Intermittent catheterization

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Hi

Just curious if anyone is doing this regularly. I know my urologist wants me to do this and honestly haven’t had enough guts to do it yet. Lol.

But then I did more research and found that there is the possibility of scaring your bladder / piping every time one does this and it should be conducted for over a year otherwise run risk of scar tissue forming and eventually will require surgery to open up the tube fully once it becomes restricted. After reading that lol I am even less inclined to start. Thoughts anyone, I have fully accepted I need to wear diapers and I am okay with that as really there are no real side effects and honestly I don’t care what people think if they see as whatever it allows me to live a rather normal life again.

Just curious on anyone’s thoughts on intermittent catheterization???

Cheers Jason.

 

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I don't

 

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Not for me. I've had enough things placed in places that shouldn't be. Tried once, and had a painful infection. I,also,am comfortable managing with diapers.

 

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You do you.
Aren't there external catheters for men if so desired?

 

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I do every 2 hours or so. Yes there is visible scarring to the bladder wall but it is still healthy looking. I have had a few scratch like feelings over the course of 4 years doing it and I get relief from wearing a pad.

Try it and see how you feel and then make an informed decision for a way forward.

 

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during a hospital stay, I contacted one of them hospital born viruses and wound up spending 5 1/2 months in a nursing home and during that stay, they used a foley on me at one point my scrotum had swollen to the size of a softball after enduring the pain and discomfort of having the foley's inserted I will not do it to myself

 

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@Jwh51 hi Jason, I use 2 or 3 catheters a day. Once when I get up, once before going to bed and the other around lunch time. Some days I leak so much there isn't any point using one at lunchtime. It gets easier with practise, most of the time I hardly feel anything, but I do have some nerve damage so that maybe why I don't feel very much? For about a year I tried using them full-time instead of tena maxi slips, but trying to get a catheter in the right place in the middle of the night isn't easy. I hope that it goes well if you try, cheers Phil

 

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When you have 2 choices other then surgery you straight cath. But I have a great urology team that know I will have this forever or as they sent to my insurance this is permanent, and lifelong! So ok, I have both options, that means 6 times st cath per day, or go in and see one of my wonderful nurses for a rest from all that cathing, and get a huge hose (lol) Foley inserted to dilate, use it for a week or 2, and they do encourage, to give my bladder some time off. So I can do what I feel is better for me. I'm grateful for my options and my wonderful team.

 

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Ask your urologist if you can insert lube into your urethra before you insert the catheter.

 

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Agree with @notarobot , as it was scripted for me, it is Urojet, and also if I go in for something that needs to be done, they ALWAYS use Urojets with me, and my understanding they are using it on patients now.

 

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I have two forms of incontinence- on-going dripping after voiding, and sudden lack of control- which is the main problem now; if you're wearing full protection, it doesn't matter if you drip after emptying your bladder. In my case, the dripping was caused by a urethral stricture (narrowing or blockage of the passageway out from the bladder) that was caused by the damage done by a catheter. The solution to that is having a cystoscopy (sp) performed, and, while they are doing so, also dilating the urethra. They do use a local, but even so, this is very uncomfortable. Self-catheterizing, I think, would be a similar experience, but probably with a smaller diameter instrument; however, it wouldn't involve any kind of numbing agent. I would have the same reservations that you seem to be having, if I had to start doing this. As well, knowing the problems it has caused me already, I would advise against this, unless you are experiencing urinary retention, and are without other options. My experience has been unpleasant, and, to coin a phrase, it is fine for your worst enemy, but I wouldn't wish it on my best friend... (Did I really say that?!)

 

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Exactly Jeff and I have had it done on me while I was hospitalized like 5 years ago and it wasn’t a big deal then however I was in such rough shape and a nurse was doing it.

It just concerns me is if I say too my urologist I am getting annoyed with the frequency of accidents I am having their solution is to inject Botox in my bladder at which point I will need to self cath to deal with the extremes of urine retention. Hence my answer clearly so far is I am fine with wearing diapers. I guess I am fortunate enough that retention has actually improved over the last year for me that it’s not as dire as it was in late 2019.

Thanks all for you feedback. Most likely staying the course of diapers for most of the time. I may change my tune just for when I have to go every 3 months for blood work and urine culture just so I can easily get my urine sample on those occasions as otherwise my bladder sometimes can take over 2 hrs for me trying to get the 20-30mL they need for the testing.

Thank you all.