never let your left hand know what your right one`s doing......

Hi, well the good old NHS has given me fun today.

Some of you may recall my mention of a stabbing pain in my tum…about 4 inches to the right of my suprapubic catheter entry site. Ive had it on and off since the spc was fitted.....6 weeks ago.....sometimes worse than others. It doesnt like travelling in the van either.

I have mentioned it to district nurses a few times and they dont seem too concerned about it. But last night when I turned onto my side in bed…whoa! did it chuffin` stab me! The pain continued for a while and I was very worried.

I rang the hospital ward today, where it was fitted and explained. I asked if it ought to be changed. The date for my first change was 3rd Sept…almost 9 weeks from the op. When I was discharged the doc said I should come back in 6 weeks for the change. The 1st change HAD to be in hospital.

But my discharge form said 8.5 weeks. Well that would take it to just 4 days before my holiday and I wanted to be sure it was working well before that. When I mentioned that, I was told the date was the soonest I could be fitted in to the clinic. So I reluctantly accepted the date.

Anyway in todays call, I spoke to a staff nurse who asked if the district nurses had changed or tried to push the catheter further in? Eeek! I cringed at that thought! They hadnt!

The staff nurse spoke to the registrar, who said I should see my GP, incase it was nothing to do with the catheter.

I rang the surgery and the receptionist said the doctor wouldnt know about catheters and I should ring the district nurses. Deep breath…ok. I did that and explained all over again. The nurse who answered the phone said they wouldnt do either and it was up to the hospital to do something. I asked if she would ring the ward and see what she could find out for me.

Next the district nurse rang back, saying one of them was coming to change it!!! Eh? As I put the phone down, nurse Maxine walked in to our house!

Well I didn`t have 2 mins to think about it or get nervous, Max whipped the old spc out and put a new one in…all done…no pain…no tugging or twisting just an odd feeling of pressure in my belly and bladder. Easy!

So there you go…job done…but such a rigmaroll to get it sorted, eh?

I was quite worried about my 1st change, as others here have had some awful problems.

Now I feel at ease and cant forget it and enjoy my hols mext month. My next spc change is in 10 weeks.

As for the stabbing pain, it isnt present right now, but if it returns, I will speak to my GP about it.

luv Pollxx

What a palava poll! I’m site that the hospitals and doctors don’t talk to each other and just pass the buck to each other all the time! Glad that it didn’t seem too bad when they changed it and hopefully it will be more comfortable now. Hugs x

correction…

i meant to say I can forget it not cant`.

pollx

So pleased for you Poll. I told you there was nothing to worry about. Anne x

Glad your feeling better Poll, I know you can’t treat all medical staff the same way but you’d think some-one with an on-going medical condition who is experiencing unusual pain would produce a more concerned response. Thank the Lord for District Nurses

take care of yourself

Kelly xx

Now you are ‘on the list’ for the district nurses - never worry about calling them if you have a problem - or feel you would like the cath changed more frequently. Mine just phone about 15mins before they arrive - and yes it means that you do not have time to get worried.

As you know - mine is changed every 5 weeks. lt is better for me and them.

Oh Polly, I’m so glad that worked out so well and easily for you!

Now’s probably the time to tell you that I’m a bit squeamish and I knew you had the op but intentionally don’t know the exact details of what the catheter op actually is… I started to sweat reading your post just now, honestly!

I’m actually quite scared of hospitals too, I think the idea of any surgery is something that panics me, it’s one of the reasons I just cannot understand why so many people have cosmetic surgery these days - eeek! I will always have very small boobies cos the idea of someone wielding a blade (no matter how skillfully) near them, NO WAY!!!

I know I need to man-up a little and I think I’ve some a long way on that score already… the blood tests don’t require 5 mins lay-down and a glass of water these days, I can even talk to the nurse whilst she’s drawing it now pulls a weak smile Seriously, I remeber doing the ‘no I’m fine’ once before and the nurse coming after me to stop me bouncing on the walls in the corridor lol.

I really admire that you’re so brave over this stuff Poll, it scares me silly!

Sonia x

Thanks for your replies.

Sonia…thankyou for sharing your fears with me. Just to make you cringe a bit more…20 years ago, after a huge deliberate weight loss, I had an op to lift and reduce my boobs. yeh, a big op that was, but worthwhile at the time. I know I wouldnt be having cosmetic surgery again tho`!

Frances…I do have a good relationship with the district nurses, as |I have called them and had visits many times. But I cant imagine how theyd react if I asked for a catheter change before the regular 10 weeks again. Hopefully, I wont need it. I am wondering if the pain I had was because my bladder was so chronically inflamed, when the spc op was done. It probably needed a lot of scrubbing clean! We dont know how they knock us about when were out of it, eh?

pollxx

The district [angels] nurses - are always willing to help - bless them. They were here in minutes when l got into difficulties - the cath was too far in and had blocked my uretha. So l could not pass water at all. Now l know ‘don’t panic’. All it needs is a gentle twist and ease back out. And if the balloon end gets ‘sucked’ via the little holes into the side of the bladder wall it is uncomfortable. You will soon be very ‘au fait’ - with it all l know.

Yeh, I find I am recommending spcs already!

pollxx