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I reached the 2 year mark!

Posted , 8 users are following.

dennis47445
dennis47445

Yesterday Aug. 25th, made two years since I've been doing CIC.  A total of 1,832 times of inserting the catheter, so that I can empty my bladder!  The reason, I started to CIC, was because I couldn't urinate on my own.  After my third TURP, something happened where my bladder, was not doing its job, of squeezing the urine, out of the body. In my case, it could have been because, my bladder, before the surgery, was already flaccid, with no tone to it. 

It all started back in 2005. That was my first surgery.  I had the Greenlight Laser done.  It was somewhat successful, because my prostate, was so huge (141 grams.} I still had to take medication, to pee, even after the surgery. 

The effects of the surgery, lasted for around two years, then I had to go in and have surgery again. The second time, I tried TURP.  The success of that was a little better.  But that also diminished after a few years.

The third,  time I went in for a TURP, was around two years ago.  After the surgery, I had complete retention.  No pee at all!  That brings me to my current condition.  I can pee, a little on my own, but to empty my bladder completely, I have to insert a catheter, via the penis, to empty the bladder completely.  For those of you, who are trying to decide on what to do, whether to have surgery or using a catheter, my suggestion, is to try the catheter first.  I know it sounds difficult, but after a few times doing it, you will find that it is really easy, and that you will feel great having an empty bladder, much like you did when you were younger!

If you have questions about CIC, Jim/james, on this forum, is a very good source for help and answers.  In fact, for those of you who are new, Jim/james, had a similar problem, and after doing CIC for roughly two years, his bladder, improved to the point of not having to CIC on a daily basis.

I am hoping for similar results.

Aloha,

Dennis

2 likes, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • hank1953
    hank1953 dennis47445

    Posted

    Thanks Dennis for sharing. Congratulations on the 2 years of success. Hank
    • dennis47445
      dennis47445 hank1953

      Posted

      All is well.  Now, if I can only empty my bladder naturally, that would be awesome!
  • lester19220
    lester19220 dennis47445

    Posted

    There is another way if you ask your doctor for an Rx for a diuretic.One small pill a day will end retention but you will have to drink a fair amount of water or other liquid to avoid dehydration. Its worth a try and cannot harm you.
  • Howard31850
    Howard31850 dennis47445

    Posted

    Hi Dennis,

    Good to hear from you and know that things are going well. I also just reached my 2 year mark of CIC but have done 2452 catheters! I too am an alumnus of Jimjames and would like to emphasize your recommendation to people considering learning CIC. My prostate is 240gm but I can still pee on my own during the day about 200ml and my CIC volume is about 250ml.

    I had PAE 2 years ago but it did not help at all except to empty my bank account. Then I learned about CIC on this forum and now it is just second nature.

    Good for you and thanks for the post. I wish more men would try it before going to surgeries that can have terrible side effects. CIC has no side effects and maybe will rehab our bladders too!!

    How are you doing with the hurricanes and volcanoes?

    Howard

    • dennis47445
      dennis47445 Howard31850

      Posted

      Howard, we got lucky, and missed the hurricane.  It turned into a tropical storm, with less powerful winds, and so everyone is at ease again.  Our town {Kaneohe} was like a ghost town.  Most of the stores were closed in anticipation for the hurricane.  I went to McDonald's two mornings in a row, and it was closed.  I usually go for coffee.

      As for the lava, that is on a different island.  The Big Island, is where the lava was happening.  It is quiet now, with no active flow, if I have the correct information.

      One of the sad thing, was that the lava, covered a beautiful part of the island.  A place called Kapoho.  Kapoho, had many small pools of ocean water, mixed with springs from the mountain.  It was a great place to snorkel and look at tropical fish.  such a waste.

      Aloha,

      Dennis

  • stebrunner
    stebrunner dennis47445

    Posted

    Hi, Dennis,

    Congrats on reaching your 2-yr mark!

    I'm now at about 2.5 yrs--and still cath 4 to 6 times per day. And it's been over 1.5 yrs since I've had a UTI. Like you, I can empty some of my bladder on my own. About 4 months ago, I noticed some small improvements. Instead of my natural voids being a single void, they are now usually double and sometimes triple voids. And the average percentage of my natural void of my total void has climbed from 25% to 33%. I think it means that my bladder is still trying to do more of the work.

    In the past year, I considered having FLA, but I'm waiting to see a published study on the procedure, before I go further. After my huge urine retention of 7 liters, I realized my bladder was as much of my problem as my prostate . Once I got the hang of CIC, I found that it's not so bad. I don't have side effects from drugs, and my sexual function is intact. Another reason why I'm holding off on FLA is that I'd hate to spend $28,000 on a procedure and still have to continue CIC. I paid out-of-pocket for my PAE, which failed. Now I'm a bit more cautious about treatments that insurance doesn't cover.

    I second your recommendation of CIC. It's been a great option for me, too!

    Stebrunner

    • dennis47445
      dennis47445 stebrunner

      Posted

      Stebrunner, I hope to be like you someday, with my bladder doing more of the work. It's encouraging to know that the bladder, can heal itself.

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