Thursday, April 14, 2011

Consider This Your TMI Warning: Discussion of Bodily Fluids Ahead

I pee a lot. 

And by a lot, I always thought it was just frequency because my bladder always seems to be the size of a pea.

But no, I really do pee a lot in volume too, apparently. 

My new neuromuscular neurologist wanted me to do a 24-hour urine sample to do a heavy metal screen, even though he doesn't think it's likely to be my problem. 


The timing was complicated because I was told I needed to drop off the bottle of urine within two hours of completing my 24-hour collection. And since, like I said, I pee frequently, it meant I pretty much had to be home for the whole 24 hours. 

By itself, that shouldn't be all that difficult, but I've been juggling dental work along with my usual medical appointments and well, it was just challenging.


If what I read on several medical websites is accurate, the typical healthy person produces 1.5 liters of urine every 24 hours. 

Want to guess what mine was?


C'mon! Guess! 

Although I suppose I don't have any prizes for the winner so I can just go ahead and answer my own question.

I produced 3.5 liters of urine. 


Don't bother going to google what it means when someone pees way more than normal.  There are some potential issues you can read about, but my kidneys and liver work just fine.

The reason I pee a lot is because I drink a lot. I always have, and with multiple doctors telling me how important it is that I hydrate more often than "normal" so I don't pass out, I may be drinking more than I used to. 


But even long before I got sick, early in my dating relationship with my now-husband, he commented on how much I drink and told me to get tested for diabetes. I didn't have it then, and I still don't. (I run toward the hypoglycemia end of the spectrum, sometimes more so than others.)

But I don't think it had ever really registered quite how much urine I produce until I was watching the 3-liter bottle they'd given me fill up even though the lab technician who gave it to me said not to worry because most people don't even fill it halfway. 

It will be interesting to see what, if anything, the doctor says about the volume when he gets the report ... 

Oh, and fwiw, the 3.5 liters were technically produced in 23 hours because I had a dental appointment and would otherwise miss the window. Since I dropped it off only an hour or so after I woke up, it probably would have been a higher amount if I'd been able to wait until the full window was over as my initial morning liquids made it through my system. But certainly, they won't complain that I'm not drinking enough. :-)


Meanwhile, I've got some new test results that I'm still puzzling through a bit that I will share as soon as I can put them into context. No real answers, just more puzzles. 

I'm liking this neurologist, though; I wasn't sure at the first appointment, but boy, is he thorough and apparently really enjoys a good mystery to solve. He's the first doctor who really seemed to go through all my medical records from all of the specialists to figure out what's been tested previously and what needs a closer look. 

He says he doesn't promise an answer soon, but he does promise to keep looking as long as it takes. 

And he's actually taking time to consult with both my other specialists and some experts he thinks may be able to shed some light. That impresses me because he doesn't get to bill my insurance for the time he spends on my records nor the time he spends talking to other doctors about me. (And he asked my permission to consult them, too, something no one else has done. Sure, they send each other reports and chart notes, but as far as I can tell, none of the others really talk on the phone.)   

 

7 comments:

WinnyNinny PooPoo said...

WooHoo - a keeper!!! Well, that certainly is a lot of liquid. There is a type of diabetes that has to do with liquid output and not blood sugar (diabetes insipidus) but it is extreeeemely rare. More likely it is what you say - liquid in = liquid out!!!

Red Stethoscope said...

Hello there! Thanks for the comment on my blog! I laughed at your TMI warning about the urine thing, because I'm studying renal physiology right now. Don't worry, dear. My ENTIRE LIFE is TMI!

I love that your doctor is taking the time to consult with other specialists. It's so nice to find dedicated, caring physicians who go the extra mile! Hopefully, you get this figured out soon!

This has also got me wondering how much I pee in a day! I consume a LOT of liquid too and when I had a pelvic floor issue a few years ago, I remember my urologist asking me if I was drinking water as part of a dieting plan. I was kind of like, "No. Do people DO THAT?" I just drink water to you know, hydrate! :)

HealingWell said...

I'm glad you found a neurologist that is thorough! Those are hard to find! Never enough TMI when it comes to health :)

Elizabeth McClung said...

That is great news about the neurologist. I did not come up to your volume in the 24 hour test (or 23 in your case) though I do drink over 4 litres/liters of water a day. I was told by my GP to drink a bit less - I guess he doesn't have much faith in my kidneys but I am glad that your volume is good, and I hope that there is nothing wrong with your adrendal gland (the only test I can remember that they do with the 24 urine test, though I know they do more).

SharonMV said...

The first time I tried to do this test at home, the container they gave me wasn't large enough - I filled it way before the 24 hrs were up. So I had to re-take the test. They sent me home with 2 containers. I don't remember what the volume was. I am a water drinker too - always hydrating. Plus, I have a very dry mouth.

I saw a Mystery Diagnosis on diabetes insipidus. The young woman who had this condition had to drink water constantly, even waking in the night to drink. She would go into serious dehydration even in a few hours without drinking water. It is usually caused by damage or injury to the pituitary. It doesn't tell the kidneys when to retain fluids within the body.

Sharon

Barbara K. said...

Small world. I too just stayed at home yesterday to do a 24 hour voiding log - as my urologist likes to call it. I found that this intense focus on my pee habits made me feel worse. Today I'm going out to smell the roses.

Cassie said...

My husband's monthly 24 hour urines always fill up two jugs. He used to ask for an extra; now they just know to give him two. He drinks a lot of water, also. =)