Overflown incontinence

So I’ve been seeing Dr’s regarding my bladder issues. They seem to narrowing it down to overflow being the issue. I have urodymanics ) test on Friday which I’ve heard is very uncomfortable. If this diagnosis is right what’s the next steps? Does that mean Ill be wearing diapers for the rest of my life. The dr has suggested self cath. Does that get me out of diapers? Please help

As long as you haven't been living with this problem for too long, then it is possible to reverse the damage. Self intermittent cathing will allow the bladder to fully empty, and that will give it a chance to heal. Sometimes it only takes a few days, sometimes years (or never). If/when your bladder has healed up enough, then you might not need to cath anymore, nor will you need diapers. However, if it doesn't all go perfectly then you may need to cath once or twice a day for the rest of your life (to prevent the incontinence), or worse you might need diapers forever.

There's a lot of unknowns for you right now, so all of this is really just a guess of ifs and maybes. Try to take it one day at a time, and focus on the study first, before jumping to any conclusions. Of which, the study will verify if you really do have overflow incontinence or not.

If the overflow is caused by retention, then intermittent self catheterization (ISC) can help. I've done it on a daily basis (4-8 times a day) for a couple of years, and it's nothing more than a very slight inconvenience for me. Occasionally it's even handy - I have some catheters with bags attached, and if I'm driving and need to see, I can stop and cath more easily than stopping to try to pee in a bottle. (Diaper users will argue, rightly, that a diaper is even easier, but to each his own!)

It was a little uncomfortable at first. If you go the ISC route, try to get hydrophilic catheters if your insurance will cover them. The ones I use, Lofric Primo, have a packet of saline that activated a lubricated coating on the catheter, and they slide in and out very easily. Other brands are similar, so try a few to see which ones work best for you.

Self cathing isn't a guarantee that you won't need diapers, but it can help a lot.