Posted by Ben on 2/12/2008, 12:07 am, in reply to "pee shy and the urology department"

You have brought back all my worst memories! That whole system in urology depts needs to be re designed to give more dignity and privacy. My experience was almost identical; large open plan waiting room with reception desk centrally positioned...no privacy....instructions given in a fairly public way so one is made to feel, as you say, 'an idiot' and so I didn't even try to explain. The Dr was kindly but offered no reassurance or even conversation about it all, even when I totally failed to produce a sample!(I didn't know it was called a urodynamic test.) At the time I had not found this site and didn't really recognise that I had a condition with a name...but the Dr certainly didn't seem familiar with my problem...or perhaps he chose to ignore it ? In the end they reckoned I had a benign prostate condition so closed my 'case' and offered self catheterisation and tamsulosin. As I had had to be catherterised twice in emergency situations in A&E I had visions of the same sort of catheter with leg bag etc as, again, he offered no reassurance or explaination that these were different catheters etc. It wasn't until I saw the (female...20 something....!) nurse that I realised the catheters were different. They have been a life saver ever since. (I don't want to sound sexist but in the state I was in when seeing the Nurse, I think I really would have valued a male...with some experience....is that asking too much?!I felt such a freak even though she was quite professional.) Can there be any dialogue with Urologists...is there an 'Association of Urologists' we could talk to about how the clinics are organised? Martin I can only suggest that you see it through to some sort of conclusion by letting them check that there are no clinical conditions which can be ttreated then asking for catheters ...and perhaps a weekend course....to manage the whole thing better. Good luck Ben

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