I’ve had my second visit to the continence nurse and my second bladder scan. The medication has solved the frequency issues, but I’m still retaining too much urine. I’ve got another appointment in three weeks, but it looks like I am going to have to intermittent self catheterise. I know lots of you do, but I’m dreading this. How on earth can you manage when you can’t actually see what the heck you are doing. She talks about lying on the bed and using a bowl, but assuming I get the catheter in, I then can’t carry the bowl to the bathroom. She talked about putting a foot on the toilet seat, I can’t do that either, can’t get my foot up or balance. I"m getting stressed just thinking about it! Some encouragement pleeeeesee! Yvonne
I have been doing intermittent self catheterisation for a couple of years. I have always done it sitting on the toilet so the urine can go straight into the bowl. I’ve never seen the hole that I’m pushing the catheter into but I have felt around until it goes in. I have got it into the wrong hole a few times - maybe 10 in the time I’ve been doing it (which has varied from a couple of times a day at my worst, to not doing it for several weeks when things are going better with urine retention).
There’s no way I could carry a bowl of urine anywhere (I can’t carry a drink without spilling it) and no way I could put a foot up on the toilet seat either. My advice on self-catheterisation would be to try and be as relaxed about it as you can manage. You need to be able to do it once and then practise. Make sure you get the right catheter as well. The continence nurse who first taught me how to do it brought several different catheters to my house so I could try them and see which one I preferred.
Hope this helps - please PM me if you want to know more. It’s a bit of an embarrassing subject to share on the forum.
Hi Yvonne
I have been self catheterising for around 3 years now.
I remember being scared stiff about not getting it right and I did have a few tears.
My MS Nurse showed me a diagram of where the right little hole is and this really helped. Google where to put the catheter and it will be easier for you.
It is in front of the other larger hole and is small.
I don’t get the lie on the bed theory. I sit on the loolike sewingchick says. Feels more natural if I am sat on the loo.
Hope it goes well for you. It is nice to self catheterise if you are gonna watch a long movie etc as if you cathterise before you start the film you should be ok til the film finishes. There a bit of positive news for you.
Good luck.
Shazzie xx
Hi - I can only echo what sewing chick says above.
On my very first go, I got it in straight away - the nurse was very impressed. Then I went through about 2 weeks of it taking ages to find the hole! I had to get a mirror (didnt help) my husband (he certainly didnt help) but it just got better and better by the day! I also sit on the loo, and i can find the hole through touch (dont get me wrong i cannot feel the actual hole, but i can feel where it is - that doesnt make sense…) Anyway, you will get the hang of it over time, you will probably get completely frustrated with it to start with, but once you have done it I cannot tell you how much it changed things for me for the better.
Good luck, and again - if you want to talk more please feel free to PM.
XXX
Thank you so much ladies. I’ve got three weeks to wait and fret about this, but you have made me feel a but better. The nurse is really nice too. I may well be pm ing you all in the next few weeks! xx
Hi there, please don’t worry about self catheterisation. It is a lot easier than it sounds. It doesn’t matter if you can’t see what you are doing, you just have to feel it lol. Basically, it’s better to do it sat on the loo, just insert the catheter into the smaller hole at the front lol. Pm if you need more info, love Bex xxx
as the others said, don’t worry.
it’s between the clitoris and the vagina and it is fairly easy to find without looking.
there are bags you can use if you feel they’d help.
my bladder nurse told me that the urethra looks like a wink, which made me think of jeremy kyle which made me laugh, which in turn made me pee!
good luck
carole
Don’t worry about learning the system. I have bee self catheterising for 15 years. The only time I have been asked to use a mirror to see what I was doing and very soon I learnt to do it on the toilet by touch. It really does get easy and you will manage it. In the early days I did struggle with infections, that was the worst point. Actually using catheters can be an advantage I remember being able to go for a wee incredibly discretely on the beach! Hang on in there. It will become second nature and you will master it and accept it as a part of your life which actually gives you independence.
Don’t worry about learning the system. I have bee self catheterising for 15 years. The only time I have been asked to use a mirror to see what I was doing and very soon I learnt to do it on the toilet by touch. It really does get easy and you will manage it. In the early days I did struggle with infections, that was the worst point. Actually using catheters can be an advantage I remember being able to go for a wee incredibly discretely on the beach! Hang on in there. It will become second nature and you will master it and accept it as a part of your life which actually gives you independence.
I wonder if your ms nurse is any better at understanding the difficulties with mobility etc than your continence nurse…do they work from the same building ? If so or even if not it might be an idea to ask your ms nurse to contact the continence nurse to "have a chat about these issues "
I have bags to go with my catheters because of these problems ( caths and bags are colopast make, but expect there are others ) I have joint splints on my legs and wrists and sometimes I just have to glove my wrist splints as I could not do the catheter without the splint on. I do have to buy my latex gloves and I have to get lg ones to go over splints.
I can say for sure that I was worried how it would go but in no time you do get used to it…no choice if you are retaining unless you go for an indwelling or suprapubic catheter … there are options for you if the self caths really are impossible due to your personal situation.
Try not to worry, you will get loads of support on this forum…in a few short weeks you will look back like me and wonder why you got so stressed 
ell
Thanks. My ms nurse and continence nurse aren’t even in the same County or health authority never mind the same building! Am feeling better about this thanks to members of this forum. xx
Hi Flowerpot. I started to self catheterise a few months ago and like you I was horrified at the thought. I use speedicath compact which are easy to carry around in your handbag and to use. You have to practice getting it in the right place but it didn’t take me long (and I’m a real wimp). It has made a massive difference to my life. Good luck : )
Hi, I started to self catheterise about 9 months ago, I found it very hard and stressful sitting on the toilet and finding the right place! My nurse ordered me some bags to accompany my catheters and what I do is sit on the bathroom floor with back against the wall. I then have a small stand up mirror positioned in front so I can see exactly what I’m doing and where I’m going! The catheter is obviously attached to the bag and from there it’s easy!
So my tips to reduce the stress is, sitting on bathroom floor, mirror, catheter with a bag on the end…job done! Only problem can’t be done in public toilets but I’ve taken my catheters, bags and my mirror on holidays with me in my toilet bag. Hope this helps. Good Luck.
Wish I could sit on the floor…I do often end up on floor but not by design getting up is the problem however I do have another possible idea one I now use if at a friends house.
I sit back to front on loo seat…I have a smallish shaving mirror of hubby,s on a piece of wide elastic which I pop over the loo lid.
That ensures there is never a chance of leaving the bathroom having embarrassed myself ( as in I have at home on a couple of occasions got the catheter in but not got it aimed right in the loo befor it squirted wee all over my floor and knickers round my ankles … you have to laugh but if it happened anywhere other than home I would have wanted the floor to open up and hide me !
Also I found after a few weeks I needed to use a size 12 instead of a size 10 …
I do think the thought of all this is much worse than the reality once you get used to it but totally understand the worries until you do.
I was on here daily for reassurance at first…so thanks everyone for getting me through.
I know I will probably be using this method for the rest of my life now but it doesnt worry me at all thanks to all the help and advise here.
Elljay