Hello Dr. Bob,

My Mother just informed me that she is going to have Bladder Sling surgery. Without going into details she said she is having control problems and just wants to get it done. I encouraged her to investigate alternatives and/or second, third opinions at the very least, but I guess she's at the point where she is no longer willing to investigate further.

Are there any alternatives? Nutritional? Exercise?

She is 55 years old and most of her exercise comes from bicycling.

Thanks for your time,

Tim

I AM NOT 55, I AM 54

There is an herb called "Uva ursi"(Bearberry)Arctostaphylos uva ursi, Ericacea; and it is considered the best treatment of bladder and kidney infections when combined with "marshmallow root" in the herb kingdom. It is even useful for eliminating stones from those organs. Tinture of "uva ursi" was routinely used in many European hospitals as a postpartum medicine to reduce hemorrhaging and help restore the womb to normal size.
The common "manzanita"(Arctostaphylos spp.) can be used for the same purpose. Uva Ursi is considered to be better because of its milder nature. I have the manzanita plant growing in my back yard and drank the tea for over a year using the leaves and the blossoms. A native American told me to take the manzanita tea for poison oak.......and after drinking the tea for almost a year I can pull poison oak out by the roots and never get the rash. I made the tea in gallon sizes and kept it in the refrigerator like I used Lipton tea. I took 3-4oz glasses of cold tea a day. I still use the tea in the spring when I can make it with the blossoms as it tastes wonderful with the blossoms that are dripping with honey. It tastes like "Jasmine Tea" at this time of year. The book, "The Way of Herbs" by Michael Tierra, says it is commonly combined with "buchu leaves" in China.

Herbs work slowly, sometimes taking 3 months to a year to restore the system to normal. Patience is needed here. I noticed my poison oak stopped spreading after the first day taking the tea, but resistance to the rash took almost a year.