On Sat, 31 May 2008 18:36:32 -0600,
wiens.ken@gmail.com wrote:
>Next week I go in for try 2 for the catheter removal. Try 1 landed me
>back in emergency 22 hours later to have the catheter replaced.
> In Toronto (not my
>home town) they often send patients to a class to teach them how to
>self insert a catheter. Just knowing that they can do this apparently
>calms one enough that success rates are higher (and the person rarely
>self cath's) /.....snip
>
>The Dr has also had me oin flomax before the removal,....
>
>The Dr also has me soak in a hot bath after the removal.......
>
>Last time I had the flomax and plenty of hot baths but no success
>(about every hour for the 22 hours). A little voiding in spurts a few
>hours after removal but then nothing until they drained almost a liter
>out of me in the hospital 22 hours later.
>
>Has anyone seen other techniques or ideas to relax the muscles and
>improve your ability to void after the cath comes out (specifically to
>calm the sphincter muscles and let the bladder drain).?
>
Ken
I don't recognise any of this from my own HIFU experience. Maybe
before you seek techniques or ideas you might question your doc more
closely. And having waited a total of many hours on various
appointments nor do I recognise this stuff from the frequent chats
with other HIFU patients all discussing our cases. (At London's Univ.
College Hospital).
It may help you re asking your doc more, if I explain my own
experiences. These are excerpts from notes I posted on the ng at the
time.
HIFU (Sonablate 500) APRIL 10 2006 on prostate. (It was ablated).
Wake up with catheter. Flow remaining clear and steady. Catheter with
turn on and off tap at end -so no nasty bag slapping and filling at
my thigh.
CATHETER OUT 26th April On the same visit a nurse shows me how to
self-catheter. The thought of doing it was the worst bit . After first
cowardly try, all ready to screech and fall to the floor, I found it
wasn't that difficult. No hurt. Used it at home next day, no problem
- satisfactory to see a full flow with not a strain on my part.
The hospital had written - before the operation: "Once the catheter
has been removed (at two weeks), patients often find that their urine
flow is reduced (... due to the accumulation of prostate debris). This
usually resolves over a period of 2-3 months; however there is a
chance that you may not be able to pass urine at all. In order to
prepare you for this possibility you will need to be taught how to
pass a temporary catheter yourself to relieve the blockage."
The only problem i then experienced was when i self-cathetered for
some time with pain, because a stricture had closed up the urinary
passage which didn't get noticed. (I found no other patient in my
clinic visits who had experienced anyting like it. Maybe my Gleason 9
had something to do with it - dunno).
AUGUST 21 2007 HIFU 2 on left seminal vesicle.
AUGUST 29 back to UCH Catheter out and peed OK.
That was that.
Here's Questions I would ask as a patient - from what you've reported:
Could you have a stricture? (can be easily dealt with)
Were you aware of the debris problem - or did your op not produce any
(it could ball up) ?
When your catheter was taken out did they check you could pee OK?
Could you have blood clot in the catheter to cause it not to work (you
simply report you had to go back in emergency to get a new catheter).
Next time you go in to remove the catheter will they have a nurse
spend a few minutes showing you how to self-catheter?
If your catheter has to stay on much longer will they show you how to
self-wash it? (Very easy with a little special bottle).
Incidentally the easiest self-catheter to use I found was one where
the tip you insert bends a little (I know it doesn't sound logical)
Keep the tip pointing at the ceiling as you insert. Then---Ahhhhh...,
....Bisto! (Hope they sold it in Canada too!).
In any case, my very best wishes for this all to ease up -and then
fairly plain sailing.
Best wishes to all
MikeHi
Hints for voiding after catheter removal? 
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