hour and a half. I told him that had his office called me to let me know that he was that far behind I would have felt like I had a choice to either come in later or reschedule, He agreed with me and said he’d talk to the office manager about the rude lady at the front desk as well as advising people ahead of time about the wait so they could reschedule if needed. Round trip I was gone three hours for an appointment that I should have been to and back in an hour. I should charge them for my time.