Hi Hannah,
I had a cystoscopy and dilation yesterday!
The reason you're gp has suggested to go back for a dilation/stretching is because you're urethra is too narrow, exactly the same as mine! (You'll be put to sleep for this).
The reason I had a cystoscopy yesteray was to find out why I kept on getting weekly reoccurring UTIs and why my bladder wasn't emptying properly.
I am a 20 year old female, so am young to get so many of them and this needing investigating.
Anyway, I'll talk you thorough it, bearing in mind I've never ever had an anesthetic before so I was petrified and didn't know what to expect.
Got to hospital, allocated my cubicle (bed and chair) put gown and stockings on, nurse came round to take my blood pressure, oxygen levels etc and put 2 patient wrist bands on me, told me what to do next ie take all make up and jewelry/piercings out/off. Read my magazine for abit, Then half hour later my surgeon came too see me and told me I would be going down within the next 20 minutes! Signed a form and he talked me through the procedure.
20 mins later 2 lovely ladies came round, put me on the bed and wheeled me down to theatre. It kind of felt like a was on a ride/movie being pushed around on a bed. Haha!
Anyway, arrived down this long corridor with lots of operation and anesthetic rooms. I got wheeled into number 19, she opened the door, pushed me in and I saw a small white room with lots of bleeping machines and masks.
I sat up and said no way is that going on me! Nurses reassured me and I asked if i could have a look in the operating theatre to see what I was going into. Nurse opened the door, all the surgeons and assistants came over smiled and waved at me and said I'll be fine. (About 10 off them in there).
I laied down, held the nurses hand, absolutely pooping myself I let the anaesatist put a cannula in the back of my hand which didn't hurt.
Anyway, the next bit was what I was dreading the most! Being put to sleep.
Anaseistist had a big white syringe in her hand containing propofol (which puts you to sleep) and was waiting to injected it into me, I started crying, went all dizzy and basically had a panic attack!
Without me knowing the anaesatist injected a clear liquid before the propofol to relax me and calm me down which didn't work. (Just went abit woozey like being drunk).
Next thing I know I wake up in a big ward with other people around me with 2 nurses by my side. I woke up and had a oxygen mask on which came off as soon as I woke up, and they were checking my blood pressure. I remember I felt like I wet myself, the nurses changed the sheet on my bed which was soaked, it was the liquid the surgeon had filled my bladder with.
Waited about 10 mins till I properly woke up then they wheeled me back to my cubicle, where my partner was waiting for me.
The first thing I said to him was I wanted a McDonald's haha! Then I looked at my phone and had been gone about 2 hours which felt like 2 minutes.
You know I was expecting to feel awful when I woke up, but I was just really hungry and thirsty. My partner went and got me a sandwich which I scoffed down, and nurse got me a big jug of juice. I was absolutely knackered though.
Next step was having a pee, they won't discharge you until you've been to the toilet.
Standing up and walking for the first time after anesthetic was weird. Felt like I was drunk, nurse came with me and waited outside toilet for me.
There was abit of blood, and it stung pretty bad when I went for a wee which is normal.
Went for a wee then got discharged! By that point I was feeling fine, me and my partner went to mcdonalds (haha) and even went and walked around a shop then went home where I went to bed.
Since the op, I've needed lots of pees which stung and burned and blood too( like a light period). But it felt so good being able to empty my bladder properly for the first time without it contracting.
so basically I was getting UTIs because my urethra was so narrow, I couldn't empty my bladder properly so bacteria was getting trapped which was causing UTIs!
Please don't be scared, I was petrified, had a panic attack and still made it out 3 hours after the op.
The procedure only takes about 5-10 mins and all went well.
Good outcome, lots of pain but keeping dosed up on painkillers and hoping for no more UTIs again.
Good luck, you will be fine, it's no where near as bad as you think.