Bladder Health
NAME: Lily
STATUS: Enjoying every second of this fall weather
PEEVE: Girls who wear makeup at the gym
GLEE: Those commercials with the giant dancing hamsters
The beautiful thing about the Internet is that so much information is available. The problem with the Internet is that so much information is available. For instance, after a recent late-night body function issue – why do these things always happen after 11 p.m. on a Sunday or a holiday? – I had myself convinced that I was either exhibiting early signs of MS or quite possibly stage 1 prostate cancer.
Did You know?A full bladder is roughly the size of a soft ball. source
The average human bladder will hold 13 ounces of urine. source
Stretch receptors help the brain determine when the bladder is full enough for urination. source
The female urethra is shorter than the male urethra. This is why women are more likely to get urine infections than men. source
But no, what I really had was a raging case of I-wish-I-hadn’t-slept-with-my-ex-boyfriend. Bladder infection, really? If that’s not the universe telling me we shouldn’t get back together, I don’t know what is. With all the yogurt I eat, it just seemed so unfair. Not to mention all the sex I don’t have. Honestly, I’m a good girl, and I really thought we were getting back together for real this time, having somehow magically forgotten all about his “sex, text and run” mentality. I never would have slept with him otherwise, and it’s not like I’m sleeping with anyone else. But it was supposedly our blessed reunion makeup sex, and boy did it backfire in more ways than one.
Try These:
Learn about Light Bladder Leakage (LBL) with informative articles from Poise.
How much do you know about your need to go? See this diagram of your system alongside relevant facts about the body's waste management system.
Found yourself going more than usual? One of these foods or drinks may be the culprit.
Yes, we used protection – on both ends, if you will. Condom and diaphragm, the latter of which seems to have been the main culprit. But afterward, while he continued to answer my texts, he never would be pinned down on when we were seeing each other again. And within 48 hours I was left with a dawning realization of how STUPID I had been as well as an increasingly urgent need to pee that wouldn’t go away.
Is there any worse feeling (heartache notwithstanding)? I’m pretty sure that movie “127 Hours” would have been more effective and horrifying if, instead of having to cut off his own arm, the guy just had to pee the whole time but couldn’t. … Dramatic? Who, me? 
My sister, who gets bladder infections practically once a month, started dosing me with cranberry juice and water every hour on the hour. Thankfully, she refrained from “I told you so;” sometimes Rose can be such a good kid. The juice does helped alleviate my irrational fear – what is it about not being able to pee that makes you afraid? – but I’m not sure it helped my situation. Some of my girls swear by this remedy. My doctor was more like, “Eh, it won’t hurt.” And then he advised dosing up on some prescription stuff, which actually did do the trick.
Honestly, there’s nothing like a scare-down-there to reconfirm a girl’s commitment to abstinence. I had just learned to get along without Prince Not-So-Charming, too. Oh well. Back on the path of dating righteousness. No more frogs for me. And hopefully, no more bladder infections either!
Find the answer to this and all your urgent going questions with Dr. Harriette Scarpero.
All the above information has been reviewed by this week’s expert.
