Currently cathed?

Have experienced a new problem with long term catheter use. Where I live, and in most of the area around we have hard water. Over time it clog's up hot water heaters, Kills coffee pots, line's the dog water bowl. It doesn't taste bad at all but I have found that with long term catheter use (like me) it causes calcium carbonate to build up to the point of clogging the catheter, the drain hose, the anti reflux valve an basically everything.

When the catheter is removed because it's plugged it feels like razor blades being pulled out. Now I know most of you do not live with well water but with city water .Even so it's good to be aware of what's in you're water.

If it's what's allowable for safe drinking water but you are now using it to say bladder flush and now you have a U.T.I. Yeah could be the water, If you get white calcium deposits in you're swamp cooler ? Yeah it might be the water, If you have to clean the coffee pot with vinegar every week and even that doesn't work all the time ? Yeah the water. My well has been tested twice, It comes out on the high end of purity. I have one of the best well's for miles around BUT It took almost a year to find out that it has so high of calcium carbonate that it causes problems. (Thank god I don't live in Flint Mish.). My advice is use purified bottled water for just about everything when you are catheterized just "because". As it is, my water content of calcium carbonate is so high I have to bladder flush weekly, sometimes more.

Oh you have city water ? how high is the lead content ? How high is the bacteria content ? what's allowable as "safe" for drinking just might hurt you.

@nytwatch1

You forgot the Cadmium, mercury & micro plastics 😁

And nearly missed this one going forward i suspect you can add Lithium (in all modern tech products) and Cobalt

@That_Australian that's where I'm lucky, My water is ground/well water. This area has the best drinking water for almost 200 miles around. My last place in Fallon Nevada I had to truck in my drinking water 100 gallons at a time. Only about 300 or 400 people in town here have "city" water. A few thousand people out here are all on well water.

Imagine to my suprise at finding I'm pissing almost pure limestone ? I mean chunks, bit's and pieces and sand. Is it any wonder that I was in a lot of pain ? Or that I had to keep getting larger and larger catheter's ?... All because of "hard" water. And yes, the local Doc's and NP's so ignorant about it, It took a year to figure it out. But when you think about it, so simple.

Cruelty wearing a FR24 and cooking outside inserted yesterday will wear until Sunday evening and my wife will take the bull by horns and take care of business …it’s so nice to be retired …… the longest have since I retired is a week been really nice….

Am now hospitalized with head injury, brain bleeding on right side, they changed my catheter here even though I didn't need to be changed. It was surprisingly erotic although a bit fast. The first two days here they didn't think I was going to make it. Are we having fun yet ? Been here at Reno Renown 4 days now, must be serious. Am learning to do this on my phone

Positive thoughts for you and for a speedy - and complete - recovery @nytwatch1 !! 🌹

@Rigel Got my laptop delivered. Also had an enema while wearing a catheter. A first ... Been hospitalized now 5 days with no bowel movement, next rehab and therapy. I guess Nursing Home rehab tomorrow. Head hurts, extreme brain bleed on right side and frontal lobe, large gash on top of head, 14 staples. Been in ct scanner so many times i lost count.

Know this isn't the right thread to post on, but please forgive me. Head hurts too much to hunt down the right one. Someone changed my catheter I think two days ago Brain injury is funny, could remember day before yesterday, can remember remembering it !!! can't remember it now. I am in Reno Renown Hospital and the nurses are kind and caring. They weren't sure i was going to make it the first night, still touch and go, head really hurts.

@nytwatch1 Give rehab your all, the early days after a brain injury count! Looked it up and Renown Health care is top notch, youre in good hands. Hang in there, we're looking forward to your next blog about riding your quads!!!

Am now at Alpine nursing home . Not a lot of confidence in them .First thing they put a diaper on me over my catheter . What the hell . Second No ac . Do they know that I can get a U.T.I. from the diaper ? They didn't even put it on correctly . Not tight enough or diaper rash cream applied . Every one's in a rush and short on temper . Drain bag is plugged up . I think I have to do it myself . Head hurts when I bend down . Throbs terrible . I would go home IF I I could . I take better care of myself by my self.

@nytwatch1 I'd start raising hell! Our experience(s) have been that the staff at rehab hospitals isn't necessarilly the "top of their class" and if they are doing things you deem unnecessary (like a diaper over your cath, not checking the drain bag, etc.) you can refuse treatment and tell them what needs to be done. If you feel they are putting you at risk for a UTI or what ever - SOUND OFF!!

Finally a nurse that listens to me. She is a night RN In charge of emergency med's. I explained to her that when the hair stands up on my arms and I can see sediment in my drain hose I have to flush my bladder, and that leads to a splitting headache where i think my left eye is going to pop out.

Don't treat the pain and ignore the bladder flush !!!!!!

Wonderful lady. I have to close my left eye to see without double vision.

OK OK. Back on topic, I explained to her that I have lived with a catheter for a year and the doc will shove one into you and not explain how to take care of it. Like bladder flushing or penis chaffing or the stat lock that keeps the catheter from pulling.

She saw how it plugged up as 600 cc's of water went in but only 30 cc's came out. How I had to remain calm and add another 100 cc's to break it free.

Yes she held my knee and offered moral support though all this. She watched as chunks and pieces and blood clots floated up, the result of not being able to bladder flush for a week.

And people wonder why I yell Get off my lawn.

Experiencing for the first time, as of right now!!! 16fr 30cc(inflated to 10cc), first few minute feel kinda weird, bladder spasm I suppose, feeling to try to pee constantly. will try to keep it a few hours. next order will need to be a bigger size, look so tiny in the urethra, (18fr or maybe 20fr).

being "practicing" with external catheter for a while. so the whole things don't feel as weird as some. Gotta switch to one of those after, for the "cool-down".

It's only been a week since my last catheter change, but with all that is going on here {still at rehab/nursing home} 'Debris' has gotten past the balloon and is now in my penis. Only one nurse does a bladder flush often enough or toughly enough to do me any good. Now I will need to change catheters again. I was told only night RN's do the catheter changes.

One of them (there are three) a male nurse is so clueless he scares me. This guy woke me up at two in the AM to question me about bowel movements !!!!!!! and couldn't understand that I use the fact that I have a 30cc balloon basically plugging me up to control my self. I must have tried to explain it four or five times that when I feel bruised inside i partly deflate the balloon and go / take a dump. I flatly refuse to let him change my catheter !!!! He has no clue what he's doing, nor does he care or want to learn.

I would rather invite one or more nurses that want to learn and then teach them how to change one properly.

I voiced my concerns to the lead nurse, she agreed with me. So I had my catheter changed yesterday, she took her time, Yes it was a little painful as it came out but as it was dragging sharp bladder debris it was expected. She didn't just "shove" the new one in either, she had a firm grasp (which was needed), remarked how much deeper she had to Insert my catheter before balloon inflation, It took three try's to get it in deep enough. She and I were both relieved when it was done. She remarked how past nurses had screwed it up so bad that i now have blind spots and dead ends that the catheter needs to "find it's way".

It didn't happen then, but I awoke with a raging hard on this am. I mean one that as an old man I am proud of. But damnit I can't do anything with it !!!!!

Good lord It was the full nine inches of my past glory. All because a kind nurse handled me with care.

I cath'ed this morning and will stay cath'ed at least until well into next week. 18fr with a 5cc balloon, leg bag and bed bag

I cath'ed this morning and will stay cath'ed at least until well into next week. 18fr with a 5cc balloon, leg bag and bed bag

This is a great decision.I don't want to miss my catheter and so I wear the catheter permanent. Have fun with the catheter 👍 Enjoy this time.

Im 29 and currently wearing a 16Fr for fun. I think I will leave it in for a couple of days. Love the feeling of being cathed, I just don't know if there is any caths longer than 16in as it barely goes out of my penis so it's hard to attach to my leg strap. Anyone knows if and where I can get 20in cath somewhere ? It must exist. I like long term wear so it would be nice to get a little longer one.

Im 29 and currently wearing a 16Fr for fun. I think I will leave it in for a couple of days. Love the feeling of being cathed, I just don't know if there is any caths longer than 16in as it barely goes out of my penis so it's hard to attach to my leg strap. Anyone knows if and where I can get 20in cath somewhere ? It must exist. I like long term wear so it would be nice to get a little longer one.

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The larger catheters tend to be longer and the silicone ones tend to be shorter. Right now In me is a 26fr and there is 6 inches between meatus and the Y when flaccid, although it feels like the Y is being pulled inside me when I get the rare erection (the older I get the more rare)

Also it depends on where and how you're body retains the balloon. That won't be the same every time, as you catheterize more often your bladder will tend to shrink and the balloon will tend to seat deeper in your bladder making you're problem worse. Unless there is trauma such as unintended tugging that tears the bladder sphincter.

I have known men that through dementia ... or frustration ... just had to get it out and pulled it out ALL THE WAY OUT !! I have had nurses that didn't realize they weren't in far enough when inflating the balloon tearing me open inside, or not deflating the balloon properly and then doing damage pulling it out. Or the larger balloons don't deflate completely ... they wrinkle ..... And you think a U.T.I. is all you have to worry about ????

I will be tonight 😀😈

I'm cathed 24/7/365 because I love it. I use fr 24 .

Cathed myself tonight, 18 Fr 30 cc balloon. Currently on a bedside drainage bag, I may switch to a leg bag tomorrow.

Question, how does everyone know when it’s ok to move up to the next Fr size?

I self-cath myself with a straight catheter 4-6 times a day. Have been doing this for the past 10+ years.

When i was a child i got viral meningitis . Was in hospital for weeks . Not so much from the meningitis but because they had put a cath in me and the virus had left me with grand mall seizures and during one the cath got ripped out and i developed a bad UTI and needed IV antibiotics . It also left me incontinent after that .

I'm not currently cathed but my mate Gerry likes to cath me using a 16FR but whats weird I he enjoys and so do I is I wear my underwear whilst cathed and Gerry loves the sight of me leaking urine without control and especially when out hiking, he likes it as my shorts get wet with leakage down my legs and I have to take my shorts off leaving him to enjoy my wet airtex y-fronts.

Eventually, he will slip my y-fronts off, remove the catheter and sucks me off with all the taste he enjoys.

@Toonces if your leaking around your cath, it’s too small, as for moving up from there, it’s really a try and see, I’ve been able to go to a 22-26-30 over a matter of days. The key is, listen to yourself, if it’s painful it’s too big, lots of lube, and go slow

Thanks. I’m just getting back to cathing again after taking a break. That’s why I started with 18. But I do have 20 fr as well. I’ve never gone beyond 20 though.

Been a while, wanting sleep so put one in.

This forum seems dead, where is everyone?

@M82a1 I'm still here just in a nursing home due to a head wound , Just had my catheter changed last night ,,, It was plugged up from me passing bladder debrie and bladder stone's {very painful ,,,} They prescribed OxyContin every 6 hours ,

How long have I had my catheter in? It's going on to two years now ,,,, How large is it ??? 26fr . I have resisted letting my doc putting in a larger one ,,,,

This one , I was sounded first to stretch me open then it was "fitted" to me ,, For the longest time ,,, every once in a while it felt like some one gave me an atomic wedgie only it was inside me . Because of all the solid's I pass I need my catheter changed every two weeks , When I tell you that I piss sand and gravel ,,,, I am not exaggerating !!

Currenty have a FR26 in and love it will keep it in until Monday the weekend is play time I have a question about Catheters i ordered some and they are a bright yellow color I don't know what they are made of but my body does not like. I have like a allergic reaction very uncomfortable so i remove it and insert a new one that is is the color like to old folders we had years ago .and wear it all weekend feels great any one else have this same problem Thanks

So at last got some time to myself, in this holiday season.

Few months back, had tried a 16fr, it wasn't that comfortable. Was moving too much inside aka too small.

Few days ago, tried a 18fr, feel better not completely okay tbh.

Now got a 20fr inside, man it feel pretty much like nothing. Much more enjoyable, can forego a longer session incoming.

So the final word, is find the size that fit you best.