I reached the 2 year mark!
Posted , 8 users are following.
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
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hank1953 dennis47445
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lester19220 dennis47445
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Motto lester19220
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lester19220 Motto
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Howard31850 dennis47445
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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 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 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 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.