RSS feedIncontinence: a patient's perspective – Michelle Lewis
- Introduction
- Noel Minett
artificial urinary sphincter patient - Colin Webber
bladder cancer patient - David Lehane
prostate cancer patient - Michelle Lewis
incontinence patient - Sally Richards
bladder reconstruction patient - Russell Cornish
GreenLight laser treatment patient - Ian Doherty
robotic prostatectomy patient - Charlie Blackwell
robotic prostatectomy patient - William Lane
robotic prostatectomy patient - Neville Parnell
artificial urinary sphincter patient - Simon Dolan
robotic prostatectomy patient - Steve
robotic prostatectomy patient
Michelle Lewis, aged 35, has had a new treatment called sacral neuromodulation, known as the ‘pacemaker for the bladder’ after many years of urge incontinence. This promising new treatment offers an alternative to major surgery for patients with urge incontinence and urgency, whose previous treatments have failed.
“The problem started for me after the birth of my second child in 2003. The moment my brain told me I needed to go to the toilet, I had to run to get there on time. I could just about make it during the day, but at night, I started to wet the bed. It was really upsetting – I would wake up, the bed would be flooded and I’d feel cold and embarrassed. I remember once, when my daughter wet the bed, I gently told her – ‘You mustn’t wet the bed’. She replied – ‘But you do mum.’
“My partner was really supportive and understanding. I’d feel really bad as he is a bus driver who starts work early in the morning and his sleep was being interrupted. The problem was not just affecting me but the whole family.”
“By 2007, things were getting worse and worse. I work as an Ann Summers manager and whenever I went out, I’d have to take a spare pair of trousers and knickers with me. Wherever I went, the first thing on my mind was always finding the toilet. Even when I was watching my daughter’s school play, I’d have to rush off and go to the children’s little toilets.
“My partner was really supportive and understanding. Sometimes he would wake up and tell me the bed was wet, then change the sheets while I washed in the bathroom. But I’d feel really bad as he is a bus driver who starts work early in the morning and his sleep was being interrupted. The problem was not just affecting me but the whole family.
“We decided to get married and one of the most upsetting things was when I went out to choose a wedding dress with my best friend. I was really excited and forgot to bring spare clothes. I realised I needed to go to the toilet too late and the moment I stepped outside the door, I was flooded. It was supposed to be a really nice day, but once again I was left feeling embarrassed and upset.
“When my doctor Jeremy Ockrim suggested trying a new treatment, I was willing to try anything because I felt really desperate. First of all, I had to have a test. You have a small operation to insert a very thin wire through the bottom of your back to the nerves which control your bladder. This is connected to a box which is the size of a large pager which you wear on a clip on your back. It’s a bit uncomfortable, but you know you only have to wear it for three weeks to see whether the treatment works for you.
“The box sends electrical waves to stop the faulty nerves which keep telling the bladder to contract and empty suddenly. You use the box to turn the current up and down. If found it did help me, improving things by 50 per cent, so Mr Ockrim said I was suitable for the operation.
“Incontinence is something people don’t want to talk about. But it affects so many women and can have a terrible affect on your life. I hope more women will find out about this treatment because if I’m honest, I’d say it really has changed my life.”
“They use a much smaller box, which is about 3cms wide, and it is right inside your skin during an operation, so you can’t feel it. You are given a control unit, which is the size of a thick mobile phone, to keep at home and control the frequency.
“I notice the electrical current sometimes – if I lie flat on my tummy, swim, or change from standing to sitting. It’s like a little tickling sensation. For the first month, it was brilliant. Then I started wetting myself again. I went back to hospital and the nurse, Julie Jenks was fantastic. She explained that the pulse needed to be turned up a little. It was originally set at 1.5 and now I can turn it up gradually but it is still a long way from the highest setting.
“It is not a magic wand – it is something you have to work with to find the right setting for you, but it is 100 per cent better than before.
“This summer, for the first time in years, we were able to go away to Cornwall, staying in a hotel then at a friend’s house. That would have been impossible before – I couldn’t go anywhere overnight knowing I might have an episode, so your life becomes very limited. It was so lovely to be able to go away – for me and for the whole family.
“Incontinence is something people don’t want to talk about. But it affects so many women and can have a terrible affect on your life. I hope more women will find out about this treatment because if I’m honest, I’d say it really has changed my life.”
Find out more
▸ Read more about the sacral neuromodulation treatment for incontinence
▸ Harley Street Urology's step-by-step treatment options for incontinence
