Question for those of you that finished External Radiation

california_artist said:

abstracts agree urinary caused by hysterectomy
Here is what I put in the Google search to find these references:

radiation treatment incontinence

and these are some of the reports that showed up. If you look farther on the page of the report for references, you can find other studies and such.

This appears to be from the National Institute of Health (nih.gov)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3725241?dopt=

Abstract Urodynamic changes in urethrovesical function after radical hysterectomy.
Scotti RJ, Bergman A, Bhatia NN, Ostergard DR.

Twelve patients undergoing radical hysterectomy were comprehensively evaluated urodynamically pre- and postoperatively using sensitive instrumentation, including microtip transducers. Five patients developed genuine stress incontinence, four developed loss of bladder compliance, three developed motor deficits consisting of either inability to relax the urethra or inability to initiate or maintain a vesical contraction, two developed impaired urinary flow, three had persistent excessive residual urine volumes, and two developed bladder sensory loss. These changes persisted beyond the one-year follow-up period. The degree of urethrovesical dysfunction bore no significant relationship to the radicality of the hysterectomy.
PMID: 3725241 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Actually, if your doctors are unaware of this possible result of the surgery, which they might be, you could show some of these studies to them and it might help the next fellow traveler in line. At least they might not so easily dismiss their role or responsibility in how you feel and might also not be so quick to dismiss your claim all together. How many things are "all in our minds and a few antidepressants will fix us right up?" and how many of those pills go right in the trash, cause, I'm sorry but pee is never in your mind!

I'm sorry. I'm part Sicilian and I'm from New York City. It doesn't get any more honest or real than that. Ask any New Yorker. It's our burden to carry. Someone asks a question, I have to try to find the answer.

Here's another:

Urethral pressure profiles following radical hysterectomy.
Sasaki H, Yoshida T, Noda K, Yachiku S, Minami K, Kaneko S.

Urethral function following radical hysterectomy was studied by chronologic analysis of the urethral pressure profile. Thirty patients who had radical hysterectomy were divided into 2 groups according to the degree of preservation of the plexus pelvicus at operation. The method of complete preservation is described. Urethral pressure profiles showed a significant postoperative decrease of mean maximum urethral closure pressure in the group of 20 patients with bilateral nerve transection; this was not found in the group of 10 patients with complete preservation of the plexus pelvicus. The decrease was ascribed to possible damage of sympathetic nerves originating from the hypogastric nerve. The results indicated that postoperative abnormalities in urination are caused by damage not only to the parasympathetic nerves (the pelvis nerve) but to the sympathetic nerves (the hypogastric nerve) as well.

here's another one:
http://www.springerlink.com/content/u101965567n3l1g8/

Stress-overflow urinary incontinence after radical hysterectomy and radiation therapy for cervical cancer

(1) Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Graz, Austria
(2) Department of Neurology, University of Graz, Austria


Abstract A 40-year-old woman was evaluated for urinary incontinence, loss of bladder sensation and residual urine 12 months after radical abdominal hysterectomy and external pelvic radiation therapy for stage IIb cervical cancer. The patient had no history of abnormal lower urinary tract function before treatment. The urodynamic follow-up study at 12 months showed 80 ml of residual urine, low bladder compliance (detrusor pressure of 77 cmH2O at 200 ml filling) and an incompetent urethral closure mechanism. Cystoscopy showed a pale bladder mucosa with telangiectasia. Two years later the urodynamic findings were almost unchanged, and pudendal nerve terminal motor latency measured according to Snooks and Swash showed prolonged motor latency to the external urethral sphincter. Thus, this patient had combined stress overflow incontinence with pudendal neuropathy and fibrosis of the bladder wall.


Just something to think about when you're trying to solve problems.

Love and kisses,

Claudia

california_artist said:

Jill my fellow New Yorker : ~ )
Hey, there,
url: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/01/060117112406.htm
In case you want to look further. There were also a number of board with discussions.

Herr' what I typed in Google search: hysterectomy bowel incontinence to get this thrilling article. : ^ )

Women's Silent Health Problem: Study Finds Fecal Incontinence Is Prevalent
ScienceDaily (Jan. 17, 2006) — It's a topic that is discussed so infrequently -- for reasons that are easy to understand -- that it may seem it isn't much of a problem. But new research shows that fecal incontinence is prevalent among U.S. women, especially those in older age groups, those who have had numerous babies, women whose deliveries were assisted by forceps or vacuum devices, and those who have had a hysterectomy.


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See also:
Health & Medicine
•Healthy Aging
•Urology
•Diseases and Conditions
•Gynecology
•Menopause
•Women's Health
Reference
•Fecal incontinence
•Hysterectomy
•Menopause
•Urinary incontinence
Many women in the study who had fecal incontinence also had another medical condition, such as major depression or diabetes, and often experienced urinary incontinence in addition to FI. The findings are reported in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

"Increased attention should be paid to this debilitating condition, especially considering the aging of our population and the available treatments for FI," says senior author Dee E. Fenner, M.D., associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, and director of gynecology, at the University of Michigan Medical School. "It is very important to the health of women that clinicians are aware of the prevalence of FI and can treat their patients accordingly."

The study, led by the University of Washington, was a postal survey of 6,000 women ages 30-90 who were enrolled in a large HMO in Washington state (the condition also affects men, but only women were involved in the study). Of the 64 percent who responded, the prevalence of FI was found to be 7.2 percent, with the occurrence increasing notably with age. FI was defined as loss of liquid or solid stool at least monthly.

The study was the first, to the authors' knowledge, to examine major depression as a potential risk factor for FI. They say FI could be a contributing factor to major depression in some cases, and major depression could be a contributing factor to FI in other cases.

FI can occur after damage to the anal sphincter muscles or scarring to the rectum, causing it to be unable to hold stool. Ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease and some other conditions can cause this scarring to occur. Another contributing factor can be the stretching of the nerves that supply the sphincters, called the pudendal nerves, which can occur with childbirth, old age, trauma, or with medical diseases that affect the nerves, such as diabetes. Without intact nerves to stimulate the sphincters, the sphincters may undergo atrophy.

Because of the nature of the condition, people who have FI often do not discuss it with their doctors, experts say. That is why the study's authors encourage clinicians to take a more active role in finding out if their patients are experiencing FI, especially among patients age 50 or older. They note that while FI is present in many elderly women, it should not be considered merely a normal part of aging. They also encourage women to discuss the issue with their doctors.

It also is important for women and their doctors to be aware of the conditions that often go along with FI. Researchers found that women in the study with FI were more likely to have:

•A higher number of deliveries
•Urinary incontinence
•A previous hysterectomy
•Another medical condition as well, such as major depression or diabetes
•A history of operative vaginal delivery, such as those using forceps or a vacuum-assisted device.
The impact of incontinence on the quality of life of the respondents was "significant," says Fenner, who is one of the founders of the Michigan Bowel Control Program at the University of Michigan Health System. "We found that half of the subjects with FI reported that their bowel symptoms had a large impact on their quality of life," she notes.

Treatments that can help people manage FI can range from changes in diet and exercise, to medications that improve the formation of stools, to surgery that repairs the sphincter muscles. In some cases, an artificial bowel sphincter can be implanted under the skin to mimic the natural function of the anal sphincter. Biofeedback -- which involves daily exercises to improve the strength of muscles used to hold back a bowel movement -- also is an option for some patients.

The lead author of the study was Jennifer L. Melville, M.D., M.P.H., of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington. In addition to Melville and Fenner, other authors were Ming-Yu Fan, Ph.D., of the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington and Katherine Newton, Ph.D., of the Center for Health Studies at the Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound of Seattle.

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The research was supported by grants from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Institute of Mental Health, and a project-specific grant from Pharmacia Corporation.

Citation: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dec. 2005, vol. 193, 2071-6.

For more information about fecal incontinence: www.med.umich.edu/1libr/aha/umfecal.htm

For more information about the Michigan Bowel Control Program: www.med.umich.edu/bowelcontrol/about/fecal_incont.htm


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Adapted from materials provided by University of Michigan Health System.

Personally, I just love the work the University of Michigan is doing. Especially on ginger and cancer. Dr. Lui spelling not so sure.