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Visible Blood after Activity Only (running or long brisk walks)
Hi there!
51F here with no history of smoking, very active and fit.
A couple of weeks ago, I went for my usual run (about 4 miles) and had bright Kool-Aid urine. I was of course shocked out of my mind and thought it might be runner’s hemateuria and took several days off. There was no pain and the urine cleared by that night.
Next run, four days later, I had pink urine. The one after, light rust. Urine clear all other times. Took 10 days off from running and had pink urine after a brisk walk.
I have extreme health anxiety and urine dip sticks so I’ve been plowing through those. I’d say about 60% of the time, there is microscopic blood in the urine.
I am waiting for my terrible state insurance to clear an appointment with a urologist, but in the meantime, I’m in an anxiety spiral. Everything online points to bladder cancer. I’m terrified to see the doctor. Terrified to get a cystoscopy (both for the procedure and what could be found) and terrified to get a CT (for the fear that they are going to find multiple issues).
I have several very large fibroids as well and am wondering if maybe they are pinching my ureters or crushing my bladder. I’m holding onto the fact that my urine is clear except for exercise and maybe there are stones causing the issue (however with zero pain, this feels like a major stretch).
Has anyone had a situation like this? I’m really scared. :-(
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6 Replies
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Hi Alan! Normally I would agree with you, but he wants a scan with contrast (that’s better for seeing tumors/kidney structure). On top of everything else, I am pathologically afraid of needles. Had a blood draw this week and almost levitated off the chair with the baby butterfly needle. My understanding is the CT contrast IV needs to use a larger bore than most IVs because the contrast is thick and needs to be pushed quickly. This has sent me over the edge. Then there is the actual contrast and the unpleasantness of that….heat/peeing in pants feeling/flushing/etc.
I bought lidocaine cream that appears to work super well at numbing my skin. I think it’s probably not numbed too terribly deep, but hoping it takes the edge off the giant initial stab. Test is tomorrow. Not looking forward to it. I am praying they find nothing. Thank you for being there.
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Ct scans for most are a nonevent. If one is claustrophobic that can be a little goofy. On mine, I simply closed my eyes before they slid me in and put my brain into a “dream” mode. Several minutes later as I slid out i found that was what worked for me. Get it done for peace of mind.
DX 5/6/2008 TAG3 papillary tumor .5 CM in size. 2 TURBS followed by 6 instillations of BCG weekly with a second round of 6 after a 6 week wait. -
Hi Alan, I wanted to update you since you’ve been so supportive to me. I had my urology appointment today and the doctor did the cystoscopy right there. Definitely not as bad as I worked it up to be. He said everything looks clean. He is sending the urine out for a cytology, but doesn’t expect it to be positive. I need to have a CT with and without contrast to rule out kidney or ureter masses. He says the chances are “small but not totally insignificant” for kidney or ureter malignancy, though he said gross hematuria is not typical for either one. He thinks there “might be” a kidney stone. He also said “we might not find any reason at all” which seems absurd. Am I just supposed to keep bleeding after any movement at all??
Now my health anxiety is about what they’ll find on the CT (including things unrelated to the urinary tract). I need to work myself up to making that appointment. This one took a lot out of me. Thank you so much for your notes. I have so much respect for what you are going through with grace. <3
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She had hematuria a few weeks prior to the tests and maybe 2-3 weeks after and disappeared. We simply chalked it up to anomaly and went forward with our lives.
People obsess over the cystoscopy. Yes, for men the prostate gets in the way. I called them “uncomfortable”. I told myself if that is the worst I will see in life, so be it. All is doable.
DX 5/6/2008 TAG3 papillary tumor .5 CM in size. 2 TURBS followed by 6 instillations of BCG weekly with a second round of 6 after a 6 week wait. -
Thank you for your insights, Alan. It must be incredibly frustrating for your wife not to have any answers. How long was she seeing blood in her urine?
How bad of an experience is the cystoscopy? I know it’s worse for the men. :-(
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First, I am not a woman so, take my observations for whatever they are worth. My wife some 35 years ago had a little of your symptoms and after a cystoscope and a retro-pyelogram (a test that reads up into the kidneys), they never found a cause and the also symptoms mysteriously quit a few weeks later. I also have a friend’s wife the same situation years ago. No known cause was ever found.
This could be anywhere from serious issues even cancer, unusual infection, runners’ hematuria or fibroids as you have mentioned, or something you will never find a cause for like my wife. She also was a maternity nurse, so she knew what she was trying decipher. As she would tell you, simply wait the process and try not worry. Understood this easier than said.
You simply will know nothing until you have at least the cystoscope and probably a CT scan. I hope your insurance clears and get those tests. As often said, if it is a cancer, early detection is the key and most times beatable and treatable. Good luck and ask away as you go.
DX 5/6/2008 TAG3 papillary tumor .5 CM in size. 2 TURBS followed by 6 instillations of BCG weekly with a second round of 6 after a 6 week wait.
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