Hello folks,
My wife’s due for her first Supra pubic catheter change on Friday. The catheters been in for approaching it’s 13th week and long story boring it’s been a struggle to get an appointment for the change (hospital side not ours).
She’s to go to general outpatients on Friday. The nurse that called yesterday asked if she was mobile. Informed her my wife needs a full hoist and we use a bog standard manaual wheel chair. According to the nurse that was fine they would change the catheter with her in the wheel chair just to make sure she wore joggy trousers. My reply was “are you sure” to which she confirmed they do this routinley.
Having slept on it and waking at 05:00 this morning with a"that don’t sound right" feeling I was wondering if anyone else with a SPC in a similar situation has had it changed that way?
Can’t for the life of me work out how they can remove catheter, straps, leg bag etc and replace with new when she’s sitting up with her trousers on let alone get easy access to the entry site itself!
Many thanks.
Hi,
I have an spc and can’t imagine that to be correct. I have mine changed at home, I have a profile bed where i lay fully out and they raise it to a height that is good for them, so I can not imagine having it done in my wheelchair, the angles are all wrong. I also have a little gut which tends to hang over the site when I am sat down so access would be hard!
It would certainly be easier for all if your wife was laid down and they should have all the hoists etc available.
Thanks for your replies,
It’s all been a bit of a debacle. It was meant to be changed last week but we got a letter 3 weeks ago cancelling that appt & putting it back to late March!! Obviously no good unless they wanted to leave it in for 20 odd weeks. It’s taken 5 phone calls over the last 2 weeks to finally get her in on Friday.
My wife had an indwelling catheter for over a year and all changes were done by District Nurses on the profiling bed at home. I understand the SPC is plumbed differently but don’t get how trying to get access to change it sitting in a wheelchair is going to be easy or comfortable for my wife especially as the catheter is now in 12 weeks plus.
My wifes in her day chair just now wearing joggy’s and having just tried to see the catheter site for myself that’s difficult enough let alone attemting to change it.
I’m starting to think I must have misunderstood the nurse!
The appointment she had for last week was at the spinal injury outpatient dept which sounds as though it would be geared up for hoisting etc. Friday’s appt is at General Outpatients with a urology nurse.
Anyway waiting for a call back from the consultants secretary to “clarify” the situation and see how we go from there.
Take care.
Hello, now not wanting alarm you, but feel I must, none of this 1st change sounds at all right luv.
I had an spc fitted last July, so feel my experience may be of use to you.
I was told my 1st change had to be in hospital at 8 weeks.
I actually had it done at home by a district nurse at 6 weeks, because I was going on holiday a week later and the hospital couldnt fit me in, and it went fine. The next change was done at 10 weeks. It had got tight inside and was a swine to remove and yes, it hurt like hell. The nurse said 10 weeks was too long and all changes after that, would be done at 6 weeks. They have been good, except for a little instance when I went ooo and ahh. But nothing really to worry about.
I also have a profiling bed and am hoisted. I need to lie almost flat to have my spc cleaned and dressed each day.
I simply cannot see how it could be changed in a seated psoition.
How on earth can it be assured to go into the bladder?
Think you are going to have to be a bit bolshy with the hospital.
luv Pollx
OH dear!!
As someone who has had a SPC for 19yrs - and lots of experience - l know that if mine is left more then 5 weeks then it becomes difficult to change. The balloon part gets crystallised and causes traum to the site when being removed. The district nurses do mine at home - and they always use cathegell to numb the area first.
l don’t want to alarm you - but do be prepared for this cath change to be difficult. l do hope l am wrong. Perhaps in hospital they will be able to give your wife some ‘gas and air’.
This situation should never have happened. So l do hope all does go well for your wife. But please make sure that in future your district nurse has her ‘booked in’ every 6 weeks at the most.
My DN’s did use to come in pairs - just in case there was a problem. Now- after all this time - they confident to come on their own. Now - l do think l could have it changed whilst sitting down - haven’t tried it - but do think it is possible. But for a first change then certainly not.
l have the short length catheter - and l use bags without tubing - direct contact valve. So no tubing and no kinking - and no straps to keep the bag on my leg. All fits nice and neat inside my underwear - with just a lace tied around my waist. When the DN comes to change it - all l do is undo the zip of my jeans - and untie the lace. lts easy-peasy. Do try this system with your wife. Makes it much easier when transferring from w/chair as there is no drag on the catheter site. And so easy to empty as well.
As Poll knows - it does get easier - and even she found it not so bad as she thought it would be.
Best wishes to your wife - we shall all have our fingers crossed.
Thanks all for your advice,
Vented my frustration to the consultants secretary. My wife had an appt to get it changed at the 11 week mark. That didn’t particularly worry me. The catheter has behaved itself, no blockages, discomfort or increase in UTI over the indwelling catheter my wife had for a year prior to the SPC. In my head I am used to catheters (indwelling) which pretty much held out to the 8-12 week mark. We were aware that unlike indwelling the first change is done in hospital (the DN’s wouldn’t touch it).
Problem came about when the appt was cancelled and put back to the end of March. The cancellation letter came through over 2 weeks ago and it’s taken that time to get them to realise she needs another appt well before then because it needs changing. That has pushed us into the 13th week which has obviously become of greater concern.
I asked for the nurse who’s doing the change to contact me again to explain the “change in the chair”. She came back to me and I made our concerns quite clear. However she confirmed that it’s not unusual and she frequently does first changes in the wheelchair. This does not tend to cause problems. I was reassured that she would take our concerns into account and if there was any doubt over being able to do this as easily and comfortably as possible for my wife then they would look at hoisting her into a more suitable position.
I must admit she listend well, appeared to appreciate our concerns and seemed to have my wifes comfort fully in mind. So we shall see how it all goes on the day. After that the DN’s will get a prod to put in place a suitable timescale for future changes.
If you’d said to me 10 years ago I would know so much about pee, poo & catheters…I’d have replied cathi what??
Take Care.