Woman unable to pee for six years because of rare condition
A woman from England has a rare condition that has prevented her from urinating for nearly six years now.
PEOPLE Magazine reported that Anna Gray, 27, first started experiencing symptoms in December 2018 upon waking up one night to go to the bathroom and couldn't pee.
Gray got diagnosed with Fowler’s Syndrome the following year.
According to the Fowler's Syndrome UK website, the condition causes full or partial urinary retention and only affects women, with the peak age of onset at 26.
It happens as the urethral sphincter, the muscle controlling urine flow, fails to relax to allow urine to be passed normally.
In 2020, she told Metro that when she first experienced symptoms in 2018, she drank water regularly and sat in the bath for prolonged periods, listening to the sound of running water.
"I was unable to go," she said. "This went on for five days."
Laxatives weren't working either, and doctors couldn't come up with any alternative solutions.
She also noted that it was difficult to get doctors to believe her, telling her that she must have probably misremembered things.
Days later, Gray struggled to walk due to bladder pain, forcing her to go back to her doctor.
Scans showed she had a liter of urine in her bladder, which is four times the maximum capacity. Doctors used a catheter, a tube inserted into the bladder to drain urine, to help Gray pee.
Gray would make multiple trips to the hospital over the coming months, as it's the only way for her to urinate.
According to The New York Post, Gray discovered there was “nothing more” doctors could do, and she would never be able to pee again "naturally." They said her bladder would likely “never work normally again.”
A permanent catheter had to be put in her stomach, emptying the bag attached several times a day.
To date, it's only Gray's option. She taught herself how to self-catheterize five times daily.
“I think I went through a process of grieving to begin with, because it was so unknown. But it was a relief to know that it wasn’t all in my head," she's quoted as saying.
She's in talks with her pain management team to know the next steps. She also wishes to raise awareness about her condition.
Gray is learning how to regain her confidence after six years.
“Accepting it was a life-long condition was a lot to get my head around and I was in hospital for my mental health last year,” she said. “But I’m slowly getting there, and now I’m used to the bag. I’ll wear shorts and tops where you can see it—it doesn’t bother me anymore. People ask questions and I’m fine with that.”
She's also now part of an online community of those who live with Fowler's syndrome.
