Currently cathed?

Hi folks!

I'm cathed again. I had a very full bladder before I started the insertion. Its a 18Fr full silicone with a 15ml balloon. I have 4 days to wear it so I keep enjoying every moments.

Hello Lynn , ? do you have the same problem? bladder lining debris clogging up the eyelets ? Mine still does but instead of a larger catheter {which would be logical } They prescribed oxybutynin chloride er tb24 that has the side affect of dementia . So now most times I don't know my own name or what day it is .

Yes, that has been part of my issues, but the 24fr they want in for a couple weeks in a month to dilate my urethra and inner sphincter as I suffer with constant spasms, that never go away.

@Lynn I too wear a 24fr and need a larger one. Whatever you do don't let them make you try oxbutynin chloride, You wont be able to remember you're own name.

I don't care if I'm going to have a really large one put in, I want it to just get it done. I'll learn how to live with it sooner or later. Good lord I've even plugged up the drain hose once.

I have found that bladder flushing every two or three days helps a lot. It does take getting used to but it does flush a lot out. If you do try that watch you're overnight bag for color, If it starts to even get dark its time to flush. After it should be a very light color. Almost clear

My nurses that are supposed to “take care” of me just couldn't get it right so I taught myself how.

@Lynn I too wear a 24fr and need a larger one. Whatever you do don't let them make you try oxbutynin chloride, You wont be able to remember you're own name. I don't care if I'm going to have a really large one put in I want it to just get it done. I'll learn how to live with it sooner or later. Good lord I've even plugged up the drain hose once. I have found that bladder flushing every two or three days helps a lot. It does take getting used to but it does flush a lot out. If you do try that watch you're overnight bag for color , If it starts to get dark its time to flush. After it should be a very light color. Almost clear

My nurses that are supposed to “take care” of me just couldn't get it right so I taught myself how.

Thank you for the advice, but have been on oxybutynin for several years, and yes I have some memory issues but my urology PA told me if its helping I want you to stay on it. I'm also straight cathing and will continue that till I decide or my Dr. does I cannot do it any longer. Then instead of a part time Foley it will be long term. She has suggested several times she wants me to have a suprapubic, but not readyb… yet! I have a great medical team so for now this is my path

She has suggested several times she wants me to have a suprapubic, but not ready … yet! I have a great medical team so for now this is my path

@Lynn, An SP cath is super convenient - unless of course you enjoy the urethral cath for other reasons. We were able to go swimming with the SP and didn't have to worry about UTIs - never have had any bladder or site infections either.

Rigel, do you currently have a suprapubic in place? Personally it seems odd, but I can have pretty much what I want, within the boundaries

@Lynn My wife has one due to bladder retention issues. She had a urethral for a couple of months, but it was a hassle for showering etc. She was in water therapy and couldn't do it with a urethral cath - but they were fine with the SP - we just capped it off during the pool sessions. Once a month change outs take about 10 minutes (plus the waiting room wait - which they are pretty good at getting her in). When she had the urethral cath I changed it out a couple of times - but was always worried about contamination. With an SP there are still two routes for urine to escape - but It works well for bladder retention. We've not had an issue with her accidently peeing normally.

@Lynn My wife has one due to bladder retention issues. She had a urethral for a couple of months, but it was a hassle for showering etc. She was in water therapy and couldn't do it with a urethral cath - but they were fine with the SP - we just capped it off during the pool sessions. Once a month change outs take about 10 minutes (plus the waiting room wait - which they are pretty good at getting her in). When she had the urethral cath I changed it out a couple of times - but was always worried about contamination. With an SP there are still two routes for urine to escape - but It works well for bladder retention. We've not had an issue with her accidently peeing normally.

Yes, I too realize that I will eventually as your Wife did have placed a suprapubic. But still doing it this way. My PCP mentioned that with my colon issues she will recommend I'm placed in a skilled nursing home. Which I understand.

@Lynn Best of luck to you!

@nytwatch1, i know the feeling. A year ago before my prostate removal I was cathed for 3 mo. I went in to my uro's office for a catheter change. She didn't fill the balloon right either. I went to dinner that evening and when I stood up to leave I pulled the balloon thru my sphincter and into my prostate. The pain was incredibl,I I had to wait nearly 12 hr without peeing. My bladder filled with blood as well.

When he finally got there he scoped me and went to emergency surgery to get rid of the clot. I complained that it took so long for him to get there and after the surgery he told my cousin that the nurse didn't fill the balloon and it pulled out.

@nytwatch1, i know the feeling. A year ago before my prostate removal I was cathed for 3 mo. I went in to my uro's office for a catheter change. She didn't fill the balloon right either. I went to dinner that evening and when I stood up to leave I pulled the balloon thru my sphincter and into my prostate. The pain was incredible. I had to wait nearly 12 hr without peeing. My bladder filled with blood as well.

When he finally got there he scoped me and went to emergency surgery to get rid of the clot. I complained that it took so long for him to get there and after the surgery he told my cousin that the nurse didn't fill the balloon and it pulled out.

Yeah I can do without that happening again. I've said it before no two people are the same. This has become a well informed group.

I Myself have gone from not knowing anything about this to now I am able to tell my nurses what to do or get out. It sounds like Miss Lynn has a clear road to go down .

Myself I lost all control over my bladder so I go from leaking to flood back to just leaking. I Have absolutely no wish for more surgery so no subpubic for me. I may be old and decrepit but I will learn to take care of myself. I taught myself how to do a bladder flush, next I will learn how to put my catheter in by myself and if I have to experiment to find what size fits me best and gives the least problems.

One thing I love is my long rides across the desert out here. Just two months ago I rode more than a hundred miles in a day, since then between the meds and catheter problems I have almost become a shut in. I have found that I can turn sideways in the saddle, pull up my pant leg and empty my leg bag so much easier than having to change a diaper out in the high lonesome.

After I quit my meds that were causing my dementia I asked two of my nurses to leave. I plan to try for the hot spring about 80 miles south of here tomorrow, its a three day ride. I may have to turn back but I will try. And just to make it interesting i will be riding my race quad.

Picture this, an old man {82} on a quad that can run at 75 or 80 miles an hour loaded down and running for the far horizon as fast as I can

Stretching with a 26fr thats been in for 6 hours, trying to sleep but a bit uncomfortable

The best size for me is ch24. I don't realize that he is inside.

It's been awhile, but all the frustration and pain of constant getting too small of a catheter, plugging them up, having to bladder flush twice a week. Needing medication that caused my brain to take a vacation I got P.O'd. Took it upon myself to find the right size and a proper way to insert it so I would be easy with needing to wear it .

Bought myself 26fr with 30cc balloon. Learned that just before it's all the way in add a little, about 40 cc's of water as if doing a bladder flush then the rest of the way in fill the balloon, rest, relax, let the balloon float into place on it's own. Yes i did leak a little until it had.

But this morning I woke up without any bladder spasm's. No plug up's and it doesn't feel like a 2 inch trailer ball hitch in my rear end. Oh and i switched from medline that the nurses provide to bard lubricath. No pain, no sticking to the cath and it trying to turn me inside out. Or trying to pull the head back inside me. And most important I didn't leak around it and need to change my underwear.

Unless I look down at it, It's as if it isn't there. Letting the balloon find it's own place I'm not leaking prostate fluid as I sit here. Now I can live with this. All that's left is to put my drain bag on wheels so if I forget I'm hooked up it will follow me.

My aide CIC me 5 X’s a day, only if she can’t catheter me and I stop leaking do we go indwelling. I have from 12 FR pediatric to 30 FR on hand as needed, my drain bag is mounted behind privacy shield on my power chair and underneath my bed for easy location, the drain tube is run through a sheath inside my pants, it’s rare these days but I wear “sitter” pants and onesies so unsnap and lower & unsnap and raise gives full diaper access for personal care when needed. Normally i am put in bed to have diaper changed at same time as catheter to drain my bladder everyday.

Tonight is big step up inserted a FR26 from FR22 on my way to FR30feels kinda tight almost feels like I could pop its rubbing all the right places hope I can keep it in for a few days ..

I could use some advice ! Today is the 25 th, It doesn't matter it's Christmas It's the day every month my catheter get's changed. Because of all the misuse by different nurses and all the damage inside me I have run all them off and now change my own. This is my first time on my own …. Today.

I wear a 26fr and a 30cc balloon. I have had four different nurses over time change my catheter. Only one would insert all the way before inflating the balloon. Only that time /month did I not leek around the out side nor feel pain or that I had something large in my rear. But so many times after that after my being changed It has been very painful with the feeling of, say, a large butt plug in me and almost constant leaking outside the catheter.

My conclusion is that the nurses did not insert deep enough and damaged me inside. At my urologist the nurse didn't fill the balloon enough and it tore me open all the way out until it was stuck and I was bleeding.

So Each time they sounded me and fitted me with larger and large catheter's I went from a 20fr till now I'm wearing a 26fr. So I now change my own. But I still leak around the outside. My goal is to be able to ignore everything except the normal cleaning and caretaking needed.

So my question is how to stop leaking outside the catheter. ????

That's an interesting question. I'm a female and what you describe only happened to me when my bladder was overfilled. It happened with a 22FR and also 26, 28 Fr. Are you connected to a leg bag? Or do you keep it plugged and empty the bladder couple times a day? It shouldn't be happening if your urine is draining constantly.

I am currently cathed with a 22FR Foley catheter and night bag sitting in a power chair watching a movie on TV. I may try to leave the catheter in for the night ght and make it to the New Year with it still in me.

My 16ch has been in for 6 days now 😃

Went 2 days with an 18, just put in a 22fr.

Stretching with a 26fr thats been in for 6 hours, trying to sleep but a bit uncomfortable

Did the same thing went from a 20FR to a 26FR after a few hours still had pain had to remove the Foley had some blood for a week or 2 ..now i go slow currently using a Fr22 in a month or 2 will tyr a 22 ...

Can't pee on my own anymore for the past 10 years. So, I cath myself 4-6 times a day using disposable catheters.

It's now March almost April, Cathed full time as I need to be, remember my goal is to be able to ignore that I have a catheter in me. As I now change my own and FLAT out won't let so called professional nurses change my catheter anymore. I have gone though some high's and low's.

Some of my best mornings I have gotten up to make coffee and forgot I had a "leash" connecting me to the night bag. That brought about a Woh damn I wont do that again response .... I have to bladder flush very much more than other's that have to wear full time. Normal is once or twice every two or three months to people like me needing to flush every week or even more often.

Basically if my drain bag looks like tomato soup or if I feel painful spasm's followed by large debris flowing down the drain hose, IT'S TIME, that brings me to one of my lows. I had been feeling almost normal (for me) and I didn't notice, or ignored that the spasm's were getting more often until I spent two days and one night awake and in pain. I was cussing myself and wondering if I had a bladder infection or what, It was bad. Then it got worse, I decided that "this damn thing" was getting out of me now. I got out a diaper (yes I still had some left over), let the balloon deflate, It didn't want to come out, It started to feel like I was pulling razor blades out of myself. I was persistent, didn't "yank" just got it out as slow and as painless as I could.

I was so wore out that after I got the diaper taped I just dropped the used catheter on the floor and passed out. It was three in the morning when I awoke, it was full daylight. I retrieved the used catheter to throw it away and found that from the balloon to the eyelets was heavily encrusted with a white almost like salt like or something and blood clots.

O.K. I now know what the Doc was trying to explain to me about what was causing my stroke's. I now understand why I need to have this big of a catheter. And most important I now understand that I need to bladder flush as often as possible and it's not playing with myself.

So yes I put in a new catheter. AND yes I did do a bladder flush ..... It still feels like I'm playing with myself ......

@nytwatch1 Sounds like you have the cath from hell - with multiple complicating issues. I'm no doctor, but curious if they have you on any anti-coagulants or blood thinners?

Best of luck to you. Hope youare able to minimize those "low times".

@Rigel Yeah they had me on so many different meds, high blood pressure, blood thinners, I found myself taking eight to ten pills every morning and two at night. I'm an old fart (get off my lawn!!!) that I finally threw them out and I just take two plain aspirins every morning.

The side effects from all the meds I was taking plus the winter being so hard I have only one of my six quads running. And they made me so loggy I didn't care to get out of bed.

I'm the "old codger" that goes so far that I have sewn what looks like a button hole on my right leg of my pants so I can hang my night bag on the side of my quad. Now I can ride for hours and not worry about my leg bag being full and needing to stop. It may not happen but I plan a long ride this summer.

Silver coated silicone 18fr 30cc. I’m trying to see which size balloon feels the most comfortable. Do you find relaxing completely is better, or clinching down? I find if I relax fully, then it’s as if I’m trying to pee, which is my bladder trying to force the ballon out.

@M82a1 What you are feeling is what Doc's call bladder spasm's . There is a medication for this but be a where that it can {and did for me } cause dementia .

30cc balloon is a little large for most people . Try starting with filling to 10cc . Wait awhile , gage how you're feeling , Then step it up 5 or 10 cc's until 1st you are comfortable and 2sec have no leaks around the outside of the catheter . Be a where that the larger Ballone's feel like a butt plug is in you . And it's one you can't get out , It's in there and there is no respite , no relief from it . Second it can and most probably will cause you to be constipated . As the 30cc balloon won't let feces pass past it on the other side of the "wall" . Take it from someone that has to live with a catheter , I have had to be gradually stepped up from a 20fr to a 26fr because of all the solid's I pass . Be a where that a 24fr is 7/16 of an inch across . The next size in the tool kit is half an inch across . In metric that's 11mm and 13mm respectively . {I'm at 12mm now} .

It kind of sound's like you are doing this for you're enjoyment . It's ok . Just be a where of things you need to do so as not to embarrass you're self when done . After a week or so with a catheter in , Have a diaper handy just in case of leaking when it's removed . understand if you get constipated from the balloon being too large KEEP YOU"RE PENIS AWAY FROM ENEMA EQUIMENT. , Get something to keep the catheter from "pulling" , Like it's trying to pull it's self out with out deflating the balloon . I use a leg lock . It has a clip that hold's the catheter at the Y . Just letting it hang can cause problems ,,,,,,,BAD PROBLEMS,,,,,, Like the balloon "popping" out of you're bladder and into the back side of you're prostate , Or even tearing you open inside . How do I know this ???? I have had one nurse that didn't inflate the balloon enough and it "popped" {that's what it felt like} . I can't describe the pain . Be a where of what you are doing . Understand that if you screw this up you are flirting with full time incontinence .

I know I have gone on with this for far too long . But I can't emphasize enough the danger you are playing with . At the hands of nurses , I mean real nurses . Not play nurses, I have been damaged inside and had so many bladder infection's that I can't count now .

@nytwatch1

I’m not sure if I’m explaining it well, the relaxing I don’t think is spasm, I’ve felt those, I’m moreso talking about normally, holding your bladder when you have to pee, you clench down on that muscle. I find with a catheter in, I clench down on it often without meaning to. If I totally relax then I do get a spasm and try to push it out. So I’m wondering if others have this?

@M82a1 With a catheter in correctly It won't matter how much you try not to. You will pee as much as you drink, there isn't any holding back. If you can hold any back then it's not in all the way. When inserting it make sure the Y is touching the meatus, that in no way any more can be inserted. Keep it there until balloon is inflated then ease it out until it's seated and no urine will pass around the outside of the catheter.

At that time strap a leg catch to you're leg {works best on my right leg for me} Clip in the catheter so it can't be pulled out inadvertly. Now attach you're drain bag. Next pull penis back exposing as much catheter as possible, add non petroleum lube to meatus and pull penis up onto the catheter .

Hay I'm getting good at this !!!!!!!!!!!