Europedude, no prob. We must have watched totally different videos on cathing! I cannot cath while lying down unless my legs are scrunched up to my chest. My urethra is a bit further back inside than most women's, as I've been told by a couple nurses. I rarely have a problem finding my urethra, but nurses can never seem to find it. Even with a mirror, I can't see what I'm doing. I have to just go by feel
Talking of incidents and Catheters...I remember when I was in hospital, just approximately a week after my surgery, I had an indwelling in at this time. It was in the middle of the night and a male nurse had come into my room to carry out observations..I was half asleep at this point! So i started to feel a 'tug' down below and thought 'what the heck'! As I opened my eyes i saw that the over the bed table was being moved across the room with the tube from my indwelling around it...What would have highly amused me was if if my bag had pinged off! It could have brought a whole new meaning to a Golden shower!
To be honest, it wasnt funny, that was pretty scarey! Good he brought that table back super quickly, i think he must have sensed that panic in my voice!
Interesting thread! I have zero sensation so cathing doesn't bother me. I need to cath 6 or 7 times a day if I drink as much as my dr wants me to. I live in the desert and dehydration, even in the winter, is always a problem. I had/have kidney stones and the main reason is not drinking enough. It's a tradeoff between drinking enough and having to cath so often which always opens to the risk of an infection. One positive note is that if I can't find a bathroom big enough (or there just isn't one 'cuz I'm out in the desert) I can always pee in a bottle! No sensation means I can use a bunch of alcohol and/or hand sanitizer for hygiene.
For me it is hit and miss. When I get my fly open, it is either there and relatively easy, or caught under my thigh and it takes half an hour. Then I hope not to spill. I think catheterization as a quad sucks but it is more difficult for women in general.
As a high-level quad, I am not bothered by sensation when changing the catheter. Just as well! Once had a catheter prior to my injury due to surgery, and that moment when it was removed was extremely painful.
I use an indwelling catheter, so only need to get it changed once every six weeks or so. I am fortunate to only experience a slight increase in blood pressure when it is replaced. However, I hear that some quadriplegics experience severe autonomic dysreflexia when their catheters are changed. women might have it better than men in this regard, as it is the prostate that reacts to the introduction of the catheter.
Bladder capacity used to be around to 200 ML, but then I increased my dosage of VesiCare and now it is often 500 ML or more. in order to try to retain elasticity of my bladder ( And hopefully teach it not to react with strong dysreflexia when it is full), I regularly clamp off my catheter and allow my bladder to fill. I think this might also help to flush out some of the bugs. I have only experienced an infection once in the past two years.
midtoad, you really seem to know your body, and that is more than half the battle! Also, you must have pretty good doctors keeping on top of things and listening to you.
randomro, "Whenever I hear the politicians saying we have the best health service in the world, I feel like screaming...... No...!! They work on the basis that they offer the least support that they can get away with. " And now this wonderful type of system is being promoted in the USA! Just delay enough, and the expensive ones (elderly, disabled) will die off. Money saved for those who can be "productive".
randomro,it sucks doesent it, you seem to have been very let down! I'm not sure what 'bubble' these doctors/specialists are living in but it sure isnt a realistic one or one that is in touch with real people.
Several years on and doctors still do not know enough about Spinal Cord Injury and CES. Something needs to change, in fact my doctors just say that they arent specialised to deal with Spinal Cord Injuries but what is actually stopping them learning about their patients.
I hate being ignorant on anything, unfortunately for us, we have had to learn about what is happening with our bodies, its in our interest to. Surely, a doctor would want to know how best to treat their patients best.
There is nothing stopping them advancing their understanding and studying/googling?!
I want to invite doctors to this forum and ask them to get in touch with the reality of the issues faced, I wonder how many would make the time and effort?
midtoad, this below...the clamping off, was this on the advice of your urologist or did you learn that this was a good option via experience. So the 'flushing' work because the pressure has built up within the bladder when it fills?
Bladder capacity used to be around to 200 ML, but then I increased my dosage of VesiCare and now it is often 500 ML or more. in order to try to retain elasticity of my bladder ( And hopefully teach it not to react with strong dysreflexia when it is full),
I regularly clamp off my catheter and allow my bladder to fill. I think this might also help to flush out some of the bugs. I have only experienced an infection once in the past two years
As a high-level quad, I am not bothered by sensation when changing the catheter. Just as well! Once had a catheter prior to my injury due to surgery, and that moment when it was removed was extremely painful.
I use an indwelling catheter, so only need to get it changed once every six weeks or so. I am fortunate to only experience a slight increase in blood pressure when it is replaced. However, I hear that some quadriplegics experience severe autonomic dysreflexia when their catheters are changed. women might have it better than men in this regard, as it is the prostate that reacts to the introduction of the catheter.
Bladder capacity used to be around to 200 ML, but then I increased my dosage of VesiCare and now it is often 500 ML or more. in order to try to retain elasticity of my bladder ( And hopefully teach it not to react with strong dysreflexia when it is full), I regularly clamp off my catheter and allow my bladder to fill. I think this might also help to flush out some of the bugs. I have only experienced an infection once in the past two years.
I had a foley in the hospital for about a month when I was first injured and didn't really feel much when they removed it but a couple months later in rehab, I had to have one put in for a week or two due to a UTI and I remember the pain I had when getting it removed. It was then that I decided that I'd never want a foley again and fingers crossed I won't need one because with the hypersensitivity I have now, I'd probably cry from the pain if I had to do it again.