Living with Urinary Incontinence

I am 41 years old. 17 years ago approx. i had a partial hysterectomy done. no one told me then that now i would be having these kinds of problems with my bladder or maybe i would have rethought a lot of my decisions but thats all water under the bridge.

12 years ago I was a faithful every year check up person but lack of insurance made me stop. I haven’t had a pelvic in that many years and the last time i went, i told the gynocologist that i had a slight amount of bladder leakage. She said my bladder had dropped but do the exercises and wanted me to go see a urologist. I called, the urologist wanted $600 just to see me. I couldn’t afford it so i never went. now fast forward to present and here i am.

Everyday is a “pad” day. I leak and don’t know i leaked but thank heaven for a pad. it’s a substantial leak as well and it bothers me to the point i am fearful that i will have that leak during sex so it makes me tense and nervous. it’s not that i’m uncomfortable or in pain but just annoyed with the fact i have to wear a pad for bladder leakage at 40 and worry about it at the worst possible times when you really shouldn’t have to worry about those things. I know it needs to be rechecked but would you go back to your gynocologist or should i just go straight to a urologist?

I have NO insurance so everything is out of the pocket and i can’t afford to be taken for a ride with tests and things that aren’t neccessary. My husband says just go and we will figure it out but i called the gynocologist this morning and she said just to walk in the door was $150. I don’t want to walk in their door only to have to turn around and walk in another if that’s what they will do is send me to someone else. Anyone have any suggestions about what i should do? my mother suggested i go to the health department for a check up but i know they can’t do a lot as they aren’t really qualified doctors. Do i tough this out or will it only get worse with time? what am I really up against if I go or don’t go?