woolymammoth

I am a 27 year old cat 3 racer who lives on a bike. Back in 1999 i was diagnosed with "urethral strictures" when complaining on painful urination, frequent urination, and being unable to void my bladder. the dr said this was from blunt trauma to the area most likely from a crash on the bike worsened by sitting on a bike seat. i underwent surgery to laser the strictures out and was catheterized for 7 days. after the 7 days i was peeing like a fire hose. it was a liberating experience...unfortunately short lived....

Ever since i have been on a steady decline. doctors i have spoken with have suggested a few very invasive (considering what is being operated on) procedures, all of which i have vetoed out of sheer terror. plus i can't stand to be off the bike for more than a day at a time.

i even pedaled around a recumbent for a few years (that was very embarrassing for me to admit).

has anyone else suffered from my condition? any success stories? i have found very little on the subject related to cycling.

my current symptoms are (too much info for most people)
-painful urination
-frequent urination
-dribbling
-no build up or warning prior to becoming frantic "i have to pee RIGHT NOW!!!" ending in straight up peeing my pants 20% of the time.

please don't make fun of me! please help me! if cyclists are out there with this condition we must unite! SUPPORT!!!

thanks

jon.

botto 

terror due to possible complications, or terror solely based on the point of entry?

if it's the former, what are they?

if it's the latter, you seriously need to get over it.

it's your health. get over it. seriously.

chzman

all the cool kids are doing it

doughboy

Hmmm, not much support here for the OP. Sorry to hear of your health problems. It sucks that you are going through what you are, especially since you're reminded of it everytime you have to urinate.

botto 

i don't hold virtual hands.

if the only reason why the OP isn't getting the operation is because he doesn't want to miss out on a week or two of riding, then i question his psychological health.

if it's about possible complications from the procedure, that's clearly something different.

daver42

To the OP, out of curiousity, are you using the same saddle now as before the surgery?

Az B

My dad has similar problems. He has to get his urethra roto rootered every decade or so.

It's not that bad, although since he doesn't ride I'm not sure how long you'd have to stay off the bike.

Az

KidTruth

Stop drinking so much godd*mn water.

Problem solved. NEXT!

woolymammoth

the terror comes mostly from having the opperation described to me, and then finding this picture of it https://www.emedicine.com/med/images/...p_-_1_copy.jpg

jcbenten

I think that if you do not have a vast collection of saddles, you are not being proactive enough.

rollin

Long term health > Short time cycling pleasure.

If nothing else, Long term health will lead to longer term cycling pleasure.

"plus i can't stand to be off the bike for more than a day at a time." is a very short term view of things.

Do the right thing, hope things improve

merlinextraligh

Good luck figuring this out. Have you tried finding a urologist who is also a rider?

To the extent cycling is aggravating your condition, I'd give serious consideration to going with a recumbent full time, or taking up running.

edzo

you need to man up, and do what the doctors recommend to fix it now

before it
gets worse.

take a year off the bike, hell take 2. you will be able to get back to riding,
and you can stay fit in the meantime.

but think about what system you have that is not working correctly. you need
to address the issue now.

substructure

I have one. The doctor shoved a scope through it and I almost puked from the pain. But hey, no biggie. I've climbed hills that make me hurt worse - and for a longer period of time.

I do a few things so I won't aggravate it and my prostate. But I ride a ton and haven't had any complications in years (Thank the Lord).

blonduathlongrl

that link should definilty come with a warning!

substructure

You’ve got to make sure your pipes stay clean. My doctor ordered me to *ehem* Burp the Worm every so often if my wife hasn’t been active in the bedroom. Plus I make dang sure that all my urine is out of my system before I zip up. There trick to this. I haven’t had and complications in years. Also, I stay away from too much sodas or coffee or tea. I drink water – a lot of water. Mainly because I passed a stone one time and with a stricture I felt like I was being ripped apart.

mgbguy

You've surely been on the intarweb long enough to know not to click on links like that, haven't you? FSM knows I have.

blonduathlongrl

true, darn curiosity always gets the best of me.
On second thought, if it had a warning, I would of clicked on it even faster.

mgbguy

Heh, in truth I resemble that remark.

Bike Lover

I think that's called too much research. Despite the pic, what are the complications?

Scooped

sorry to hear your pain but get a 2nd opinion sounds like prostate

Red is Faster!

After seeing that pic, i think i would have 2nd 3rd on 100th thoughts about the procedure too. Eeesh. Makes me not want to eat pasta with red sauce ever again.....

Nachoman

+1 on getting a few other medical opinions. You want options.

Bikernaut

Had similar problem. Dilatations are only a temp fix. Eventually, the stricture comes back. I swallowed my terror and went for the urethroplasty. They rebuilt the urethra (the part that has the stricture) and I've been perfect for 5+ years. Find a reputable urologist to do this. Recovery is 3 weeks w/ catheter. Which really sucks.

Now my question to the forum - are there any saddles that one can recommend to minimize this condition? I see the moon saddle - anyone with opinions on it? It seems iffy to me...

https://www.moonsaddle.com

Bikernaut

cruiserhead

Here is another seat to try- it is quite good at taking all the pressure off your tingly bits
https://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadin...blackwell.html
https://blackwellresearch.com/p_seats.htm

I would find something that puts no pressure on your affected pressure points. Don't think of the short term, think in 10-20 years where this could be chronic and debilitating. I would stop using conventional saddles asap.