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suprapubic catheter advice please.

Posted , 25 users are following.

ollie64
ollie64

Hello, I was wondering if anyone with or who has had a suprapubic catheter Could give me some advice and do's and don't's, tips, etc etc.

I will be having one fitted on Tuesday after having this urethral catheter removed, been 29 days since this urethral one was fitted and I requested the urologist a week and a bit ago to convert me as this one was driving me mad with the infections, discomfort, physical restrictions, internal bleeding and bladder spasms, etc etc.

I requested general anaesthetic as I am quite an anxious person and would probably panic if awake.

Any advice from personal experience / medical training is appreciated. Thanks

3 likes, 113 replies

113 Replies

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  • mik98
    mik98 ollie64

    Posted

    Hey Ollie64,

    Sorry to hear about your issues I have a suprapubic catheter for about 8 years and before that I just had a catheter through the penis and boy talk about issues so I had it changed to a suprapubic catheter boy what a difference things are much better. I had to have one put in because I became ill from a vacation to Belize and during treatment and the infection messed up my bladder so I would have urgency where I could not hold it and it just came out on its own at times I did not realize that I was leaking before it was to late. I do have one piece of advice for you and anyone else reading this article is if you notice pain starting in the bladder or around the tube it means the catheter has deposits on it and it is crusting on the tube and therefore as you move and you abdominal muscles move back and forth on the catheter causes rubbing against the stoma and it will cause great pain and the longer you leave it in the worse the pain will become. Because I have somewhat a physical job a lot of walking and up and down ladders I have to change mine once a week or when the pain starts. I hope this helps feel free to contact me.

    Mike

  • robert02169
    robert02169 ollie64

    Posted

    IT DEPENDS ON THE CAUSE IN MY CASE IT RESULTED FROM RADIATION DAMAGE-ITS BEEN A CONSTANT BATTLE—SPASAMS—LOTS OF BL
    • robert02169
      robert02169

      Posted

      LOTS OF BLOOD LARGE CHALLANGE WORKING WITH DOCTOR TO FIND A SOLUTION CURRENTLY UNDER GOING HYPERBERIC CHAMBER TREATMENT 2 1/2 HOURS A DAY FOR THIRTY DAYS SUPOSE TO HEAL THE AREAS DAMAGED BY RADIATION AND SO THE JOURNEY CONTINUEST—MY BIGGEST ISSUE IS I WAS NOT APPRISED OF ALL THE POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS THAT MIGHT OCCOUR ON THE CONTARY I WAS TOLD THAT THE SP WAS THE ANS TO ALL MY ISSUES WISH U LUCK ROBERT
    • mik98
      mik98 robert02169

      Posted

      Hey Robert

      ​Sorry to hear you are having such issues with your bladder what happened? to cause your issues to begin with?

    • robert02169
      robert02169 mik98

      Posted

      MIKE ITS A LONG STORY -IF U WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK I WOULD BE HAPPY TO SHARE MY JOURNEY—IF YES I WILL BE HAPPY TO GIVE U MY PHONE #REGARDS BOB J
    • mik98
      mik98 robert02169

      Posted

      Hey Robert sorry I have not gotten back to you sooner I became sick this week with an infection that laid me up and the Dr.s could not find the cause so I have been diagnosed with fever of unknown origin I have had this for years. Usually I will get a fever and become extremely tired so I would go home to bed and wake up next morning totally fine like nothing was wrong but this time it got a hold of me and took me out for a week just today feeling good again. So what started your condition? You don't need to give your whole history.

      Mike

    • robert02169
      robert02169 mik98

      Posted

      GREETINGS MIKE—BEGAN WITH A RADICAL PROSTECTMY TWENTY FIVE YRS AGO—ALL GOOD UNTIL CANCER RTD TWELVE YRS AGO AND REQUIRED 42 RADIATION TREATMENTS ALL GOOD UNTIL TWO YRS AGO WHEN STRICTURES OCCURED RESULTING IN VISITS TO THE ER TO OPEN UP URETHA  THIS RESULTED IN INCONTIENCE WHICH IN TURN THE SP MIND U IT WAS OVER AN 18MO TIME LINE BEFORE I DECIDED TO GO WITH THE SP -WAS EXHUSTED MENTALY AND PHYSCIALY DEALING WITH THE ISSUES —REGARDS BOB J
  • yoshiro67881
    yoshiro67881 ollie64

    Posted

    I will have a SPC in several weeks. I am wondering where it is located and if your belt line and when sitting there is anything youmust do different.  How is it secured when you change to night bag. My foley has a stabilizer that is used to insert the Y at the end of catherer to secure it.

    I asked earlier but had no response but any thought on wearing thermal underwear with a SPC.  Thanks for any input. 

    • mik98
      mik98 yoshiro67881

      Posted

      Hi Yoshiro I am sorry you have to go through this procedure may I ask what happened and how old you are? First of all unfortunately the Dr. will place the tube directly on your belt line, I remember when I had mine put in I tried to talked to the Dr. and he said that is the only way to do the procedure. At first it will hurt and you will not be able to put any pressure at first on the tube but after a while you will be able to wear a belt no problem I used to wear suspenders to hold my pants up while the hole was healing. When you are sitting should not be a problem but when lay down to sleep you will not want to sleep on your stomach because it will be tender but overt time it wont bother you. I have enough control where as long as I am close to a restroom I can urinate normally but over night or long trip I need to use the bag and all I do is with the leg bag is the strap that comes with the bag is I loop the strap over my under ware band and use my under ware to hold my bag. Then with the catheter I just use skin tape to hold tube in place on either side on the hip because you don't want nothing to be tugging on the tube so as to not cause pain, then at night I unhook the leg bag and hook up the overnight bag and leave tube still taped to your leg again you do not want to be yanking on the tube when you roll over also get a plastic waste basket to hang over night bag in because I have a few of them develop a leak over night. I hope this helps please feel free to contact me.

      Mike

    • mik98
      mik98 yoshiro67881

      Posted

      Hey Yoshiro I missed read your first  part of your message it will be located directly below your navel about 1-2 inches below your belly button.

      ​Mike

    • yoshiro67881
      yoshiro67881 mik98

      Posted

      Thank you for the detailed review of what to expect.  I am 85 and went thru urinary retention problems. I have done the TURP which wasn’t very successful as I developed a stricture at the bladder neck area near the inner spinster.  I did dilation which failed. I am putting the SPC to allow my uretha and stricture to normalize than we plan to do a scope to see exactly what it looks like and decide on course of action

       I want to put it in now as I plan to travel in February 2018. I feel three months would be enough time to allow me to get accustomed to it.  I did dilation self cath 5 times a day but it still would not allow normal urination.  

      Added information, I had prostate cancer 9years ago and am cancer free.  

      Any thoughts about thermal underwear and SPC? Will it be too snug to allow flow into leg bag? 

    • mik98
      mik98 yoshiro67881

      Posted

      Hey Yoshiro congratulations on you being cancer free, may I ask why you want to wear thermal under ware?  I am afraid that thermal under ware may put too much pressure on your stoma and cause pain (it may also depends if you are a fast healer or slow healer) you may want to try it for a little bit be fore your trip to see how it feels. Also I am afraid that by wearing thermal under ware will cause bacteria to grow faster around the stoma because of trapping of heat and moisture in turn can cause more uti's (remember the stoma is a direct way for bacteria to enter your bladder) and at first you will have leakage around catheter for a while until stoma heels, (you have to keep the area around the opening as clean as possible). If you plan on traveling in the future take extra catheters with you and learn how to replace it your self if needed, it can get expensive to go into a clinic and have a Dr. do it I know if I go to my clinic to have it replaced it will cost me 350 dollar( I do have decent insurance) but I do it myself. If you need help on changing your catheter let me know I will be glad to help you, also listen to your abdomen if you start to feel pain around the stoma where the catheter goes into the bladder (after it heals) replace the catheter regardless of what Dr. says because what is happening is as catheter sits inside your bladder and as you urinate chemicals in your urine will attach to the catheter witch will cause crustiness on the catheter to form around the balloon of the catheter and as you walk or get up from sitting down or sitting down the catheter is moving in and out of your abdomen as your abdomen muscles pull in and release causing the crustiness on the catheter to scratch against the wall of your stoma causing great pain. I know with me and my job being physical I have to change mine at times once a week also try to drink a lot of water if possible to keep bladder flushed out. Finally, may I suggest that when you go to have catheter put in suggest to your Dr. if he can put in a 18 French 5 /cc catheter because 18 French is diameter of catheter and 5/cc is amount of fluid the balloon needs to have to fully inflate. This is what I use because the balloon only has 5 cc of fluid in it in turns mean the balloon is smaller in the bladder in turn causing less agitation inside your bladder (this is just my opinion for what it is worth). 

      Sorry for rambling on,

      ?Mike

    • yoshiro67881
      yoshiro67881 mik98

      Posted

      Thanks, Mike,  I don’t mind the rambling on. It’s all good stuff you’re trying to get over.i will be traveling as I said.  It will be to Norway to view the Northern Lights. I will be on a cruise ship going above the Arctic Circle for seven days. I will be in cold weather for at least ten days. Of course it won’t be all day long but I’m sure most of the day time hours will need thermal. I have discussed this with my Uro and he feels I would be okay. It’s been a life long dream to see the lights and the opportunity came up so I plan to take this advantage.

      I will discuss with my Uro the things you brought up and I’m sure he will be willing to give me adequate antibiotics, etc to tide me over. I will be careful to keep the stoma area clean and dry and air it out at every opportune time. Thanks again for your advice. 

    • robert02169
      robert02169 yoshiro67881

      Posted

      GO FOR IT YOSHIRO LIFE IS SHORT PAIN IS OPTIONAL DREAMS REALIZED ARE THE STUFF OF LIFE ROBERT MIKE IS THE BEST
    • mik98
      mik98 robert02169

      Posted

      hey Robert how are you feeling? I hope things are getting better for you. So what is your current status are things calming down?

      Mike

    • mik98
      mik98 robert02169

      Posted

      Hey Robert I am not the best just trying to get through under the radar and if I can help people who have issues to make their life easier all the better.

      Mike

    • robert02169
      robert02169 mik98

      Posted

      HEY MIKE JUST COMPLETED MY 40th HYPERBIC TREAMENT 20 TO GO DEFINITE IMPROVEMENT -IN JANUARY SCHEDULED TO SEE MY UROLOGIST FOR BOTOX INJECTION 200mg AT WHICH POINT HE WILL CHECK THE BLADDER TO ASSESS CURRENT STATUS-IN ADDITION I AM SECHDULED TO SEE A SPECIALIST IN NY TO HAVE A CONSULT  AND DISCUSS OPTIONS —STILL HAVE OCCASIONAL SPASAMS —GAME PLAN IS TO EXPLORE EVERY OPTION WHILE ENJOYING LIFE🎃

    • mik98
      mik98 robert02169

      Posted

      Hey Robert glad things are getting a little better for you, why the botox injection are you trying to stop using the catheter?

      Mike

    • robert02169
      robert02169 mik98

      Posted

      GREETINGS MIKE AS IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME IT IS TO ASSIST IN CALMING THE BLADDER DOWN-IF U GO ON LINE U WILL GET A FULL EXPLANATION OF IT-MIND U IF I COULD FIND A WAY TO REMOVE THE SP I WOULD CERTAINLY GIVE IT SOME THOUGHT-OVERALL IT HAS BEEN ABOUT SIX MONTHS SINCE THE SP WAS INSERTED (QUITE AN EDUCATION) I HAVE ARRIVED AT A POINT WHERE I HAVE ACCEPTANCE WITHOUT SURRENDER IT HAS TOUGHT ME TO BE HERE NOW AND TO KNOW WHAT IS IS 🎃I FOCUS ON THE HERE AND NOW AND MAKE IT A POINT TO ENJOY EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY-WISHING U A GRT WEEKEND 🎃. Bob

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