Katie Dudley, FNP-C

11/02/2021

She got her flu shot! You should too!

09/17/2021

UROLOGY MYTH BUSTERS!!!!
Update!!!!

True or False: Incontinence happens to everyone with age.

Answer: False. Not everyone develops incontinence as they age. While aging is one risk factor, there are other reasons this condition develops. For some, obesity puts pressure on the bladder. For men, the prostate can enlarge, or prostate cancer can lead to incontinence. For women, hormonal and weight changes from pregnancy can weaken muscles. Or childbirth can stretch the pelvic floor muscles and lead to leaks. Menopause is another common cause. Sometimes family history is all it takes.

09/12/2021

Testicular Pain

One of the common complaints I hear in clinic centers around testalgia, otherwise known as testicular pain. There are several causes of testicular pain, like epidiymitis, orchitis, or injury, but rarely do patients consider their back! There is a nerve that connects to the lower spine and extends around to the genitalia called the genitofemoral nerve. When a man strains his lower back, the nerve is often effected and the man feels pain in his testicle. Think of it like a down power line. If you touch a power line that is next to the power pole, you expect to be electricuted. That same power line, a mile away, still carries the current even though your touch is not near the source. Nerves can cause referred pain and this is why a man with back trouble may have testicular pain. Stretching, rest, heat/ice, and anti-inflammatories are the best treatment and prevention for this type of testicular pain.

08/31/2021

Did you know that we also care for children in our clinic?! It’s true! Urology is not just for men and it isn’t just for adults either. The more common things we see with youth in our practice are circumcision, testicular cancer, hydrocele, testicular pain, testicular or pe**le injury. But don’t forget that girls can be treated too! When I see females, it is commonly due to urinary frequency, urgency, and urinary tract infections. While we are not commonly seen for STDs, it is something we can treat.

08/29/2021

Why a catheter urinalysis?

When patients come to the clinic, we always get a urine sample prior to seeing the provider. The urine gives us a lot of information about your visit including infection, risk of cancer, kidney disease, moving kidney stones, etc. Where men and women differ is that we get a catheter urine sample from women…Why?!

Have you ever done a urine dipstick at your primary care providers office or with an “at home” kit? When the urine sample shows bacteria on a dip stick test (like you can buy at Walmart), the bacteria may or may not actually be present. Did you know that AZO can show as positive bacteria on a dipstick? Similarly, if the urine touches the l***a prior to making it in the sample, staphylococcus (normal skin flora) can make it into the sample and also read as bacteria. The catheter sample is used for accuracy and for culture use.

Does a catheter sample hurt? It shouldn’t! Our nurses are trained to provide comfort and ease of catheterization. We use a very very small catheter to get the sample in an effort that the patient won’t feel it at all. In fact, most of our patients tell us they were anxious about the catheter but that it didn’t hurt at all.

What should men do if they need to give a sample? If a man is uncircumcised, the should retract the fo****in, clean the meatus, and give a sample. If a man is circumcised, he just needs to clean the meatus. Men do not get catheterized because they are able to give a sample without the risk of contamination.

08/12/2021

This is very good information about the Delta variant and what it means for those with and without the vaccine. Do you need to wear masks? How is it different than the initial Covid-19 virus?

An expert explains why vaccines — and masks — are so important, and why delta is different and more dangerous.

08/09/2021

06/02/2021

May was Men’s Health Month! Shoot me some of the questions you want answered!

05/31/2021

In honor of those who served, we are closed today. Thank you for your sacrifice!

05/11/2021

Obesity
Did you know that obesity increases your risk of cancer? In fact, by reducing obesity, the risk of kidney cancers falls by 18%. Living a healthy and active lifestyle affects more than your heart and cholesterol!

05/08/2021

Ureteral stents
Have you ever had a kidney stone? For many people, kidney stones are a constant reality that are painful to pass and often require surgical intervention. But what happens when a stone gets stuck and you can’t pass it? Think about your kitchen sink...what happens when you turn the water on? It runs down the drain! But if you have a blockage in the drain, the fluid builds up in the sink and may eventually overflow. Since your kidneys are responsible for filtering your body, like the drain the fluid that should go to your bladder backs up around your kidney. We call this hydronephrosis. This can be very dangerous for your kidneys as that fluid prevents it from functioning as it should. Therefore it is important to get the stone out and keep the fluid from building up around the kidney. To keep the ureter open, we place a stent in the ureter to bypass the blockage and allow drainage from inside the kidney. Stents are not typically permanent but are used in the short term to prevent further complications. Some stents need to be removed surgically while others can be removed in office.

04/28/2021