Not sure if this should be under treatments or everyday living but it’s for all guys with some bladder problems . When I start feeling the need to pee I do need to get to the toilet quick. I work round this by making sure I relieve myself before it becomes ‘urgent’ but have twice wet my trousers - as in really wet them.
So I am trying a ‘sheath’ catheter. It’s a bit fiddly to put on but so far so good. I won’t wear it all the time but hope that when out and about e.g restaurants , cinema or similar, it will save me anxiety about getting to the gents in time and possible massive embarrassment of walking through restaurants with soaking wet trousers!
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I found the sheath was an absolute godsend! Genuinely life changing. Once my hands stopped working properly it became more awkward, and when my carers were putting it on I reckon about one in 10 times it leaked. Including once halfway through an Ed Sheeran concert, which really peed me off 
I’ve often wondered why more men don’t use them for festivals and so on, it would make a huge difference.
I read a really interesting story in the papers about one guy who was accosted by the security man in a pub, they thought he was dealing drugs because he was going to the toilet so often and he had to show them the leg bag. I’ve often thought of putting two on, just one of them full with wine though, it would definitely get red wine to the right temperature.
It took awhile for me to figure out all the different bags and pipes, I have to have a 1 L leg bag with the 30 cm pipe. I used the stat locks for a while which were okay apart from the dry skin that they gave me, now I use the leg strap but I had to start getting them via nightingale because they supply Great bear branded stuff.
I’ve got a catheter at the moment though, I’ve been using it for about two years and I’m bloody relieved I’m going in for an operation the week after next to get a suprapubic catheter fitted. Hopefully that will be an end to all of the UTIs that I keep getting.
Hope it keeps working well for you, and that the sheath never fails.
While I remember, have you asked your MS nurse about medication for bladder urgency? There’s quite a few different ones out there I think I got through about three before finding one that worked, but they really do work well at getting rid of Panic stations.
Many thanks , much appreciated and I must say that you always give very full and helpful replies to everyone .
So far I’m just using the catheter in the house but will pluck up the courage to wear it when going out somewhere . I did speak to my MS Nurse when I saw her a couple of months ago and decided that for the time being I would ‘road test’ the catheter.
For some reason your story about the guy being stopped by security and also your thoughts about filling one with red wine brought to mind the film Withnail and I. If you’ve never seen it then the slightly manic Withnail, played by Richard E Grant, whose fond of a drink or two, devises a sort of catheter in reverse. A bottle full of alcohol free pee attached to a catheter with a small tap at the end was supposed to provide him with a means of cheating alcohol tests when stopped by the police for drunk driving. It didn’t work.
How are you and how did/ is the financial settlement work out?
Cheers
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Hi Hank Dogs, So sorry to read this, it’s so hard to deal with. Now yes I’m a female and have urgency, well did, I self catheter, but I also have Botox injected every 5mths, to cut down on the need to go so much. So I wondered, alongside what you’re doing with the sheath if this might help as well, now I’m not sure about men having this, as after all the needle would have to travel further, but just a thought. I agree you with what you said about cymroglyn, he does give out some good advice, take care and good luck.
Jean
Thanks Jean. To be honest at present it’s just a bit of a nuisance but has made me very nervous about going out anywhere ( one advantage of being a man is that if we go out anywhere with me on my scooter along country paths and the like I can find a convenient hedge, trees etc!). Find it amazing how we can adapt to a ‘new normal’ although it would be good if ‘normal’ didn’t keep changing !!
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I’m not too bad thank you, just a bit grumpy with my carers. One in particular is a waste of space.
The financial settlement worked okay for me, I’ve got what I wanted. Fortunately my ex isn’t a very good liar and he crumbled under cross examination so the judge saw right through him. I need to get my place sold now, and find somewhere else to live. Desperate for it to happen before August because that’s when the fixed rate on this mortgage comes to an end, and as it’s only 1.5% at the moment it’s going to rocket up. I’m trying not to worry about it at the moment!
Kind of you to say about my responses. I hope people do find them helpful, I feel a bit more useful putting my thoughts down for people.
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Good to hear that things worked out OK for you although I’m sure you could have done without the whole experience. As you probably know, the general forecast on interest rates is that they will come down slowly over the coming months. Hope that all works in your favour .
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