Bladder Treatment: Phyllis' Story

"I had a great experience at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital. The hospital is lovely, and everything went very smoothly. The nurses are knowledgeable, and everyone was very helpful.” - Phyllis Axtell

Eleven years ago, a fall left Phyllis Axtell paraplegic. Although she is now paralyzed from the waist down, Phyllis maintains her active lifestyle.

"I love to garden and crochet. I volunteer on multiple committees in my church, and play in the handbell choir," said Phyllis. "I also love to travel across the country to visit my family and explore new places."

Over the past year, however, bladder problems were making it harder for Phyllis to continue her active lifestyle. She was experiencing urinary leakage overnight. Incontinence is a common condition among adult women and men that can interfere with normal daily activities. For Phyllis, the damage to the spinal cord disrupts the signals between the bladder nerves and the bladder muscles, sometimes making it difficult to empty the bladder or causing urine to overflow. 

Phyllis consulted Kathleen Sterling, MD, urology, Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, who specializes in female urology and urinary incontinence. After ruling out an infection, Dr. Sterling recommended that Phyllis get Botox injections in her bladder muscles. Although it is better known as a wrinkle-eraser, Botox has been FDA approved for 10 years to treat urinary leakage.

“The role of the Botox is to relax the bladder muscles,” Dr. Sterling said. “Before Phyllis got the injections, she was taking a daily medication to relax the bladder muscles; however, the medication was becoming less effective over time.”

The injections typically last three to six months and can be repeated indefinitely. This treatment is not just for people who have been paralyzed. It is also a treatment option for people who have overactive bladder, a condition that includes frequent urination, feeling an urgent need to urinate, urine leakage, and nighttime urination. “This can be a good treatment for people who don’t want to take medication, but haven’t responded to other treatments,” Dr. Sterling said.

Phyllis received her first treatment in May 2018 in an outpatient procedure at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital that offers a full range of pelvic floor services for people living with pelvic pain, prolapse or incontinence, including minimally invasive surgical options for men and women offered by a team of urogynecologists, gynecologists, urologists and colorectal surgeons. Outpatient pelvic floor physical therapy is also available at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital and Holy Cross Hospital to help manage the effects of non-surgical and surgical pelvic pain; bowel dysfunction and incontinence; urinary urgency, frequency and incontinence; sexual dysfunction; and pregnancy/postpartum complications. 

Phyllis was treated again in October, and gives the hospital high marks for comfort and appreciated the care she received there. “I had a great experience at Holy Cross Germantown Hospital," Phyllis said. "The hospital is lovely, and everything went very smoothly. The nurses are knowledgeable, and everyone was very helpful.” 

The Botox injections worked well for Phyllis, getting her back to her active lifestyle without worrying about bladder leaks. “I’m pleased that it has helped her and allowed her to maintain her quality of life,” Dr. Sterling said. 

Today, Phyllis is looking forward to traveling again to visit her family, including her two granddaughters. “I’m grateful to Dr. Sterling for suggesting Botox injections," said Phyllis. “This treatment has really helped me.”

To learn more about the full range of Holy Cross Health's pelvic floor services, visit HolyCrossHealth.org/PelvicFloor.