Living with Diagnostic Tests

Hello. I had blood in my urine, and the urologist noticed a questionable “spot” on a cat scan. He informed me I would need a cystoscopy Believe me when I tell you, NO ONE could be as scared of that procedure as I was. I suffer from vaginismus (pelvic muscle disorder). The urologist was uninterested in my fears and insisted that the procedure was simple and would not hurt. He did give me a prescription for Ativan (2mgs) to calm my nerves, which I had little doubt would work. SO, I consulted a pharmacist, and added a little hydrocodone to the mix, 1 hour before the procedure.

By the time I had the procedure, I was pretty fearless. Sure, I vomited afterward and a few times later in the day (probably because I didn’t eat enough with the pills) but the experience was not that bad (definitely not as bad as my pelvic exams) and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I know some doctors will allow you to be sedated but supposedly insurance doesn’t cover it for some (or some doctors don’t want to deal with the paperwork). SO, if you are faced with this situation and are freaking out like I did, I highly recommend the combo of meds I took–it was worth the vomit and the nice sleep I had for the rest of the day!