Hi everyone
would appreciate your advice please, I have bladder urgency with trouble getting to the loo quick enough, after an op last September I was fitted with a Urethral (Indwelling) Catheter which 8 months later I still have one(don’t ask why would take too longer to explain) anyway I would like to change this to a Suprapubic Catheter, has anyone had experienced these and would you recommend I move to the Suprapubic?
thanks Amazon lady
Hi,
l have had a supra-pubic catheter for 20yrs. lt has been a god-send to me and at the time the only solution on offer. lts a much better system then a urethral one - and the risk of uti’s much less. Some people with bladder urgency have Botox injections - this does help but you do need to self-catheterise. lf your mobility is bad - then of course a SPC would be the answer. A SPC is frequently used by the disabled who cannot get to a loo and find it difficult to transfer from wheelchair to the loo. And of course it can be emptied easily whilst sitting down/in bed or even in a car. So it has its obvious advantages.
lts so much easier for a man to pee when out - and the SPC will give you the same advantage. There is a couple of good websites about SPC’s. One is healthtalkonline.org Living with an indwelling catheter Chronic Health issues. And one called Streetsie - which is US based. Very informative knowledge of a SPCs.
l do not wear mine the way the urology team advise. l have a short length female cath - directly connected to a bag - so no tubing. l tie the bag with a lace around my waist and the lot sits nice and comfy and smooth inside my stretchy short style nix. [tescos] This way l have no tubing to get kinked and cause blocking. l have no drag on the cath site. When you strap around your leg the bag it is uncomfortable and very visible. Everytime you move it is pulling and is painful. Also, l like to wear my tight jeans/leggings/shorts - and my way it does not show. And for night time l stay with the same - not connecting to a nightstand/bag. lt works - and it is comfortable - and secure the way l do it. My district nurses are now convinced that it works well and do share my idea with others.
To empty the bag - the way l wear it the tap end is on my hip. So it is very easy just to undo the top button of my jeans and take out the tap - you can empty straight into the loo or even into a plastic bottle. What ever is convenient at the time.
Every 5 weeks l have mine changed. Any longer it becomes more difficult to remove as crystalls build up on the tip. l am trying a new type of catheter. lt is called a Duette. Look on youtube for it - it shows how the foley cath can cause damage to the bladder wall. The Duette has two balloons - one on the tip. This buffers the end of the cath - prevents the drainage eyelets getting sucked into the bladder wall. Makes sense when you see it. Foley catheter design has not changed much in 70 yrs. The Duette is only available in US. lt has FDA approval but has not got its CE mark for export yet. l was fortunate to have a friend staying in Florida - and she was able to get a lot of samples for me. l contacted the company who make it and arranged for them to be picked up. They are a better catheter and hopefully it will not be long before they are over here for us. My ‘nurse’ would like to see them available in UK. She has lots of patients who she knows would benefit from this design.
ME AGAIN!
Just another thought - Betmiga is a new med for bladder incontinence - and might work well for you. Keep clear of oxybutinin. lt makes you feel so awful. And also LDN - one of its benefits is getting back some control.
And also is Sacral-Neuro-Modulation - new method of controlling bladder and bowel.
So all is not lost. The SPC does give you back a bit of self-esteem when you have had to be ‘nappied’ up. We don’t need anything else to make us feel ‘inadequate’. And it is completely reversible -
I had a urethral one for a few years and had a an infection nearly every month and was once hospitalised with septicaemia due to the catheter infection. TWO and a half years ago I had a supa pubic catheter fitted and in all that time had only one infection and that means only one lot of antibiotics in that time rather than once a month.
Don
Hi Spacejacket and Hoppity thank you so much for your information especial you Spacejacket it has put my mind to rest as I have been thinking about it for a while, and as today is the third time I’ve had to have another catheter fitted because they keep on falling out or accidently being pulled out by me,I know think after 8 months it’s about time I took control again, it has stopped me going out as the leg bag is a total faff and not only makes me feel self conscious but is uncomfortable, I will look at YouTube as you suggest and thank you both again,by the way do look at my blog site where I talk about my journey with MS
many thanks Amazonlady