Hi Carole I started ISC in September and it has changed my life, for the good! No UTIs since then - fingers crossed. Do you use a mirror with a stand? I put it on a child’s plastic step and can easily see and have hands free for everything else. I hope you manage OK. It i’s so fab when it works! Teresa xx
I received some very good advice on here; as I was finding self catheterising very difficult at first. Now it has become apart of life and my bladder seems to be behaving itself, (touch wood), every time I say that I have an accident.
I’m glad you were able to laugh about it though it does help if you can!
Hi, my urologist said I have to self catheratise four times a day. This was after having a urethral catheter plus ‘lovely’ leg bag for a month ( I would probably have agreed to anything after that experience!). I struggled and struggled, made myself bleed and kept giving up. I rang the coloplast help line who suggested using a small Speedicath compact catheter which they sent me samples of. After trying a few times I managed to do it one handed (my left hand doesn’t work very well) without too much trouble. I would suggest getting various samples of catheters and you should eventually find one thing that suits you. The idea of having to do this completely freaked me out but two months on I now realise how much better I am feeling by being in control of my bladder instead of the other way round! Keep laughing, it usually helps! X
The tip with the mirror that Teresa mentioned is the way to go. Once you recognise it you’ll be fine. It is usually surprisingly high up. Just don’t try poking the cath too high… that really hurts!
And another tip is if you do get it in the wrong place, leave it there while you try again. At least that way you won’t keep going up the wrong hole
Are you using a teensy bit of KY jelly on the tip of the catheter? Only dip the tip into the tube of KY a tiny way, a couple of millimetres only or you will have zero control of things but a tiny bit of lube makes life a lot easier too.
Keep perservering, you will get the hang of it and believe it or not pretty soon you will be doing it with your eyes shut. I can do it as easily as popping a tampon in now… but it did take a bit of practice
And it is such a relief to not have to do the mad, wobbly dash to the bathroom any more or dribbling away constantly. At least now I can go out knowing I won’t embarrass myself.
Oh it’s fun all this MS stuff isn’t it? I am border line on the old urine retention and pop to see ‘bladder’ nurse again at the end of next month. She did stress what you have been told as well. “It’s bad to have urine retention for MS people. You get UTIs and kidney infections”. So after several weeks of bladder scans I had the old drop yer trousers and poke it up yer session back in August.
She tried it on me once and I have never tried it since (so far) because she gave me my very first UTI! It took several water samples and umpteen visits to the GP over 3 months before they kindly decided to give me antibiotics to put me out my misery.
I did post a few weeks ago for some advice on techniques as I was concerned if the ‘bladder’ nurse can give me a UTI what chance have I got? Unfortunately, I got zero response on any help for this one. Maybe because I’m a bloke? I don’t know?
Anyway, I do sympathise with you but you made me smile with your Simon Cowell wink. Yes he does it as well if he likes your act. LOL!
wen i get a ms nurse(eventually) do i talk to her about my accidents? i dont have a problem not going to the loo, i have a problem with accidents going on and i cant stop them, its got to the point now where how do i say it…theres too much and the incontinence pads dont work, i need to keep taking a spare pair of undies n trousers every where i go now, im too embaressed to talk to my dr again as i had a water test done to count out infections n that came out all clear, but the next time i asked the dr he just looked at me like im too young for this to happen, now im to embarrassed to talk to them again
Some doctors make me so angry (but some are brill) its not an easy thing to talk about to anyone. But yes speak to your ms nurse when you have one. Soon i hope. They can atleast point you in the right direction or call urologist’s reception and get an appointment? hope it all works out for you.