As you can tell by the title, I tend to be long winded. Oh, and a foley is planned.
First, I want to thank everyone for all the information and experiences shared throughout the site. I am mainly a reader, because I rarely get to experience the activities described on Zity.
Secondly, I appologize for my terrible spelling. I can't find a spellcheck option from this device.
On to the main topic. A year and a half ago, I had my first foley(14fr), which was left in for an hour or two, with a bedside bag. It was a great experience. Finally, I have the oppertunity to experience a foley once again. However, this time I have the time to leave it in longer. The plan is to place it 2 hours before bed and have it remain in place until the following afternoon (about 20 hours). Unfortunately, she has to work in the morning, so I will be alone from morning through early afternoon. This means that if anything goes south I will have to deal with it myself. (I am pretty confident that if I need to, I can deflate the balloon and remove the cath without doing harm to myself.) Also, unfortunately, I have some activities of daily life to tend to, so I will have to be mobile, but will not be leaving the house. Which is why a leg bag will be used. (I assume it will be ok to use the leg bag at night as long as I hang it lower than I am? It will just have a smaller capacity, so I will likely have to empty it first thing in the morning?) I have never used a leg bag, so any advice is greatly accepted.
On a safety note, the person placing the catheter is a nurse and does them regularly in a hospital setting. So, safe and sterile practices will be used.
The last time she used a catheter on me, she suggested a 14fr because she thought a 16 might be too big, and might be uncomfortable. Reading things here, it appears that 16fr is the suggested size, which is why I have 2 of each. Some posters here have said that if it is too small it can cause more irritation with longer wear, and movement. Also, there is a possibility of leakage. We will be using a statlock which may help with potential discomfort. However, because a majority of her experience is with straight caths, or foleys in relatively immobile patients, her experiences may be geared more toward insertion comfort rather than long term wear comfort. Should I suggest she use the 16fr, or just trust her judgement, because she is the expert here, and I really only know what I have read on the internet?
Thank you for reading, and I would appriciate any advice, suggestions, tips hints, or personal experiences you can give.