Doctors orders !

Ok, new situation and I need my forum family to help.  My doctor called today because I have been having problems going to the bathroom.  I have put out 100 cc in the last 3 days.   I have no urge to go.  I don't know if I'm losing all sensations down there or what. But, this is getting worse.  Anyway, when the doctor called she said I need to start self cath and I'm worried about doing that.  She has me starting classes on Monday to see if I can learn and feel compfortable to do this. I sure hope so.

Any information on self cath?  Comments or thoughts?

  My other question was I was so nervous when I was on the phone with her I forgot to ask this.

Being that I only have the use of one arm.  I'm I going to be able to use one arm to do this?   Any suggestion?  

I'm really worried about this because I don't want to do anything wrong.   I'm starting classes on Monday so that will help ease my mind.

Thanks everyone in advance for responding or taking the time for me.  Very thankful for u guys...

Hugs and love
Misty

[heartfelt77]

Bump

[luvnGod]

I have had trouble "going" as well, but it has been explained away as medication related.    I am not to the severity of needing a cath.  I hope some others will share some insight.  I will be praying for you Misty!  Keep us updated.

Love and prayers
Stacie

[jensequitur]

Ooh, that's no fun!  I can't tell you how, but I think it's a one-hand operation.  Hang out - I know many people here have to self-cath.

[heartfelt77]

  Hi, I just need some reassurance on this I've never had to go through all of this and alittle concerned they told me today if for any reason I don't feel ok with doing it that they would send an l.p.n in to help.  I'm really hope this is no big deal.  If I can't do it with me learning then they said its ok, I don't have to but, I'm willing to learn.  These bladder problems have been going on too long.  

Thanks luvngod for your support and prayers.

Thanks ......  Jen for your reply also with helping me to reach others.

  Take care,
       Misty..........   I will remain strong and I feel that I can get through this.  I've conquor a lot steady. Hugs

[rendean]

Lulu among many others self-cath. I entered "self-cath" into the "Search this Community" bar found on the right hand side of this page and saw that there were 72 posts on this subject.

Perhaps you can find some support from someone who actually does this. I do not have an insiders knowledge on the subject but 72 people do.

Good luck,
Ren

[heartfelt77]

Hello, Ren thanks for your reply I will look into it.  My biggest concern was being one handed.  

Thanks again
      Misty...      I hope all is well with you.

[heartfelt77]

Hey, lu do u think this is possible for me to do with one hand and get relief.  I've been reading a lot about this and even watched a video on self cath I'm feeling a lot more compfortable about it. So, I just keeping saying I can do this. My husband is also coming to the class with me to learn which makes me feel good.  I know that you have a lot of experience with this. Do u have any comments or suggestions that I might want to try when doing this?  

Sorry to bother u.

Hugs
Misty

[ku111]

I think you are okay!  Once you know where your opening is, it is a one handed deal.  I am so sorry it has come to this but you are strong and you can do anything!  You will feel so much better with your bladder empty also.  Lots of hugs!

[Lulu54]

Hi Misty,
Both Ren and Shell came searching for me to help with this one.  I hope I can make sense in the short time I can use here at work-

Once you get past the "ick" factor of self-cathing, it really is a liberating procedure.  It will allow you more control of when and where you can go when you leave the house instead of always feeling like you must stay close to the bathroom.  

With you retaining  urine, that is most probably a neurogenic issue - sometimes it gets better and sometimes it doesn't.  I will hope it does improve for you in a few months.

In the meantime I can share that  ISC (intermittent self- catherization) is a very simple technique and yes, you should be able to do it one handed with a bit of practice and using the right catheter.  You will be surprised at the varitety of styles - all of which do the same thing.  You definitely want to ask for a silicon cath and not those hard pvc things like I started with.  I have two different types - on is called Magic3 and it is a 6" cath with an antibiotic on the tube to help with infections.  The other I have discovered in the past 6 months is the SpeediCath Compact- this is a nifty small cath and you might have the most luck with that one doing ISC one-handed.  I get a split order of both.

As for why to cath - it is so important that there not be urine left in the bladder to sit and incubate germs.  If the bladder overfills, the urine can backwash into the kidneys.  If that happens, your kidneys can easily transport bacteria from your urine into the blood stream and make you really, really sick.  I had that happen last year and had a serious case of sepsis and didn't even know it.

I think most people who ISC are also on some type of prophylactic antibiotic. Unfortunately, no matter how much you try, this is not a sterile procedure and I am constantly reintroducing bacteria into my bladder. I tried Hiprex for quite some time, but kept getting UTI's. I switched to Macrobid about two months ago and so far I am uti free.   You may have to experiment to find what works for you.

It's great that your husband is also going with you, but I hope you are able to do this on your own.  Practice makes perfect, so dont' be afraid to try and try.   You may also need to try different positions -sitting or standing to make this work for you.

Whatever you do, do not use a catheter that has missed the mark and been placed in your vagina instead.  Talk about introducing a bunch of germs you don't want...........  

Feel free to PM me if you have specific questions that you don't want to ask here in the open forum or I can talk to you here as well....

good luck - this is a better choice than risking the loss of a kidney or worse.

hugs,
L

[heartfelt77]

  Thanks for your support.  I'm facing this head on and hoping to get my bladder under control.  And, I'm really looking forward to emptying my bladder all they way.  Your support and thoughts mean so much to me as I go through this long journey.  

  I hope you are doing well and hanging in there.  Stay warm. Thanks for replying to my post.  I will give you an update on how my classes go.

Hugs
Misty

[heartfelt77]

  Hey,  Thanks for giving me advice on this situation.  I was hoping that I heard from you as I know you are very educated and have a lot of experience with this topic.  I'm actually looking forward to finally getting relief from doing this. It was alittle embrassing at first but, I have come to terms with the fact that I need to do everything to be compfortable along with making sure my health is going to continue to be the best it can be.  

Thanks for offering me support and help in the future with this.  I will keep you posted on how things are going.  I will Pm u if I need nothing and thanks for offering.  

  Sending you my love.   I hope  you are doing well.  And, I hope your husband is doing well also.

  Take care......   Hugs...  Lulu.    I love your pictures on your homepage.  Wouldn't it be nice to have medhelp lunches with everyone.....  Lol

  Misty

[heartfelt77]

  
The doctor has given me a script for size 14. Which im hoping will work for me but, didnt specify which kind im to be using. I was looking into the speedicath ones and watched a video on that.  I really like the way they work.  They do make it look so easy and Im hoping that it can be just as easy for me.  I also really like attaching a mirror to your leg as i believe would really benefit me in the long run....

Take care everyone, And thanks so much for responding to my post they were all very helpful.....

Misty

[Lulu54]

There are a number of excellent mailorder companies who will ship your supplies every month.  I use Uromed and have been very pleased with their customer service. They take all types of insurance and you might want to talk to them about your specific needs.  Most of the time the urologist doesn't write for a brand, just a size (14 pertains to diameter) .  There are so many new materials out there, be sure to look for silicone, and lubricated and hydrophilic (water based) catheters. Those all make a huge difference in comfort.

[heartfelt77]

Thanks for your suggestion I will contact them.  I think that is what I'm concerned about also what my insurance will cover and who will take my insurance.  What I headache to look at different companies and which one is going to be the best for you..

  Thanks for being there for me lu.

Take care
    Misty

[heartfelt77]

  Oh, do u know how many classes u usually have to go through before finally getting the hang of things ?   My doctor didn't write how many times a day she wants me to do this....     I need to ask.  My script says.

  14 fr self cath.....  Monthly refills are 5.  Then at the bottom reads
   # me.  Not sure what me means?  Any ideas on this?

     Take care
           Misty

[kelly97]

Misty, thanks for asking this question. I had been wondering about it, too.  I'm going back to see my urologist next Friday.  He had mentioned it to me previously.  I hope I don't have to do it. I'm sure that you will be able to do it on your own with practice. It sounds like it's something that is definitely needed for you.  

Thanks to super awesome Lu for sharing her knowledge on this subject.

-Kelly

[heartfelt77]

  Hi, Kelly thanks for responding to my post.  I was making a big deal about this but, really its fairly easy and alot better than having a folloy in all the time.

I hope this takes care of my problem.  The nurse I talked with today said its actually very good to do to retrain your bladder.  And tighten the muscle.

Take care
   Misty

[heartfelt77]

  I wanted to give an update.   I passed my class today.  I got an A+ in the class.... Haha.   It's going to take some practice but, I think I will be ok.   They gave me 6 of the hard tube reusable self cath to use.  I'm not using them they r hard and hurt too much going in.  Exspecially if u don't hit the spot first time.

Lu....  I took your advice and ordered all my supplies today with silcone and the rest that was mentioned.  I ordered them through liberator I interviewed them before doing so.  I really liked the fact that they have bladder specialist and a urology department.  They were very nice and helpful.

My insurance is going to cover everything and I dont have a deductable or a copay..   So, that a positive thing.

Thanks again lu.

Take care
  Misty

[jonlovesbenz]

I am sorry you have to do this. I had a cath in for two weeks last year when my bladder just stopped working.The positive is you don't have a bag and need a full time folley like I did. I'm not dx with MS yet just share a lot of the same symptoms.

hopefully your bladder comes back enough you won't have to do this long. I have not used a cath since then and now just go every so often and push hard to get a little each time.

[heartfelt77]

  Hello,  Thanks for your responce.  This is the problem that I'm having also.  Pushing a lot and only getting alittle bit out..  I also believe I don't have a senation to go.  Which is causing me to have no urge to go.  Thanks for your support.  I'm hoping the problem gets better so, I won't have to cath.  But, its not looking good because my problem has been going on so long.  And, we have tried all the medication out there...   That had to be hard to have a college in all the time....   I don't want that and hope that It never has to come to that.   It just makes u feel as though your losing all of your indepence.  It's hard situation to be in.

Then my doctor calls this evening and says my urine culture came back and I have another UTI.   They said that they were going to put me on bactrim extra strengh I said that I was just in the Er for breathing problems.  And they put me on steroids- iv and sent me home with some along with augmentin.  So, they can't put me on that also...  To make a long story short they r calling back tomorrow.

Sorry, I'm rambling on...   Just so much..   I did feel a lot of relief today from cath.  So,  that's a positive thing.

Thanks again for your reply and I'm sorry about the rambling on and on.

Take care
Misty

[Lulu54]

Misty. they might have to knock that uti out with some big guns.  It took cipro for me to finally get a clear test after several months. Bactrim wasn't getting it for me, I hope it works for you.


You're not rambling, just processing.  It is a lot to take in at once.  So glad to hear you made some calls and found a company you like - there are several that specialize in catheter supplies - it is a bigger problem  than is openly discussed.  You will be so much happier once you can get rid of those hard caths.

To  anyone else reading this - being able to empty your bladder and go shopping or to a show or other activities away from home   is something we shouldn't take for granted but can be corrected by ISC. If you have this problem, please talk to your urologist about finding a solution.

Misty, with your positive attitude you will do well.

be well,
Lulu  

[heartfelt77]

  Hey, lu thanks for having faith in me. I actually surprised myself today that I was able to get through.   I had been on cipro several times before.  The last time they had me on it I finish the prescription then did a urine culture and it turned out I had another one.  We found out the first one never really got better or went away.  

I would just like to know why I keep getting so many of these..   I feel like a walking UTI....   I know my doctor said I could have these forever but, I'm concerned about what kinda damage they can do...   I don't need kidney failure.  I would like to prevent that from happening.

Could the reason why I get them a lot be I'm not able to be mobile.  And, that's making things worse?  Idk...   I was on macrobid and I thought that it would have taken care of them...   I guess not..   Oh, well always something.

I hope your doing well..  Take care

Thanks again lu....   You are a blessing to us as you have so much that u deal with yourself...  

Misty.    Put it in the mystery bag a pull the string...  Lol And, hope for the best.

[Lulu54]

Misty,

The UTI's often come from not emptying your bladder completely.  The urine that sits and incubates in our body heat can brew toxic stuff pretty fast.  That's one of the reasons why it is so important to empty the bladder completely - only fresh urine should be present.  The other is overflowing the bladder to the point it backwashes into our kidneys and creates even bigger problems.

Now that you're doing ISC you are also introducing bacteria  - through handling the cath and through anything that might be lingering around the opening. The folks I know on long term ISC are also on a prophylactic dose of an antibiotic just to give itall a fighting chance. You might want to talk to your doc about this the next  time you are there.

[heartfelt77]

  Thanks lu for your information they expained some of that information in that class but, didn't go into great detail about it.  I will talk to my doctor.

Hope you r doing well.

Take care
Misty

[heartfelt77]

Thank you so much for everyone help and support with my post.

   Thanks again.   I'm so thankful everyone is so supportive.

     Misty