due for cystoscopy under GA and not happy about it one bit!!

[MidnightMoon]

I am in the UK, and so am using the public health system.

I went to the doctors in April and
now after waiting due to go for the cystoscopy in Sept

However I do not want it under a GA. It looks painful and I am terrifed of the GA. I mean really terrified. Lots of reasons but i want it done under a local not GA.

Its like a horrible health system I am sorry but it really is. There is no choice or even chance to speak to the specialist unless want to wait 4 months.

I went to the GP and said I want to be referred to another hospital as this other hospiral does them under a local. He said to try my current hospital to see if they will forgoe the GA and do a local (he was talking about spinal anestheia) BUT I JUST WANT IT WITH A LOCAL. not a GA not a spinal thing or whatever. Jeepers i never heard of spinal anesthetic for this procedure have you? its like my GP has no idea either.

What is so hard about that for crikeys sake. I dont want a GA just a local, I just want to be cleared of bad things such as cancer. I dont want a bunch of biopsies unless its really needed (and apparently they have me booked for biopsies!! which i dont know why since specialist said I have PBS)

Its very frustrating and very upsetting to have no choice to get a local. I am finding it very upsetting. it is really triggering me and freaking me out having no choice and I feel like I am being pushed into this. my husband will freak if i dont do it, he is sick and tired of me and my bladder pain. But i just want a local. The idea of having no choice about this, and being under and not able to defend myself or know whats going on, scares the crap out of me.

Anyway so my GP has written to the specialist/hospital. But ive not heard back and now I got a letter saying my GA has been booked and im supposed to ring to confirm.

I feel like turning up and just refusing the GA that I want it under a LOCAL. I wonder what would happen? Would they do it? Because its really like being on a production line like a can of beans no choice in anesthetic and no opportunity to speak to the doctor or anything.

What is so hard about that to do a local and not a GA!!

I feel like using my savings and paying private for it under a local but it makes me mad that our tax money is supposed to pay for this stuff.

[ICNDonna]

I have never heard of a cystoscopy with hydrodistention being done with a local anesthetic. A regular cystoscopy without distention or biopsies is usually done in a doctor's office. I have had over forty hydrodistentions and have had most of those with spinal anesthesia. This is my preference because I have a problem with general anesthesia causing severe nausea. Biopsies can be an important part of confirming an IC diagnosis.

If it weren't for the nausea, I'd choose a general --- it wears off much quicker than the spinal.

I hope the procedure goes well and that you are helped as much as I am by hydrodistention.

Sending healing thoughts,
Donna

[Pammylynn8]

I totally understand you corcerns. I just had cystoscopy under general yesterday and it wasn't bad at all. I was absolutely terrified before hand though.. I wanted local too, but dr. said he wouldn't be able to fully analyze or fully distend my bladder if I was awake. He said it would be way tooooo painful.
The general anethesia is just like going to sleep and you wake it. Make easier than I thought it could ever be. Just make sure that you have pain meds afterwards, because sometimes there can be burning painwhen you pee for a few days. I hope you find a way of working this out and are feeling better soon!!!

[nineteenwinters]

I honestly think you would be in horrible, horrible pain if you were to just have a local. I would be really worried if they did let you have a cysto + hydro with only a local. I have read nothing but horror stories about hydros (and sometimes just cystos) not under GA. Stretching your bladder to full capacity would probably hurt even someone who didn't have IC.

GA is scary but it will ensure you're NOT going to be in excruciating pain while they perform the procedure. As far as afterwards the pain is going to be the same whether you go under GA or just have a local. I had mine last month and it was the first time I ever had GA and it wasn't bad at all. IE, I'd rather do that again then have this flare I am going through.

[MidnightMoon]

thank you what is a hydro?

Hi, thank you for replying.

About the hydros - what is a hydro? I didnt know that is what they are going to do. What does that mean? that they full the bladder in order to see in better?

How come sometimes it is done under a local? And other times with GA? What is the difference?

I don't know the difference between the two procedures. Do they have to do the hydro thing?

Thank you for your help and information. I really have no idea what I am having done. Nothing is explained by the hospital they jsut said I am having a GA cystoscopy. When I saw my notes that they sent to the GP, they had put biopsies also.

I wish I got to speak to a doctor there who would tell me what the plan is and why they are doing certain things.

[nineteenwinters]

A cysto is just the camera in the bladder. But if you're getting a biopsy I think you're probably going to have the hydro as well. The hydro is filling the bladder to full capacity, keeping the fluid in for a amount of time and then draining it. This is to have a better idea of what's going on. For me it showed that when my bladder expands the bladder lining doesn't causing it to rip each time my bladder fills.

Cysto's by themselves are done with local sometimes. I would never get this done personally. Just a catheter through my Urethra hurt so bad (and I have a ped size) that I started to black out. And that was with local. If you have any inflammation of the Urethra it can hurt pretty bad.

The spinal anesthesia was probably mentioned because you said you didn't want to have general anesthesia. The spinal takes longer to recover from but is less likely to cause nausea.

I would call the hospital or your GP and ask exactly what you're having done. Some doctors just say 'cystoscopy' when they really are going to include the hydro as well.

But as far as the 'more pain' you mentioned with the GA route I don't think that's true at all. Being asleep = no pain. And like I said afterwards if you're going to experience any pain it will be the same from having it done under GA or with a local.

[ICNDonna]

A hydrodistention is sometimes called an over distention --- they actually very carefully stretch the bladder --- that's when the interstitial cystitis shows itself.

Sending gentle hugs,
Donna

[MidnightMoon]

Hi thank you Donna & nineteenwinters

I dont know if I am getting a hydro, this health system has it crappy side, cause no information is given.

'hey you are going to have a GA and a procedure, but we arent going to tell you what exactly"

Omg i feel like ranting! I guess I am very nervous cause the pre op nurse was a bit of a cow and she was acting like i was annoying her so i didnt say yes i get chest pain, hence no ECG and now my thoughts are like omg i shouldve said yes i get chest pain, (though at the time I was thinking who doesnt get chest pain she is just going to get mad with me if i say yes) I didnt want to annoy her.

"I would call the hospital or your GP and ask exactly what you're having done."
Good idea, thu its like getting blood out of a stone.I will try again and see my GP and write to the hospital.

I just want a local one done, cant they rule out cancer with a local? Or do they need to do that hydro thing to do that. I just want them to look and say yes or no something really bad life threatening is there. I dont trust them to help me with the pain actually. They wanted me on norafloxcin for THREE MONTHS (the one with the black box label damaging peoples tendons) no warning about what it was or anything. So I dont really trust them much.

[nineteenwinters]

It's up to your doctor. I had a CT scan to rule out masses but that's a lot of radiation and your doctor may have not wanted to subject you to it. I think you'll just need to ask your doctor about it. We don't know what he knows/thinks so we can't tell you which procedure you need and what you don't.

[MidnightMoon]

This is 'tax' paid public health service in the UK (thu i dont think much tax goes towards it, so there is no way they would do a CT scan.

Thank you for your information! I got more from you than the doctors.

All i want to do is rule out anything serious - as in life threatening and if its anything else I want to try EFT and TMS treatment for it.

[soymilk]

I'm sorry you're having a frustrating time getting information from your doctors.

I was also very concerned about going under GA and having a hydrodistension. I ended up having a cystoscopy without hydrodistention and they used no anesthesia at all. It was uncomfortable but actually a lot less painful than my urodynamics test (which they told me would be painless, haha). They were able to rule out bladder cancer with that test. Maybe that would be an option for you?