Thanks for your comments. I am filled with dread knowing that self-cathing is in my future. Most of the time I can still empty my bladder if I am patient and I press on my bladder. I'd love to talk to another women about it - sorry Ron, your anatomy doesn't match mine. Is there pain associated with cathing? Do you know of any boards or listserves that are about bladder issues?
Funny thing - my daughter has cerebral palsy and had a SP catheter for a year when she was 17. Over that year she was able to teach herself how to pee so the cath was removed when she was 18 and for the most part, she does fine now. So I am familiar with the SP catheter. I remember it was always oozing and was never dry around the the insertion point. She always screamed bloody murder when it had to be changed out. So I understand your desire to get back to self-cathing. Thanks again.
Hi,
I was diagnosed with Detrusor Sphincter Dyssynergia in 1995. This is a simmilar diagnoses as having a neurogenic bladder.
My condition is simmirlar as you, I don't have MS but a simmilar neurological condition that effects the peripheral and some of the cetral neurvous system.
Currently I have lost most of my peripheral central vision (only about 15 degrees of central vision). I'm no longer able to work due to ballance problems as well as motor problems in hands and feet.
I have been using self catherization since 1996. I first started out treating this when I knew that my bladder did not empty. In 2000 I had to self cath at least once a day.
Today I have a suprapubic catheter since I have developed a fistula (hole) between my prostate and rectum. The urologists think that I have created the hole by using self cathetriation. They claim that I did not feel what I had done. I'm not sure though.
I'm now waiting for surgery to correct this. Not fun as it is multiple surgery to used a piece of muscle from my leg to patch the hole.
Other than that I did not find self catherization all that bad. I'm just concerned of doing further damage once things are healed and I'm doing self cath again.
It is important to ensure that the bladder empties. I used to end up with kindney infections at least once every four months since I could not empty my bladder properly.
Once I started the self cath once daily the kindney infections did not come on as frequently.
I hope that I did not scare you, but I felt that this information might be of help to you.
God bless,
Ron