‘Piss Deux’: A Bladder Symptom You May Know by Another Name

I used to tell student chefs that in order to cook well, they must eat what other chefs cook. The idea here is that one must educate the palate to move forward in the culinary world as well as to keep up with the trends driving it.

The same can be said for writers. Not the eating part, but rather that writers should be voracious readers, taking in the style, voice, and form of others to help develop their own versions of the same.

Learning From the MS Experiences of Others

I, as a writer who often focuses on the world of multiple sclerosis (MS), seek out writings related to the disease, including personal memoirs.

The books don’t always resonate with me, but I do find something useful in just about everything I read about living with multiple sclerosis.

In the case of Robert Douglas-Fairhurst’s book Metamorphosis: A Life in Pieces, there was much to take in.

Douglas-Fairhurst is a professor of literature at Oxford University — nothing to sneeze at when it comes to the study and action of writing. He incorporates vast numbers of literary references in this book, and I, quite honestly, found it a bit overwhelming.

One thing I did find interesting, and something I’ll use in the future, was his description and explanation of an MS-related bladder symptom that I hadn’t thought of much as an MS symptom.

He called the urgency to urinate a second time that I’ve been experiencing for the past several years “piss deux.” (“Deux” is “two” in French.)

He described it almost exactly as I experience it: The emptying of the bladder followed, about 2 minutes later, with the (often very urgent) need to void again. This isn’t a “there was a little bit left” sort of second pee. I may pee as much or more the second time. It often happens in the morning when I get up, urinate, then take the dogs out for their first wee.

Thank goodness the back garden is blocked from the view of neighbors. They might otherwise get the shock of seeing two wheaten terriers and their dad pissing on the lawn.

Bladder Dysfunction Is Common in MS

At least 8 out of 10 of us with MS experience some form of bladder dysfunction, according to the National MS Society. This can range from urgency and frequency to leaking and accidents to urinary hesitation and difficulties.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common side-effect of our bladder dysfunction that, left unchecked, can become a major health concern.

The “piss deux” that Douglas-Fairhurst writes about is something of a combination of urgency and bladder spasticity, the latter of which can be the cause of urinary retention — the cause of many UTIs.

I suppose I should feel lucky that my spastic bladder releases again after a short restriction, even if it can be inconvenient or embarrassing.

Workarounds and Adaptations

I’ve taken to hanging around for a couple of minutes after I pee, and it’s usually the case that I’ll have to go again soon. It’s another learned response to stupid MS symptoms for which we find workarounds and adaptations so we can lead (relatively) normal lives — or at least fool ourselves that we do.

It may not be a medical term, piss deux, but I’ll certainly be using it when I next speak to my MS medical team.

Wishing you and your family the best of health.

Cheers,

Trevis