www.incontinentsupport.org

Well, today i had my consult with the neurology-ataxia department at U of M. It was a long drive down. But, well worth it. THe doctor actually seemed interested in giving me the time of day. We went thourogly through my symptoms, and what suprised me is that i had been told my neuropathy and my incontinence were related, but it turns out my neuropathy was too mild to cause bladder control issues. So, my neurologist thinks something else is afoot in my spine. He brought in his attending neurologist who said there could be autonomic nerve failure in the bladder. The doc ordered a complete MRI of the brain, and entire spinal cord with contrast to see lesions in the spinal cord. I was pleased to hear that. They also said they want me to see their urology people, which was also nice to hear. They actually want to take the time to make sure that the tests i have had so far were done right, and to collaborate. Wohoo! Best news is, he said depending on the cause of the incontiennce, that it is treatable. And he ruled out the scary stuff such as Freidrich's ataxia or spinocellebrar ataxia. U of M hospital has a very good reputation, and so far it seems WELL deserved. It impressed me that they had 2 doctors working together in the office on my case.. I'm more than happy to see the U of M urologist, and their neuromuscular ppl.. I feel some ray of hope, since he said it could be treatable..which is more than my local urologist ever gave.

_________________
"We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love" Mother Teresa

"THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!" - Captain Picard from Chain of Command, Part II

Well,...from the symptoms you've described,.... I would be more than surprised if your incontinence was caused by any type of nerve damage. It sure does not sound like it to me,.... and not having any type of nerve damage is ALWAYS good news! If I had to guess, I would say whatever your incontinence problem might be is something that is temprary, and not permanent.

John