Sue X
Sue X lives with a frequent need to go to the loo. She takes medication for an overactive bladder and uses pads. She does not feel that this frequency has a major impact on her lifestyle but describes its impact on her sleep and ability to travel.
Sue X is a retired primary school teacher who still works regularly in school. She is married and lives with her husband. Sue X has three grown up children aged 39, 41 and 43. She describes herself as white British.
Condition: overactive bladder
More about me...
Sue X describes how she has always needed to go to the loo more than anyone else that she knows, and how this has become a bit of a joke amongst friends and family. She remembers when walking with her daughter in the mountains, she became “adept at going behind a bush” and could tell you, with great detail, which public loos to frequent and which ones to avoid. Sue X describes her bladder symptoms as an inconvenience that she has learnt to live with. However, she may find herself having to get up three times or more in the night to go to the loo and having to make frequent stops on long journeys.
As all three of her children were delivered by caesarean section, Sue X does not think that her symptoms are related to childbirth. Rather, she wonders whether this urinary frequency is caused by pressure from fibroids (non-cancerous growths that develop in or around the uterus). Sue X would like to be told more about her condition and to have more clarity about the cause. She feels that doctors do not always tell people enough, and that conclusions are not always reached.
Sue X comes from a large family who tend to underplay any health concerns. She feels that people do not like to discuss their bladder problems, and this leaves her wondering whether it is normal to need the loo so often. She has also wondered whether doctors are as thorough in investigating women’s health issues, and whether there are any advances in care that might help her.
While working as a teacher, Sue X sometimes found it troublesome to need to use the toilet often.
While working as a teacher, Sue X sometimes found it troublesome to need to use the toilet often.
I was known, when I was teaching I was known as the person who knew, if you went on a residential trip, I knew where all the loos were. Which is useful for children, but just as much for me. So, you know and when you’re teaching you cannot leave a class of 30 children to keep going to the loo, which I often had to do, you know, so it’s, it’s silly things like that, I mean I don’t think it stopped me from doing anything, but I was aware that I seemed to, needed to go far more than most people.
Sue X didn’t feel affected emotionally by her bladder imaging. She thinks this may be related to having children, which she found “changes your perception” of invasiveness.
Sue X didn’t feel affected emotionally by her bladder imaging. She thinks this may be related to having children, which she found “changes your perception” of invasiveness.
When I first went I had to go for a wee and I had to make sure that I had completely emptied my bladder, and the doctor didn’t feel that he, there was still some teaspoon full left, but you know whatever, but I don’t, he must’ve then recommended the hysteroscopy.
It didn’t, it didn’t particularly affect me going to the hospital for tests and having invasive investigations.
Well if you’ve had children, I think it changes your perception of these things, don’t you? You know.
You’re less precious about your-, maybe it’s just me, you’re less precious about your body somehow, and I had the first caesarean was under anaesthetic, but the second two were elective, you know because my pelvis was too narrow, so I was conscious, that I had them with epidurals, and you know when you’ve got people messing around in your insides, you know you, yeah, I don’t know.