Monday, January 7, 2019

I am Pee’sed to Inform You...
B
rought to you by Megan Hernandez, Zumba®️ Fitness Instructor
 

 

Yep, it’s about to get REAL!  Let me start by telling you a little bit about my own story. When I was 33 years old, I had surgery that caused trauma to my bladder. The surgery left me with a hole in my bladder called a fistula. This fistula left me needing another surgery!! To paint a picture for you, they had to go in and fix my “flat tire”. Post-surgery wasn’t that bad, a little bit of pain but I felt like I healed right up! Little did I know…  a lot had changed. Everyone knows what it feels like when you have to pee, your body tells you it’s time to go. If you hold it, then you really have to go! And if you keep holding it… well at that point your risking peeing yourself or your eyes watering because you just can’t hold it anymore. My Ah Ha! moment post-surgery was that my body no longer had this warning system! When I had to pee, I HAD TO PEE! I didn’t understand what happened or why. 

So, as time went on it was something I learned to deal with. There was NO time to hold my pee. I learned how to cope with my new bladder over the next ten years, until I decided to become a fitness instructor. Then, out of nowhere, I had a whole new issue. An issue… I think a lot of us experience.
When I jumped, I peed. Of course, I NEVER said anything to anyone. How embarrassing! But then as time went by, I started hearing whispers among the women coming to my classes about leaking when they were jumping. Am I not the only one? I would joke at the beginning of class and tell everyone it was a jumping jack day and make sure they pee’d before class. This led to a chorus of nervous laughter from the class. It was then, that I realized I wasn’t the only one experiencing this. It ended up opening the door for me to find out what causes it and if there was a treatment or solution. I sat down with the acclaimed urologist from Baptist Health in Fernandina Beach, FL., Dr. Kenneth Son. He gave me the basics. The bladders only purpose is to store and release urine. That is all. There are two different reasons for bladder leakage.
  • One reason is “urge urinary incontinence” also known as (hyper-overactive bladder). This happens because the bladder never fully relaxes, and it needs to empty itself before it’s full. Think about that commercial where the woman is being pulled around by her bladder. With this condition, you would feel the urge to urinate and run to the bathroom, and barely get yourself situated before you begin peeing. 
The treatment for this condition is medication and rarely if ever would require surgical intervention. Medication can commonly be taken for just a few months and you will have relief from your symptoms for an extended period. 
  • The second reason for leakage is from the bladder neck falling due to a weakening of the fascia between the vagina and bladder. This is called stress urinary incontinence and it affects 1 in 3 women in the world, 13 million Americans, 85% who are women. Typical activities that provoke leakage of urine are running, jumping, coughing, sneezing, laughing and even sexual intercourse. Stress urinary incontinence can develop slowly with age and may often be a result of childbirth. It can also occur with chronic or repetitive straining from constipation, chronic coughing, and high impact aerobics. As well as, menopause or a hysterectomy. 
The treatment for this starts out with non-surgical options, pelvic muscle exercises (Kegels), protective undergarments, physical therapy and panty liners. If it begins to affect your lifestyle then a doctor may suggest a surgical solution such as a mesh sling. An example that affects your lifestyle would include stopping going to your favorite Zumba®️ Fitness class because of leakage. 
 
So, to wrap things up, know that you aren’t alone if you are experiencing leakage problems. Take the time to speak to a doctor about your leakage and see what kind of solutions are available to you and do those Kegels!! They are going to help you more than you know! And remember, you are not alone. There is a vast community of women who experience the same aches and pains as you. They could even be in your Zumba®️ Fitness class or a click away online. Don’t be afraid to talk openly about your experiences because you could have the answers someone just like you are looking for.
Photo source: gpointstudio/Shutterstock

1 comment:

  1. Yup, yup, yup... living it! Have had surgery for the mesh sling... I call it a zip tie on steroids.. and today for the first time in years I jumped, and jiggled, and had no need of that pad. And wow do I feel like a young girl again lol You are not alone!

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