Anyway to predetermine whether blockage will re-occur without removing a Foley cathether, etc?
Posted , 6 users are following.
(I'm a newbie, and a veteran here suggested I start a new thread with my query, to get more responses. Here it is below.)
So, the ER doc said, “bad luck” I had bladder damage from the Foley removal and my first try at self-cathing.
Until 1 September 2018, I was a 67-year old with the energy of a much younger man; and, healthier, for my age, than anybody I knew. Sadly, now, I need more-experienced “elders”, perhaps, you, to help me see the exit sign from having to carry a in-dwelling urine bag the rest of my life. I am feeling "lost". Here's the timeline:
1 September: Ate two plates of spicy Indian food and drank maybe 4 glasses of water during the evening. When I got home I suddenly could not pee nor poo. On the advice of dial-a-nurse, I went to Emergency at a city hospital, around 1am. They took blood work and ran tests. Approximately 4pm a doctor examined my prostate and declared “it's huge”. He ordered a sonogram (ultrasound imager for bladder) and the sonogram nurse said, “You're full - you just bought yourself a cathether”. The 2-liter bag was nearly filled. She strapped on a leg-bag connecting to the Foley in-dwelling cathether. The nurse also gave me a 2-liver overnight bag, and instructions. I asked another nurse “how long will I be wearing this?” He said, “one day to a few months”. I went home.
Did a whole bunch of research.
I read one more more forum posts that if a bladder gets more than 1.3L (1300ml), it doesn't go back to it's normal compressing function.
Bought a lot of natural supplements, ate pumpkin seeds like crazy, etc. etc. while I waited for my Urologist appointment. The uro doc said my prostate was 50ml with no nodules, i.e. no cancer. She opined that my blockage was a “one time” most likely. She actually wanted to remove the cathether at the appointment. I said, not today, as I'm waiting for my 30 intermittent cathethers ordered online. She said that the CIC instructions would be given by a home-health department in another suburb. However the home-health department was very cagey - sounded like they didn't have anybody who was able to teach self-cathing. After several follow up calls, I gave up on the home-health teaching people which operated from a community center.
My speedy hydrophilic CIC's with coude tip, arrived but I couldn't wait psychologically, so I watched video's and read every post in the forums about self-cathing.
At noon, this week. I went to a walk-in doctor/clinic on the advice from the uro, to have the in-dwelling cathether taken out. When the doc pulled it out, it hurt a lot. The doc said, “I hope your uro is right”. My penis was bleeding slightly. By 3:30pm I hadn't peed once and didn't feel like peeing even. So, I tried my first self-cathing. There was 3” of urine but the rest was bloody urine. The coude tip had mucoid blood. So, I taxied to ER at 5pm. The ER doc phone-consulted with several urologists and nurse did tests on the cath that I took with me. Blood work was also taken. I was worried about the bladder getting too full again, and lobbied for a sonogram. At 7pm, the sonogram printed 397ml in my bladder -- this seemed much too little for 7 hours of not peeing.
My penis has a laceration below and under the urethra opening apparently from the catether removal.
Key info came from the male cathing nurse as I he finished installing my second Foley. He said that I was too tense during the removal, and my spincter grabbed the cath. He said that I should have asked the doc for an anti-anxiety shot, Atevan, or something like that, before the Foley removal. He demonstrated with his hand as to how smoothly the Foley should have just come.
My reason for joining this forum is to know if there's a solution to having no Foley in my bladder. I've gone to a Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor, and got the three herbal remedy bags to boil. He says that I will be "good" in days. Is there any way to know, beforehand, if the Foley is removed -- that I won't have bladder retention again?
Thanks in advance for all replies.
P.S. A co-worker today mentioned, "Inside the superhuman world of the iceman" which he has already started seeing some results. Has anybody tried out-of-the-box methods to successfully rid themselves of catheters permanently? (And presumably shrinking their prostate.)
0 likes, 22 replies
bob31550
Posted
RE: " prevented tears." What are these? Cause?
I have a flesh-tear below the pee-opening that the ER doc discovered, after a locum removed my Foley, along with blood. I saw a flesh tear above the pee-opening but the ER doc said he couldn't see it.
Tim-B bob31550
Posted
If the catheter tube causes too much pressure on the opening of the penis, the tissue around the opening can get irritated, inflamed and even split. Placement of the bag, length and positioning of the tube to the bag as well as the ointment and gauze all helped me with those issues. I spent a lot of time finding what worked for me with minimal discomfort.
The reason I had the catheter is part of a longer story and I won't bore you with all the details but I had a complication after a surgical procedure and developed an anal fistula, which is an opening between the prostatic urethra and the anus...which isn't good. The first docs were uncertain what to do - and initially suggested everything from a supra pubic catheter to a colostomy. Neither of which I was interested in until proper diagnosis AND consulting with additional professionals and men who had this complication.
The doctor who performed the procedure (that resulted in the complication) assured me it would heal on it's own, likely in 2 to 3 weeks once the catheter was in. I did some research, contacted some other men that had this same complication (it's rare so there are not many) and all of them had healed without further intervention, as I have I.
My last suggestion - keep notes of EVERYTHING. Who you speak with and when, what you experience, how you feel - no detail is too small. Find a doctor that wants to hear those details vs just make an off the cuff diagnosis that is based on percentages.
Vetting uros - get recommendations from other men. If you are in a mid to large metro area, odds are there support groups for men with prostate issues (probably mostly cancer, but that's ok) - ask anyone/everyone if they see a uro and if they like them. Then be prepared to go visit a few. Of the 7 I've seen, there is only 1 I felt gave a damn. Unfortunately, 2 years ago - he left private practice, so I am currently with a distant 2nd choice.
Have you had a cystoscopy? It's really not a big deal (IMO). That may be a good place to start. You may also want to consider getting a 3T MRI, which is what many men with prostate cancer and BPH issues sometimes do to get a better idea of what is going on.
I've had a foley in twice and both times I removed it myself in the shower. Wiggling your toes and deep breaths help relax the pelvis and external sphincter. Some men are comfortable with this, others not - do whatever is right for you. I also did CIC for a few weeks - and there are many men on this forum that have done it for many months and even years, so you can find a lot of support and good info here.
Good luck!
bob31550 Tim-B
Posted
Thank you, Tim-B, for your detailed, uniquely helpful, and very timely post -- I have a uro appointment this afternoon, and I'm "lost".
Questions ..
1. What is this ointment? Nobody ever said to do that. I no longer have bleeding at the meatus, but can't see if the split (or splits) is there. Btw, I also had to DIY my down tube holder -- I started a new thread about it.
2. How did you deflate the Foley balloon by yourself? Wow!!
3. Thank you for the "how to find a good uro" tip.
4. Thank you for describing what likely happened to my penis tip.
Btw, (may help your problem) my research took me to squatting defecation and sitting urination -- why didn't we learn this in school? My friend says the latest and greatest airports in China has squat toilets. This squatting position benefit is in a medical textbook; an article re Pres. Carter's doctor, The Guardian, J. Crow's site, etc etc.
Gratefully,
Bob
Tim-B bob31550
Posted
1. Same thing used for infants for diaper rash. Desitin is a popular name brand (I think I put some other brand earlier)
2. Same way nurses do. Attach a plunger, extract the fluid from the balloon, relax and slide it out.
I've used a 'Squatty Potty' - similar function. We were stationed/lived in Japan while in the military in the 70s and have used many a procelain slit in the floor. Wasn't easy when I was in my early 20s, definitely don't want to try it
in my 60s!
Good luck on your appt.