I have a friend with a tethered spine which affects the muscles ( nerves ? ) of her bladder .
She was told 20 years ago that she should use a catheter but for whatever reason ( youth ,insensitive doctor ) was horrified at the thought and declined . I'm not sure of all the details but she tells me she empties her bladder by pressing with her hands .
Recently she became dehydrated ,passing blood and it seems that she avoids drinking much because of the problem emptying her bladder and also that she thinks she often has low level UTI's .
Since the recent dehydration episode she has had a cystoscopy and kidney investigation to rule out cancer .
I feel sure catheterisation will/has been discussed with her and I'd like to encourage her not to dismiss it out of hand . I know it's not my business but she can be rather stubborn and I'm just wondering if anyone has any words of wisdom as to how I could approach this in a supportive way ?