No, no, don't be scared, Claire. If it was something life-threatening, you'd be very sick and unable to function. You'd know it, believe me. If, like many of us, you are having an ongoing, irritating problem with your bladder, you should be evaluated by a urologist or uro-gynecologist. A simple office procedure called a cystoscopy will show any problems such as inflammation, fistula or chronic infection. These can be treated. If nothing shows up (again, like many of us), you may have a condition such as irritable bladder or interstitial cystitis. These often seem to go along with IBS. They are a huge pain in the rear, but not life-threatening. So don't be petrified, just make an appointment for an evaluation.