Carson's CMG results

There is no great way to start bad news, so I will just lay it out there.

Carson had a HARD time today with her CMG (cystometrogram) bladder test. The test should have only taken 40 minutes and instead it took 2 hours. A L........O.........N.......G, grueling 2 hours. Carson has bladder spasms and every time her bladder had a spasmed she SCREAMED bloody murder. She spasmed every 15 - 30 seconds. After the first 30 minutes we were both sweating to death, and she was so pissed off at me and the world.
They sedated her at 3 different times. It was nuts. I just hope she doesn't remember to much of it because it was traumatic for her. I do think it was the first procedure that I cried at.

So...here are the results. Carson has a Neurogenic Bladder. For her age and her weight she should be able to hold 115ml / 150 mls of urine. Today, she only held 30 mls. Not good.

Here is a little info on her condition.

What is a neurogenic bladder?

Neurogenic bladder may also be called neuropathic bladder. The muscles and nerves of the urinary system work together to hold urine in the bladder and then release it at the appropriate time. Nerves carry messages from the bladder to the brain and from the brain to the muscles of the bladder telling them either to tighten or release. In a neurogenic bladder, the nerves that are supposed to carry these messages do not work properly, essentially paralyzing the bladder.


What causes neurogenic bladder?

In children a neurogenic bladder may be secondary to a birth defect or it may be acquired as the result of a different problem. The following are some of the most common causes of neurogenic bladder:

- Spina bifida defect that occurs during early fetal development. The defect consists of incomplete bony closure of the spinal cord through which the spinal cord may or may not protrude.

- Spinal cord trauma

- Central nervous system tumors

In many cases, neurogenic bladder is associated with the following:

-urine leakage (this often occurs when the muscles holding urine in the bladder do not get the right message)

-urine retention (this often happens if the muscles holding urine in the bladder do not the message that it is time to let go)

-damage to the tiny blood vessels in the kidney (this often happens if the bladder becomes too full and urine backs up into the kidneys, causing extra pressure)

-infection of the bladder or ureters (this often results from urine that is held too long before being eliminated)

Brainstem:
The brainstem is located at the base of the skull. Within the brainstem is a specialized area known as the pons, a major relay center between the brain and the bladder. The pons is responsible for coordinating the activities of the urinary sphincters and the bladder so that they work in synergy. The mechanical process of urination is coordinated by the pons in the area known as the pontine micturition center (PMC). The PMC coordinates the urethral sphincter relaxation and detrusor contraction to facilitate urination.


So with all that said, Dr. "K" will take the results and talk with Dr. "I". I am anxious to hear what Dr. "I" has to say. Is this Chiari related? Or have we opened a whole different can of worms??

After all that' I should report in with my weight loss progress:

Today's loss - .5

Not great, I know, but I am really struggling here.

**Traci, thanks for the comment, but I have no way of contacting you. Please email me at coletwins03@yahoo.com Thanks!