Is falling asleep being unconscious ?

Well you're both sort of right. Even with an external bag you have an outlet called a 'stoma' which is constructed from a piece of your own bowel and acts to conduct the urine into an external bag. Or some people have a very serious operation (lasts about 12 hours) to have an neo bladder constructed out of bowel to hold small amounts of urine, and which needs to be self cathed via a stoma opening every few hours. Both operations can leave you more open to to catching more bladder infections which run a greater risk of reaching the kidneys as there's no bladder left to act as a kind of 'buffer' between the outside world and your body.

Both are quite serious operations which can leave you with even more problems afterwards and so no surgeon would undertake this sort of procedure lightly. I know because I asked my consultant about it years ago and he said he thought I wouldn't be a suitable candidate for it. Quite why I don't know as I got booted out of the door before I could find out.

In my desperation I've also talked to my GP about this and she's not keen on the idea at all either. He attitude is don't undertake something like that until you really have too as you could still be left with phantom pain and all the after effects of the operation.

I haven't seen him for many years now, (as there's nothing they can do) but I think I may go back and see what he has to say for himself these days.

Is it me ? Or have we wondered off topic?

Rob

Well I was responding to a question as to why some of us can't take meds to fend off falling asleep.

Thats the thing you see, illneses have a tendency to be quite complicated on occasion.

Rob Roy wrote:

Is it me ? Or have we wondered off topic?

Rob

To be honest, I think this thread has about run it's course benefits wise.

We are after all a benefits forum and not a medical advice forum, so with that in mind, I am locking this thread.

If anyone wishes to raise objection etc, please e-mail Steve.

Regards

Pete