Hello everyone,
I’ve not been in the Forum for a while but I thought I would touch base and let you know how I’ve been getting on (sounds a bit pompous I know but I hope you’ll all forgive me).
I’ve had an issue getting to the toilet in time/evacuating my bladder completely in the past and am now in a “catheter” stage of existing. Self catherisation was tried for a very short time (with disposable catheters) but unfortunately I was not a good enough student and developed a UTI and ended up in hospital (thank goodness for the NHS). So now I am using a long term catheter which provides a degree of freedom (yeah!) but also a new regime of getting myself ready for the day (less yeah).
So life is ok but I’m trying to get my head around all the change that happened so quickly. Trust everyone is ok and getting on with their MS journey (sorry for the trite ending to my message but I realised I’d banged on about myself for ages and then felt a bit awkward!).
Hi @Unsteady
Welcome back. I did have the waterworks problem last year, but this year I’ve decided to make a change to my diet, by cutting out caffeine/alcohol/fizzy drinks completely and now I no longer have the dribbles down below.
I’m getting out and about more this year, unlike last and my mobilty is much improved, it is true: if you don’t use it, you lose it.
I did think this is now the next phase of my MS progression, but I’m not so sure, I’m so determined to stave it off as long as I can.
Kind regards,
JP
Hi there. Absolutely no need to worry about ‘banging on’ about yourself. This is the place for sharing, off loading etc.
I expect many of us have experienced some bladder problems. Like you , when I need to pee - I do need to pee and get to the toilet quick. I get round this by making a point of going fairly frequently even if I don’t feel a need and by making sure there is always a toilet nearby - a real nuisance when going out.
Can I ask for future reference how are you getting on with the catheter? Is that one that is changed every few weeks by a nurse and is fed up to the bladder through ‘the old man’ or the other type (can’t remember what it’s called ) that drain directly from the bladder through a tube coming out through the lower abdomen. My Dad had the former and did get infections ( not sure why)
I agree - move as much as you can whilst you can. It sounds like you are taking some control back…so well done. Keep going because you seem in a much better place for it!
Thanks for the message. It’s lovely to hear from people in similar spaces.
So for me the disposable sigle use catheters were my first step down this path followed by my new long term catheter which the district nurse will replace in December. My wife and I are in discussion around the suprapubic catheter which goes in through the abdomen rather than my current route through the old chap but it takes forever for me to get my mind round things so who knows where I’ll land.
Just to say that today was one of those days when I could worry about having ‘an accident’ in public. I went for my Covid and Flu jabs and in the past this has sometimes involved waiting in a long queue (once going out of the building and down the street) getting increasingly anxious about needing the toilet. There are toilets there but asking someone to keep your place in the queue just brings added worry
So before settling off I first went for a pee and then hoped all would be well. Got to the centre and there was a queue of ………. 1. An enormously thankful me got my jabs, left the centre and my wife drove me home. Phew 
Wow…I totally feel your pain - I would have been totally stressed out with the worry but (like most things) it’s never as bad as the calamity we construct in our heads and more often than not it tends to work out ok.
That said well done (to you and your wife). Small adventures for some but massive epic ones for others. I appreciate how big that is!