How Susan Brown Reclaimed Her Life After MS and a Silent Struggle No One Talks About
When Susan Brown was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), everything she knew about her life changed. For years, she thrived as a banquet manager at a busy Hilton hotel in downtown San Francisco, managing huge events and walking miles through bustling dining rooms. But when MS slowly weakened her ability to walk, she was forced to retire in 2015 — a decision that broke her heart.
Even after leaving her job, Susan refused to give up on living fully. She learned to rely on a walker and a scooter, adjusted her expectations, and found creative ways to stay active. But one challenge kept getting worse: her urinary incontinence.
“The bladder problems started right away and just kept progressing,” Susan, now 56, recalls. She woke up several times a night to urinate, spent her days making endless trips to the bathroom, and could barely reach the restroom in time. The overwhelming, sudden urge to urinate — called urge urinary incontinence — became nearly impossible to manage.
Unlike stress incontinence, which happens when coughing or laughing puts pressure on the bladder, urge incontinence results from involuntary bladder spasms. For people with MS, damage to the spinal cord interrupts signals between the bladder and the brain, making this condition extremely common — affecting more than 80% of patients.
Susan’s symptoms quickly became debilitating.
“I didn’t even have five seconds to make it to the bathroom,” she said. Pads, disposable underwear, a spare set of clothes — these became her everyday essentials. Fear of an accident made her feel trapped inside her home.
The idea that MS had already limited her life was difficult enough; the worsening incontinence made her feel as though her world was shrinking even more.
That’s when her neurologist referred her to Dr. Anne Suskind, a leading urologist at the UCSF Women’s Center for Bladder and Pelvic Health. For the first time, Susan felt understood.
“Incontinence isn’t life-threatening,” Dr. Suskind explains, “but it can deeply impact quality of life. Many people isolate themselves, avoid socializing, and struggle emotionally.”
At the Center, Susan learned about a full spectrum of treatments — from pelvic floor exercises and medications to advanced therapies like Botox and sacral neuromodulation (a nerve-stimulating implant placed near the tailbone).
Together, she and Dr. Suskind decided to begin with medication and FDA-approved acupuncture-based therapy. But after six months, Susan saw little improvement.
Next, Dr. Suskind suggested Botox injections — yes, the same Botox used to smooth wrinkles. Botox relaxes muscles, and when injected into the bladder, it calms the spasms that trigger uncontrollable urges.
For about 70% of patients, it’s a life-changing treatment.
Susan underwent the procedure in the clinic. Nurses gently inserted a catheter to numb her bladder, then Dr. Suskind used a tiny camera called a cystoscope to guide the Botox injections. Each injection felt like a slight poke — uncomfortable, but manageable.
“It’s one of the more uncomfortable procedures you can go through,” Susan admits, “but everyone there helped me relax. They were wonderful.”
The entire visit lasted less than an hour. While most patients need a week or two to feel results, Susan felt relief that same day.
“I thought, ‘Oh my God, this is amazing!’”
Although Botox isn’t permanent — lasting from three to twelve months — it gave Susan something she hadn’t felt in a long time: control. She now schedules repeat injections whenever the urgency begins to return.
Botox, she says, “changed my life.” She goes to the beach, visits museums, and enjoys walks in Golden Gate Park again — without fear of accidents.
“With MS, I lost control over so many parts of my life,” she says. “This gave me back a sense of control.”
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