A 31-year-old woman was forced to urinate up to 40 times a day due to a chronic bladder condition that caused severe pain and frequent trips to the bathroom.
Melissa Frost first began experiencing intense pain after urinating when she was just 16 years old.
Her symptoms worsened, leaving her needing to use the toilet nearly twice an hour, sometimes as many as 40 times a day.
Over an eight-month period, doctors prescribed her antibiotics six times for suspected urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Melissa Frost poses for a photo during her pregnancy.
Melissa was diagnosed with bladder pain syndrome at just 16 years old. The chronic condition causes pain in the lower abdomen and back, along with an urgent and frequent need to urinate.
For the next nine years, she relied on painkillers to manage her symptoms before undergoing surgery in July 2022 to have a bladder pacemaker implanted.
The device helps regulate communication between her bladder and brain, reducing her trips to the toilet from 40 to around 15 times a day.
Despite previously being warned that she might struggle to conceive, Melissa went on to welcome a baby boy, who is now two years old.
The support worker from Bolton, Greater Manchester, described the excruciating pain she endured before treatment.
“It was the worst pain I’ve ever experienced, worse than childbirth, I can’t even explain it,” Melissa said.
“It would last for hours.”
A younger Melissa Frost, left, is pictured alongside her mother.
“I was weeing up to 40 times a day,” Melissa recalled.
Melissa faced a difficult journey to getting an accurate diagnosis, as doctors initially attributed her severe bladder pain and frequent urination to recurring urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Speaking to Talk to the Press, she described how distressing her early medical experiences had been.
“I was young and a lot of my internals were done by men, the whole experience was very traumatizing,” she said.
“But I got a consultant who is amazing and I still see her.”
Her debilitating symptoms also took a toll on her teenage years, forcing her to miss significant amounts of school and preventing her from socializing with friends as often as she wanted.
She revealed that the pain was so intense it made having sex impossible, putting an additional strain on her personal relationships.
At the height of her symptoms, Melissa needed to use the toilet up to 30 times during the day and another 10 times throughout the night.
“I had a very supportive boyfriend, but it was really hard,” she recalled.
Melissa Frost, right, is pictured alongside her mother.
“I lost years of my life. It was heartbreaking,” Melissa said, reflecting on the devastating impact her bladder condition had on her teenage years.
In July 2013, she finally received a diagnosis after undergoing a cystoscopy, a procedure that uses a small camera to examine the bladder through the urethra, and a uroflowmetry test, which measures the rate of urine flow.
Doctors explained that the lining of her bladder was cracked, inflamed and sore, with symptoms resembling the irritation caused by eczema.
Melissa Frost poses for a photo alongside her mother and baby son.
“The urology team said it was one of the worst cases they’d seen,” Melissa recalled.
Doctors considered several treatment options for her severe bladder condition, including a bladder transplant, before ultimately deciding to try a bladder pacemaker.
Melissa explained that getting the device took time because the treatment was relatively new to the NHS, having been approved for use in 2004, and came with a high cost.
The pacemaker, a small box surgically implanted in her buttock, works through wires connected to nerves that help regulate communication between the bladder and brain.
By modifying these nerve signals, the device allows her bladder to fill more fully before she feels the urge to urinate, significantly reducing her frequent bathroom visits.
Melissa doesn’t need to take painkillers anymore either.
Melissa trialed the device in November 2021 for two weeks, and it worked, so she had it fitted permanently in July 2022.
The device has a Bluetooth rechargeable battery, which she charges by pressing the charger against her buttock, that needs to be changed every 15 years.
She said: “It took a while to make a difference, then it was such a relief not to have the pain and urgency anymore.
“I had lost years of my life in pain and not able to do things.
“Sometimes I have to turn down the device because it sends funny sensations like tingling down my leg which is not nice.”
“It took a while to make a difference, then it was such a relief not to have the pain and urgency anymore,” Melissa said, describing the life-changing impact of her bladder pacemaker.
However, Melissa faced another challenge when doctors warned her that her chronic bladder condition could make having children difficult.
They explained that the added pressure on her bladder during pregnancy could trigger severe pain, potentially making it difficult for her to carry a baby to term.
Doctors also suggested that a cesarean section (C-section) might be necessary, as pushing during a vaginal delivery could risk dislodging her implanted pacemaker.
Despite these concerns, Melissa welcomed her son, Rowen, in September 2024, marking a major milestone after years of struggling with her condition.
Melissa Frost cradles her baby son, Rowen, after overcoming years of struggles with her chronic bladder condition.
Reflecting on her journey to motherhood, Melissa opened up about the emotional toll of being warned that she might struggle to have children.
“It’s very hard to be told at a young age that you might not be able to have children,” she said.
“I had such a successful and positive pregnancy.
“It didn’t seem real until I held him.
“It really was magical to have a baby of my own after everything I have been through.”
