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Ambassador – Tanya

My name is Tanya and I’m a 37-year-old project manager and mother. I can’t tell you how many times I sat in meetings and instead of focusing on project details, I was thinking, “When can I interrupt this meeting and go to the restroom?” When my teenage son was talking about school or work, I constantly had to say, “Hold that thought,” and I’d run to the bathroom. Plus, I’m a runner and having to go really distracted me when I was in 5K races. I couldn’t wait to get to the finish line because I had to go.

The symptoms began 10 years ago, when I was 27 years old. I noticed I went to the bathroom more than anybody else, but initially, I didn’t think too much of it. Typically, I’d need to go about 12 times per day and I’d get up two to three times per night. I always felt like I had to go, but I only went small amounts.

After a few years of this, I saw a commercial for a bladder medication and went to see a urologist who prescribed it for me. Although the drug helped somewhat, I was only 30 years old and didn’t want to be on medication the rest of my life. The urologist suggested stretching my ureters and bladder. I had that procedure done and it worked for four to six months, but then I returned to my previous level of frequency. I knew I should go back, but I just didn’t want to deal with the hassle of the procedure. When I was 34 years old, I had another stretching procedure, and this time the effects lasted only three to four months. During the last few years, my frequency increased a bit more.

I travel a lot for work, which was really difficult with my bladder problems. When flying, I always had to have an aisle seat. I hoped the flight took off on time so I wasn’t trapped in my seat too long while waiting for the “you’re free to move about the cabin” message from the pilot. Finally, I thought, “At my age, I should be able to sleep through the night. I should be able to run a 5K and think about other muscles besides my bladder.”

As a stroke of luck, I ran into somebody who told me about neurostimulation. After I researched it, I thought it would work for me, so I contacted a urologist familiar with it. Before we got serious about neurostimulation, he did urodynamic studies, had me try Kegel exercises and reviewed the medications I’d tried. However, it was clear the other therapies weren’t working, so in March 2008 we tested neurostimulation.

I had good results, and in April 2008 I had the system implanted. The implant procedure went smooth and without any complications. The only thing that was hard for me was not being able to work out or run while the implant site was healing. Now I go six to eight times during the day and I sleep through the night. It’s easier to get up in the morning and I have more energy. Neurostimulation has added so much time to my schedule. It’s such a positive life-changing thing. I didn’t realize how many ways my bladder problems impacted me—even little things—now my hands aren’t dried out from washing them all the time. I have new peace of mind.

I can focus on things that matter in life instead of worrying about when or how to interrupt somebody. I can focus on my vacation destination, instead of when will the pilot turn off the fasten seatbelt light? I can think about my breathing while I’m running instead of “Will I make it to the finish line?” Unfortunately, one thing it didn’t do was improve my running time.

TO CONTACT TANYA, CALL 1-800-664-5111, EXT 3016

This story recounts the experience of one patient who is receiving neurostimulation for the treatment of urinary urgency-frequency. Medtronic invited her to share her story candidly. Please bear in mind that the experiences are specific to this particular person. Results vary; not every response is the same. Talk to your doctor to determine if neurostimulation is right for you. In addition to risks related to a medical procedure, complications from this therapy can include pain, infection, sensation of electrical shock, device problems, undesirable change in voiding function, and lead migration, among others.

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