Increasingly OH is not emptying his bladder at all during the day. He seems not to need to but he is absolutely sodden in the morning. I`m supposing that being asleep allows the sphincter to open during the night and so empties a very full bladder. I`m just guessing that this another problem caused by PD and wonder if anyone else experiences this? If so, how do you deal with it? Is a catheter the answer? And if so, do you have a permanent one?
I know I could talk to the PD nurse but I can only leave a message for her to call me and I think you will offer advice more quickly and, a plus, it will personal experience.
My Mum had a similar issue...and it was also later discovered that she never completely emptied her bladder. She was hospitalised because of a unexplained very distended abdomen - which was then discovered to be her very full bladder - she had a catheter to drain and empty her bladder, and that stayed in for a few weeks. I was told they would see how things went without it, and once it was removed on the TWAC program (delightful acronym for Try Without A Catheter!) She then coped much better, and never had the catheter replaced.. She had a medication to reduce the irritable bladder that meant she felt she needed to go all the time, and things stabilised.
I recall she had an ultrasound early on in this issue. she wore Tena pants - but continued to get to the loo during the day...but did have some wet mornings............absorbent mattress pads over the bottom sheet helped. I did note in the last issue of the Parkinson's magazine a flyer for waterproof bedding and duvet covers.....
You have probably, hopefully resolved this issue by now - but on reading your unanswered question thought I'd share my experience. Hope it is of some help!
Hello Keld, My condolences on loosing you mum, and praise for your long term caring of her, it must be a sad loss for you.
I would like to ask if your mum actually gained weight when she had the distended abdomen as well, if she did by how much? I ask this for info for myself, as I am a PWP.
I have also read your post and would like to give you praise for caring for you mum over the years also for taking on helping in researching this disease.
Thank you Sheffy for your kind words. If I didn't use the 'stuff' I absorbed over the years caring for Mum - I think I'd have brain ache!! I do what I can!
Joining the forum and sharing from a carer's point of view is a good way to put the difficult 10 years learning to -hopefully - good use. I am glad to support when possible. Lots of things I know nothing about, but, I see a thread and often think - that happened to Mum...I know something about that!
The distended abdomen was actually when Mum was losing weight fast - as she had lost interest in food, it turned out that the weight loss was connected to her 'swallow' being very compromised. So it was more of :- eating was so tiring and scary for her, as she frequently felt she was about to choke...that she wasn't eating much, and so losing weight and then lots of other functions being affected either by that - or by progressing PD.
