Cystoscopy

Maybe this is it. Maybe I should just write in the afternoon, after I have had a day of activity but before I've had a night to sleep on it. Who knows what might come out of these fingers!

Today I went for a cystoscopy. This is a procedure that allows your doctor to examine the lining of your bladder and the tube that carries urine out of your body (urethra). A hollow tube (cystoscope) equipped with a lens is inserted into your urethra and slowly advanced into your bladder. Yes, I had another thing shoved up my penis today, for the second time. The third will be the in/out cathter tonight. This poor thing is getting pretty beaten up these days.

I wanted to get a video of the procedure. Knowing my hands would shake badly, for more than one reason, I asked the nurse if she could do the video. She said yes, but apparently lacked the technical skill required. I have an excellent video of the first few moments, the all important entry shot, but none of the action to follow. Oh, well, perhaps this is for the best.

The camera, duly inserted provided an interesting display of the tour up my eurethra, through the uninary sphincter, then through my swollen prostrate, ultimately arriving in my partially filled bladder. I noticed immediately a lot of floating material, white strands of something or other. I asked the doctor about them but sort of brushed me off. He was in a hurry to check my bladder wall, something which appeared to be tremendously unexciting.

After a few moments of looking around he pulled out the cystoscope and pronounced that I might have another infection, or I might not. I asked about the strands of floating material. His response was that these were more likely a result of me not drinking enough water than an infection. He seemed uncertain, and was more than happy to leave that decision to my GP whom I will be visiting tomorrow. In other words, all cystoscopy and no information for me.

I took the bus home. Hmph. We'll see what tomorrow brings.