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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Prostate BPH / March 2004self inserted catheter
Hi Ken, I was instructed by a nurse at the hospital where my uro practices (this was all done on his orders). I was prepared to walk out if I didn't think I could do it. She was really good -- first let me vent about all my fears and reservations about self-cath and then proceeded to tell me how to do it, step by step. I thot at first I was just going to get verbal instruction, but then she demonstrated it on me and then had me show her that I could actually do it. I never thot i would be able to self-cath (sent shivers up my spine when I first heard of it) -- but now its quite simple for me. And, it is not complicated at all. But get some professional instruction as its not something you should learn by doing (Don't try this at home, kids!). The hospital gave me the supplies I needed -- a urethral catheter size 14FR X 16" and some sample tubes of KY Jelly -- gratis! If you need to buy a catheter yourself I suppose a medical supply store would be the place to go. I understand catheters come in other sizes, but I have never tried anything else. I have since tried other types of KY lubricants (bot from any drugstore) -- I tried the Liquid and the Gel, but have been most satisfied with the Jelly. Hope this helps. Bruce > Hi Ken, > [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > Bruce Hi Bruce, Ive been doing self catheterisation for about three weeks now and like you got instruction from the urology nurse and have found it far easier than i thought it would be with very little discomfort and have got into a routine now where I can complete the procedure in a few minutes, I have been using Lofric Plus single use catheters and found them ok,they come in individual sterile packs that you tear at the top, add some cold water to,that activates the self lubricant on the catheter and then do the job,afterwards dispose of in the bin. Here is a couple of informative web sites Best regards Jim www.astratechuk.com www.astratechusa.com >> Hi Ken, >> [quoted text clipped - 47 lines] > > www.astratechusa.com Can you tell me how long is the catheter and how do you know when it has reached your bladder please? Also how often do you have to do it please? pete > >> Hi Ken, > >> [quoted text clipped - 53 lines] > Also how often do you have to do it please? > pete Hi Pete; I hesitate to answer your questions because I think they should be handled by a trained medical person. I think personnel at a clinic or an ER would be the best ones to help you. Bruce > > >> Hi Ken, > > >> [quoted text clipped - 60 lines] > > Bruce Hi Pete, Like Bruce I agree you should consult a trained person to get individual advice about your own condition as they will probably want to monitor your progress,and you would need to get them to prescribe the catheters. In my own case the catheters are about 40cm.in length and a No 14,which seems to be about 5mm dia. As for knowing when it reaches the bladder,I start peeing! Check out the web sites I posted before they have a FAQ page which gives out general info about catheters Regards Jim >> pete <peterturtill@hotmail.com> wrote in message >news:<694i40lhngjd0i0r8tirn7ke502omh0718@4ax.com>... [quoted text clipped - 82 lines] >sites I posted before >they have a FAQ page which gives out general info about catheters Hi Jim, I did check out those web sites and that is what made me ask the questions;-) pete > >> pete <peterturtill@hotmail.com> wrote in message > >news:<694i40lhngjd0i0r8tirn7ke502omh0718@4ax.com>... [quoted text clipped - 86 lines] > the questions;-) > pete Hi Pete, Regarding about how many times daily,I am at present doing it 3 times , once first thing in the morning,once last thing at night and once somewhere in between,I am doing that on the advice of the specialist nurse. Originally I had my prostate laser turped(not PVP)Dec 2003 but found I was retaining about 500ml.after passing urine.I had no sensation of a full bladder in fact I was quite pleased that when I was passing urine it was a good flow but never a large quantity but always felt empty.It was when I went to the routine post op. clinic and was ultra sound scanned that I found out that I was retaining a lot of urine,my bladder over the years must have been stretched and lost its ability to empty completely. I had been using an indwelling catheter for four months before my op.as I had went into total retention and that had given me a lot of bother , discomfort , recurring bladder infections and it was getting me down. So when the clinic wanted me to be catheterised again I was,nt very happy about it.so they suggested self catheterisation which I decided to try,I am glad I did ,in fact I am sorry I had,nt been doing before my op, it might have helped the condition of my bladder. Any way I expect to be using catheters for some time as I think it will take a long time for my bladder to recover its tone,if ever. At least I am in control of my bladder to some extent and will not go through the agony of total retention again without the ability to relieve it. Regards Jim. >Hi Pete, >Regarding about how many times daily,I am at present doing it 3 times , once [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] >through the agony of total >retention again without the ability to relieve it. Thanks Jim for an informative post. I am still in the position where I can weigh up my options and that is why I am asking so many questions. Your post has answerred quite a few of my questions thanks. pete >> Can you tell me how long is the catheter and how do you know when it >> has reached your bladder please? [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >handled by a trained medical person. I think personnel at a clinic or >an ER would be the best ones to help you. Yes Bruce if I was contemplating doing it I would seek instruction first but I am trying to understand what may be in front of me. Sorry I took some time to answer but I have just had 36 hours in the local hospital with angina thankfully. I thought it was another heart attack. pete > Yes Bruce if I was contemplating doing it I would seek instruction > first but I am trying to understand what may be in front of me. Sorry > I took some time to answer but I have just had 36 hours in the local > hospital with angina thankfully. I thought it was another heart > attack. > pete Hi Pete; Glad to hear it was not a heart attack! You have enuf problems dealing with prostate issues. Also glad to hear that you would get instruction before self-cathing yourself. In that case, I'll give you a brief description of how I do it -- First, wash hands and penis with ordinary hand soap. My nurse said that we are dealing with a clean, but not sterile, environment. Then cover the first three inches of the catheter with KY Jelly for lubrication. The catheter I use is 16" long but I estimate only about 12" is actually inside -- and you will not feel anything for the first 6" and then only a mild stinging. When you reach the bladder urine flows out of the catheter -- you insert slowly so it is quite appaarent when you reach the bladder. If you are using the catheter to keep the passage open, you then slowly withdraw the catheter. If to empty the bladder, leave it in place until urine stops flowing -- you need a small receptacle to receive it. The whole thing takes 3-5 minutes, max. Afterwards, clean the catheter (unless using one of the single-use types) with hand soap and white vinegar. I make sure to drink at least 8 oz of cranberry juice each day to guard against bladder infection. That's it! Piece of cake! Bruce >> Yes Bruce if I was contemplating doing it I would seek instruction >> first but I am trying to understand what may be in front of me. Sorry [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >Glad to hear it was not a heart attack! You have enuf problems >dealing with prostate issues. Thanks Bruce. I am not a stranger to hospitals any longer unfortunately:-( >Also glad to hear that you would get instruction before self-cathing >yourself. In that case, I'll give you a brief description of how I do [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > >That's it! Piece of cake! That 16" bit made my eyes water but after reading this ng I am begining to see things differently. How often does this procedure have to be done Bruce? pete > That 16" bit made my eyes water but after reading this ng I am > begining to see things differently. How often does this procedure have > to be done Bruce? > pete Pete, That depends on why you are doing it and your doctor's advice. If you self-cath to empty your bladder cuz you are blocked, then, obviously, whenever you have to go. If you self-cath to keep the passage open so you can pee on your own, then it will depend on your doctor's instruction -- I don't know what is common, but I suspect once or twice a day. Again, only do this under medical supervision. Regards, Bruce >> That 16" bit made my eyes water but after reading this ng I am >> begining to see things differently. How often does this procedure have [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] >Regards, >Bruce Thanks again Bruce. I shall not attempt anything without my GP saying that I should do it. I just wanted to know my options. Regards pete Does anyone know if self-catheterization shortens one's life? Do people do it for 20-30 years with no injuries? Just wondered. |
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