Catheters suck!

[Teddy]

This is a little bit of a rant.. but after being cathed for almost 2 weeks, I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.

I have a really enlarged prostate, and scheduled for TURP surgery. In the meantime, I'm stuck wearing a foley 24/7. I've gone from being somewhat active to barely wanting to get out of bed in the morning and go to work. I can only work half days, as anything longer than that and the tip of my penis feels like it's dragging on broken glass. At home I stick to the night bag, it helps lessen the pain, but makes doing thing take 2-3 times longer since you have to hook the bag on something to free up a hand.

Surgery is probably 3 months away, it's going to be a really long time wearing a cath. UTI's and the constant feeling of being tied to a ball and chain. I don't know why anyone would want to use a catheter to achieve incontinence. It's really done a number on my depression.

Not to mention the bladder spasms are brutal to deal with.

 

[winterheart01]

This is a little bit of a rant.. but after being cathed for almost 2 weeks, I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.

I have a really enlarged prostate, and scheduled for TURP surgery. In the meantime, I'm stuck wearing a foley 24/7. I've gone from being somewhat active to barely wanting to get out of bed in the morning and go to work. I can only work half days, as anything longer than that and the tip of my penis feels like it's dragging on broken glass. At home I stick to the night bag, it helps lessen the pain, but makes doing thing take 2-3 times longer since you have to hook the bag on something to free up a hand.

Surgery is probably 3 months away, it's going to be a really long time wearing a cath. UTI's and the constant feeling of being tied to a ball and chain. I don't know why anyone would want to use a catheter to achieve incontinence. It's really done a number on my depression.

Not to mention the bladder spasms are brutal to deal with.

I know i broke after 4 months. I was high on painkillers and the lidocaine cream wasn't helping anymore. I had an infection on the penis glans from the catheter tube as well.
I had times when i had to remove it and go a few days without (with retention problems) just to get healed

 

[Lumos]

Damn, that sounds absolutely terrible! Hopefully the next three months can fly by!

 

[TheWetOne]

Oh how I so agree with the title of this thread!! I feel for you, Teddy and Winterheart. I was catheterised for a few days while waiting for my prostatectomy op due to a severe UTI, and it drove me to distraction, causing a lot of pain and discomfort. I insisted they took it out, and said I would rather wear pads. To give them their due, they did as I asked.

Of course, when I had the prostatectomy, I found myself catheterised again. Unfortunately, this time, I couldn't have it removed due to the possibility of infection of the wounds from the op if I wore pads or nappies. So I was told that it would need to be left in for two weeks to allow them to heal. When the two weeks were up, although the wounds had healed sufficiently, they did a bladder scan, which apparently showed some minor damage to my bladder, so I had to endure it for another two weeks. I'm glad to say that it was taken out then, but the whole experience was horrendous. I have often wondered whether the "minor damage to my bladder" has caused, or at least contributed to, my now virtually total incontinence. Not surprisingly, I can't get a straight answer to that one!

 

[winterheart01]

Oh how I so agree with the title of this thread!! I feel for you, Teddy and Winterheart. I was catheterised for a few days while waiting for my prostatectomy op due to a severe UTI, and it drove me to distraction, causing a lot of pain and discomfort. I insisted they took it out, and said I would rather wear pads. To give them their due, they did as I asked.

Of course, when I had the prostatectomy, I found myself catheterised again. Unfortunately, this time, I couldn't have it removed due to the possibility of infection of the wounds from the op if I wore pads or nappies. So I was told that it would need to be left in for two weeks to allow them to heal. When the two weeks were up, although the wounds had healed sufficiently, they did a bladder scan, which apparently showed some minor damage to my bladder, so I had to endure it for another two weeks. I'm glad to say that it was taken out then, but the whole experience was horrendous. I have often wondered whether the "minor damage to my bladder" has caused, or at least contributed to, my now virtually total incontinence. Not surprisingly, I can't get a straight answer to that one!

It's possible, the catheter tip can scratch the bladder wall and cause damage

@TeddyUrsadorable if the bladder cramps are too strong ask for vesicare, this calms down the bladder, the 10 mg version, take 2 instead of 1, i had to because it was too bad :s and hospital was no help, they thought i was overreacting and otherwise i would have to agree the urostomy

 

[TreeLad]

Sounds awful, hope you get better soon

 

[CheshireCat]

I've had foley catheters many times, the longest being for 6 weeks post surgery. During that time I used a catheter leg strap (anchored the catheter up high), Under Armour Boxerjocks (compression boxer briefs kept my junk and the catheter in a fixed position), and a male guard (to catch minor leaks). The first week was rough as I didn't have a strategy in place, the second week was annoying as I figured things out, and the last four weeks were easy. As it was Nov-Dec, I was wearing jeans, so I kept the leg bag down on my calf. It made it easy to go into a stall at work, lift the seat on the toilet, set my foot on the rim, raise my trouser leg a few inches, and drain the bag. A calf bag is not noticeable, except if it sloshes when walking. I also found the boxer briefs and leg strap helped me sleep better, as tugging when moving is on the leg strap, not your penis.

Go on Amazon and search for "catheter leg strap". It will present you with all kinds of aids for wearing a catheter.

The most important thing is holding the penis and first 18" of tubing in a fixed position that is comfortable for you.

 

[ChocChip]

I know, there’s some medical situations where they are unavoidable... but I can’t see how anyone could recommend them ahead of nappies in an incontinence scenario.

 

[TreeLad]

I know, there’s some medical situations where they are unavoidable... but I can’t see how anyone could recommend them ahead of nappies in an incontinence scenario.

That was my thoughts as well

 

[Teddy]

It's possible, the catheter tip can scratch the bladder wall and cause damage

@TeddyUrsadorable if the bladder cramps are too strong ask for vesicare, this calms down the bladder, the 10 mg version, take 2 instead of 1, i had to because it was too bad :s and hospital was no help, they thought i was overreacting and otherwise i would have to agree the urostomy

I'm quite certain this is what's happening to me as well with all the movement.

The bladder cramps were bad for the first few days, then relatively got less painful. After last week with moving around alot, they came back with a vengeance. They are slowly starting to get less intense.. until next time.

I checked online to see what the surgery queues are like for the hospital where I'm to have the procedure. I'm looking at 7-17 weeks. Being that I'm on the priority list, I'm hoping for the 7 weeks, not the 17 weeks. The worst part mentally is the uncertainty when surgery is. If I knew for more certain I could tell me self.. "Only 5 more weeks" or something rather than the relative unknown.

 

[ltaluv]

I know, there’s some medical situations where they are unavoidable... but I can’t see how anyone could recommend them ahead of nappies in an incontinence scenario.

They're not even supposed to be used for incontinence except in very limited and special circumstances. They're really for urine retention.

My longest time with a Foley was about six weeks. Once I figured it how to keep it from moving (a keg strap worked ok for me) and started using lidocaine ointment, it wasn't bad at all. The worst problem I had was once when I was out in public and hadn't gotten the valve on the leg bag on my calf closed all the way - I noticed only after my shoe was completely soaked with urine.

Now I have some special underwear that supports the catheter and leg bag, though I haven't needed a Foley for more than a couple of weeks since I got that.

 

[Teddy]

Go on Amazon and search for "catheter leg strap". It will present you with all kinds of aids for wearing a catheter.

I tried something similar with a tensor bandage. It kept sliding down my leg, so I tried tightening it a bit more. Then I discovered I was pinching the tube and not draining at all.

 

[CheshireCat]

I tried something similar with a tensor bandage. It kept sliding down my leg, so I tried tightening it a bit more. Then I discovered I was pinching the tube and not draining at all.

A catheter leg strap has a small strap for the catheter that is attached to the strap for your leg. Adjusting the tension on the leg strap does not change the tension on the catheter.

You may also want to look at Cathwear underwear on Amazon. It's a compression boxer brief that holds everything in place, including the bag. The only issue is that the bag is now up on the thigh, which may not work as well under your work trousers.

 

[Teddy]

You may also want to look at Cathwear underwear on Amazon. It's a compression boxer brief that holds everything in place, including the bag. The only issue is that the bag is now up on the thigh, which may not work as well under your work trousers.

Interesting product.. I would need one size up (which they don't make) for my bearish figure.

 

[CheshireCat]

Interesting product.. I would need one size up (which they don't make) for my bearish figure.

Sorry to hear.

You may want to talk to your urologist's office to find out if they have anything available that might help. Meanwhile, brainstorm about what would work for you. I know how uncomfortable you are (when the catheter got tugged it always took a minute for me to recover). I'll keep thinking about possible solutions.

 

[winterheart01]

They're not even supposed to be used for incontinence except in very limited and special circumstances. They're really for urine retention.

My longest time with a Foley was about six weeks. Once I figured it how to keep it from moving (a keg strap worked ok for me) and started using lidocaine ointment, it wasn't bad at all. The worst problem I had was once when I was out in public and hadn't gotten the valve on the leg bag on my calf closed all the way - I noticed only after my shoe was completely soaked with urine.

Now I have some special underwear that supports the catheter and leg bag, though I haven't needed a Foley for more than a couple of weeks since I got that.

In my last month i had one in i could only lie down, anything else hurt. Not just the tip of the penis but the entire urethra, sphincter and bladder neck. I had to replace it weekly to reduce further infection risks but everything there was traumatized because i move a lot.

Though i thought you did intermittent catheterization, how come you have a foley now? (Or i must have missed something,,)

 

[Teddy]

Once I figured it how to keep it from moving (a keg strap worked ok for me) and started using lidocaine ointment, it wasn't bad at all.

I hate how lidocaine burns when you first apply it.

On a brighter note, I got my first Pfizer shot today.

 

[winterheart01]

The bladder cramps were bad for the first few days, then relatively got less painful. After last week with moving around alot, they came back with a vengeance. They are slowly starting to get less intense.. until next time.

They come and go. Move a lot or lie down a lot, first will give cramps, second will give spasms (those are so weird, like something is knocking really hard on your bladder rapidly.

But I'm really sorry to hear you still have to wait so long i hope you manage to hold out better than i did.
And please never let a nurse push the catheter in fast right at the end, "to reduce pain" they say, but that's how they cause damage.
See attachment, that was not mere blood or clot, i had my GP examine it, it was definitely tissue.

 

[Teddy]

See attachment, that was not mere blood or clot, i had my GP examine it, it was definitely tissue.

Yeah, friday night this is what I was seeing. It's mostly cleared up now. Still going to see the doc tomorrow.

 

[winterheart01]

Yeah, friday night this is what I was seeing. It's mostly cleared up now. Still going to see the doc tomorrow.

View attachment 53819

Looks like debris either from insertion, infection or bladder stones. I think there's tissue in there too. Definitely good idea to have it checked.

The urine color is also worrying, mine was very diluted as you saw, i drank liters a day just to keep infections at bay but i do recommend to drink more water