Supraapubic cather
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I had one. I have a paralyzed neurogenic bladder and got tired of the leaks and infection. I liked the flip flo valve option but could never get the timing right. I also had an incident where my leg bag fell down during physical therapy. Talk about embarrassing. Some folks really like it though. It just wasn’t for me. There is a really good group on Facebook
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This is the third week out since minor surgery to install the catheter. I like it. As a paraplegic, it makes life easier and less anxious. I'm still working on good ways to disguise my urine bag when I go out in the wheelchair. I have leg bags, but haven't used them yet. They might be a more discreet solution, if I could get the tubing and the bag down to a manageable size to hide under a long skirt. But not having to use a bed pan or go go to the toilet is very freeing. It might be that I could retrain my urethra and bladder to function more normally. If I were younger,I would definitely do it if I were younger. As I am older and losing strength, it's probably not wise for a quad to expect to restore that function and be able to manage toileting well.
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Etowah, did you know they have mesh “tubes” to put around a leg bag on your leg? I used one. I bought one that was too small for me, so I think it would work really well at the correct size. I also tried to wear it with pants (I’m ambulatory) but it got really clearly visible/odd as it got full under my pants. I prefer to use a skirt with a catheter (only used for travel, pretty much) because it is so well hidden!
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I have had double incontinence since I had a spinal injury between my shoulder blades in 2013.
For me a suprapubic catheter has probably been the best, or least bad option available. I have very little use of my hands which would make an intermittent urethral catheter very difficult; also, I live alone and my overnight urine output varies between about 1,500 and 2,000ml
Being confined to a wheelchair, the appearance of the leg bag is not an issue for me, but it might be for those who are more active.
Compared with other ways of accommodating incontinence, I do not get much mess needing protection and cleaning - just a small amount of leakage around my catheter entry point.
My suprapubic catheter is not an expensive way of dealing with incontinence. My pads are changed only once each day and cost around £10 ($12) per month; washable fixation knickers around £10 for 25 which will last at least two years.
Urinary tract infections have been a problem, probably caused by bacteria entering via my catheter site. From January to July 2016 I had 23 catheter blockages until I noticed that most of them were happening at the same time as I had a UTI: so I started to take Nitrofurantoin in preventative doses rather than curative doses: that prevented both UTIs and blockages.
A fuller version is available at:
For me a suprapubic catheter has probably been the best, or least bad option available. I have very little use of my hands which would make an intermittent urethral catheter very difficult; also, I live alone and my overnight urine output varies between about 1,500 and 2,000ml
Being confined to a wheelchair, the appearance of the leg bag is not an issue for me, but it might be for those who are more active.
Compared with other ways of accommodating incontinence, I do not get much mess needing protection and cleaning - just a small amount of leakage around my catheter entry point.
My suprapubic catheter is not an expensive way of dealing with incontinence. My pads are changed only once each day and cost around £10 ($12) per month; washable fixation knickers around £10 for 25 which will last at least two years.
Urinary tract infections have been a problem, probably caused by bacteria entering via my catheter site. From January to July 2016 I had 23 catheter blockages until I noticed that most of them were happening at the same time as I had a UTI: so I started to take Nitrofurantoin in preventative doses rather than curative doses: that prevented both UTIs and blockages.
A fuller version is available at:
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Thank you for the post and excellent article attached to it! Well done!
One precaution: Many women, especially those who are diabetic--even if BS is controlled--simply cannot take antibiotics without risking vaginal infections. My doctor prescribes methenamine, which acidifies the urine and creates a hostile environment for its growth. I take one 1gram tablet twice a day. So far, so good.Thanks again for your very helpful post.
One precaution: Many women, especially those who are diabetic--even if BS is controlled--simply cannot take antibiotics without risking vaginal infections. My doctor prescribes methenamine, which acidifies the urine and creates a hostile environment for its growth. I take one 1gram tablet twice a day. So far, so good.Thanks again for your very helpful post.
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Thank you. A couple of other things which occurred to me are:
1) frequency of catheter changes. I tried longer than the standard 12 weeks because changing catheters seemed to cause UTIs. This does however, result in increased risk of deflation of the catheter bubble inside the bladder which allows the catheter to come out.
2) Some medications appear to result in increased bacteria and sediment in my catheter but can be fixed with extra Nitrofurantoin. A few more details are available at
www.dailystrength.org
1) frequency of catheter changes. I tried longer than the standard 12 weeks because changing catheters seemed to cause UTIs. This does however, result in increased risk of deflation of the catheter bubble inside the bladder which allows the catheter to come out.
2) Some medications appear to result in increased bacteria and sediment in my catheter but can be fixed with extra Nitrofurantoin. A few more details are available at
Barry's Journals | DailyStrength
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I used one for a couple of months after an operation to let my bladder rest, and returned to work with it in. Other than the wound being a bit gross and having some strong bladder spasms at the start, my bladder slowly adjusted and it became another part of my day. I didn’t experience leakage around the catheter or through my penis and only embarrassed myself once when I forgot to close off the valve after draining the bag (ended up with a wet ankle, which was preferable to a wet crotch IMO). I do agree with what others are saying about the bag becoming noticeable as it got fuller.I was also aware of sloshing noises if I moved too quickly. I could only wear loose fitting long pants while it was in. The skinny jeans and chinos had to be retired to the closet for a bit. I’m not sure how I would have felt about having a suprapubic catheter in the long term. Maybe if my incontinence was heavier as I can manage leakage with guards at the moment.
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