Hi everyone, can anyone help/advice I have urgency bladder problems,(as well as loads of other thing which I will not go into now) it is making me house bound as I never know when I need to go, and if I do I need to go urgently, as iam now wheelchair bound its causing me problems. Do you think a catheter would be the way to go, and if so can anyone tell me which is the best one. Appreciate your help guys. Thanks Deborah
Deborah, I have been doing intermittent self catheterisation since March and I’ve been so much better for it. I do it last thing at night and first thing in the morning so I start and end the day with a properly empty bladder. Previously the continence nurse calculated by using an ultrasound scanner that I was leaving 250-300 ml in the bladder when I had a pee. When I self catheterise now at the end of the day I sometimes find there’s 400 ml.
The trade off, for me, has been an unremitting cycle of UTI’s , but (whisper it) I have today notched up 16 days infection free since finishing the last lot of antibiotic- my best so far. Maybe I’m getting on top of it.
Anyway, you need to get your gp to refer you to the continence nurse, if you haven’t already.
Kev x
PS I’m assuming the female anatomy allows self catheterisation as easily as does the male.
Thank Ken,
Yes I’m have been referred to a continence team by my MS nurse. Or should I say the MS nurse has written to my Doctor to get me refered.
So will see how long that takes.
All the best Deborah
Hi Deborah, I have been where you are now.
I have been a full time wheelchair user for several years and getting onto the loo was becoming harder and I wet myself and hurt myself, due to legs not holding me up. The situation was really getting me down. I wore thick pads when going out, but still tried to get onto public disabled loos.
My 2 carers would help me and we often ended up in a lump on the chair or floor! We had to call for extra help, from restaurant or shop staff, to get me off the floor!
After enough was enough, I saw a urologist about a suprapubic catheter (spc) and decided to go for it.
I know this may sound scary to you and it may not be for you.
I never tried to self catheter, as I felt it wasnt for me.
I hope you find the answer you need. If you want to ask me anything else, but feel an open forum isnt the place to do so, then by all means, pm me hun.
luv Pollx
Deborah it is a very individual thing and I think your continence nurse is the best person to talk to as what suits all of us may not suit you. Like Kev I self catheterise but my problems vary from giving me urgency and wetting myself through to going into retention and my poor bladder stretching so badly that I had 1200mls in when they catheterised me. It was awful. But I’m mobile and can manage, it’s a bit fiddly for a woman at first if you suffer from clumsy hands as I do. I was fortunate as having been a nurse and midwife I’d catheterised many women in my career.
Catheters are very good when you’re less mobile but obviously need a lot of care as you are a bit more prone to infection having any device in your body, but if you look after them they will keep you dry, are much more dignified than having accidents, and your skin won’t suffer from becoming raw and broken which will happen if you’re left. Trust the judgement of your nurse, they’re usually very experienced and know all the options, and if you aren’t keen on what she suggests, tell her and explain why. They’re trying to help but the final decision is yours.
Good luck and if you want to pm me, please do. These issues are very personal and if I can help at all please shout.
Cath xx
Thank you for your advice guys, I will speak to my nurse as you suggest, I think the time may have come to look at something more permanent all the best Deborah
1 Like