wow, the GOLD ones, huh?
dave
I get my catheters through mail order.
Again you can ask for samples that
are free. I use A-med in Huntington
Beach California. There's also a big
company in Georgia. The
catheters are quite expensive. Mine are covered by
Medicare. At
the cost of $1000 a month.
In a message dated 1/11/2005 3:27:12 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
6
inches! I do not pee until the 10 inch mark! I highly recommend
the
catheters that, in a bag. With practice you'll be able to
independently
catheterize on your own and just toss the bag into the
garbage.
I get my catheters through mail order. Again you can ask
for samples that
are free. I use A-med in Huntington Beach
California. There's also a big
company in Georgia. The
catheters are quite expensive. Mine are covered by
Medicare. At
the cost of $1000 a month.
If you have Medicaid I believe that they are
covered as well. Probably
easily. You'll need to have the
doctors prescription.
I must say that this is the best thing that I
have ever done. I was
suffering from autonomic dysreflexia to the
point of almost having a stroke.
I still take bladder medications to
stop spasms, as they also stop the
sweating caused by the
spasms.
Everyone is different. Practice, practice,
practice.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dana Miller"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "quad" <[email protected]>
Sent:
Tuesday, January 11, 2005 4:51 PM
Subject: Re: [QUAD-L]
Help....
> Grin! Need to get rid of those 6 inchers!
They are useless. The curved
> tip is a coude' tip. Get rid
of the red ones too--unless you want to keep
> them 'in case', which I
did a lot of! he! he!
> Not sure what you mean by going 'uphill' unless
you mean 'up' into the
> catheter. That is particularly true
if you are laying flat on your back
and
> need to cathed, it does
take a few seconds longer to get it up and
out--make
> sure the end
of the cath is "below" the stoma! Some nurses don't get that
>
'gravity' thing! Plus when taking the cath out-keep the cather
"down".
> Otherwise what is in the catheter will drain back into the
bladder.
>
> I cannot cath myself when laying flat, or laying on
either side. To do it
> in bed I must raise my knees and the
head. Raising the knees first will
> keep you from sliding down in
the bed quite so much. When laying back
down,
> lower the head
first, then knees. You will still slide, but not near as
> much.
Gads, the looks and why's I get from nurses when I ask them to do
>
that! They would just as soon pull me up in bed several times a
day.
Thats
> not the point, "I" get uncomfortable squished down in
the crease where the
> head comes up. I like my head touching the
headboard whether I am on
total
> flat bedrest or not! Well,
more venting. gotta go! Glad to be of help!
>
> Dana
and ?
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> ----- Original Message -----
>
From: "~LittleQuad~" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: "Dana Miller"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "quad" <[email protected]>
> Sent:
Tuesday, January 11, 2005 10:51 AM
> Subject: Re: [QUAD-L]
Help....
>
>
> > girl right now i have so many catheters
its crazy! i have all the ones
> > from b4 surgery, 6 inches long,
and the ones doc office sent to let me
> > decide what kind i
like...they are all 14 french tho..
> > i have 2 kinds long clear
ones, one has a curved tip, i think its best
so
> > far...other
long clear one has straight tip..the red ones are nice and
> > soft
but too pliable...
> > will it take a while for it to get used
to going kinda uphill? it takes
> > some coaxing to get the last bit
up out of the cath....yuk, can you
> > believe we are talking about
this?? lol
> > anyway thanks so much, you've been my saving
grace......have great day!
> > amye
> >
> > Dana
Miller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > If you can tell when you
need to pee, thats great! I can too, so I just
> > cath when
needed--depends on how much water I guzzle at one time. Timing
> >
it
> > may or may not help now. What ever works for 'you' is the
answer!
> >
> > I do have a stoma, the nurses etc. will call
it an Indiana nipple. I
asked
> > one time why a 'nipple' and they
could not really answer that. Mine is
> > about 2-3 inches to the
right of my belly button. My scar runs from
> > my --well--groin
area, up and around my belly button and stops about 4
> > inches
above my belly button. I hardly know its there (only because it
has
>
> been there so long) but it comes in handy when someone is
dressing
> > me--they
> > line the middle seam of the
slacks/jeans up with the scar! My SP was on
> > the
> >
other side very low down sort of where my leg and belly meet. I have
no
> > idea if there is a scar.
> >
> > As for
scars, get used to them! Over the years they will come. My back
and
>
> right back thigh looks like a road map. But that is because of
flap
> > surgeries. I used to be very picky about how my hands,
elbows and places
> > that people see every day, looked. I would see
guys with very nobby
elbows
> > that were calloused over and the
middle knuckle much taller and
calloused
> > than the rest of
their hand. I have been lucky and have aides that put
> > lotion on
every day. My fingers have stayed straight, but my right hand
> >
fingers are curling 'up' a bit. Not so that it looks wierd or even
close
> > to
> > it, but it is harder for me to 'make' them
curl.
> >
> > Your not vain, its normal for people,
especially women, to want their
skin
> > to look nice! Once the SP
is out, the place it was will close quickly.
> > Once the incision is
healed to minimize the look of it, keep it lotioned
> > or
>
> moist with something. I have been seeing a advertizement about a
cream
> > that
> > is supposed to keep scaring to a
minimum.
> >
> > I get my catheters from my pharmacy now. I
pay for them, but they last a
> > long time. I buy a box of 30 and
they deliver them with my meds. They
are:
> > Brand:
Mentor
> > description: Self-cath coude' olive tip with
> >
guide stripe (useless! the stripe)
> > size: 16 french
> >
reference number: 816
> >
> > They are clear/white color
with an orange end. The first ones I used
were
> > closer in color
to the red caths, but were a bit browner, shorter and a
> >
bit
> > stiffer than the red ones. Go to the pharmasist and see what
kinds they
> > have or can get. The clearer colored ones are better
as you can tell if
> > the
> > end is harboring gook or
growing things! :) Can also watch the mucous
come
> > out! In the
beging it is usual for so much mucous be produced that it
will
> >
clog the SP or even the cath. Run water thru the cath and try again if
>
> this
> > happens. If your SP clogs, irrigate. Do this on top of
your daily
> > irrigations. Sometimes nurses may not want to irrigate
an extra
time--get
> > the doc to write irrigate daily "and" prn!!
Be sure to tell them the way
> > 'you' want it done! Usually what
they are vtaught is different, such as
> > 'not pulling out' they
will let it drain out. That does not get the
mucous
> > out. Once
they have done it a couple of times and see the amount of
mucous
>
> come out, they will give in. If you get a hard head,. call the
agency
and
> > ask for a different nurse! They will provide the
irrigation kits too!
Tip:
> > whatever they do not use--KEEP! It
will come in handy sometime! I have a
> > bottom drawer of a dresser
I use just for such things. Urine sample
> > bottles, iodine swabs,
tweezers, lubricant packs, pads of any shape or
> > form,
>
> tape--can 'never' have enough tape. Extra drainage bed bags,
legs
bags-for
> > a while-60 cc syringes, just anything!
>
>
> > This is getting long. Ask if you have any questions!
>
> take care,
> >
> > Dana and ?
> >
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From:
"~LittleQuad~"
> >
> > To: "Dana Miller" ; "Quad-list
post"
> >
> > Sent: Monday, January 10, 2005 9:03 AM
>
> Subject: Re: [QUAD-L] Help....
> >
> >
> >>
wow i did it for the 1st tie at home! i have been dreading this
>
>> enormously! it just looks so awful, as i hate any scratch! thanks
so
much
> >> for the note, i must had read it 10Xs! i will try
and be on a strict 3
> >> hour regiment, unless needed before...as
i can still tell when i need
to
> >> go...the nurse at hospital
said i'd most likely lose it, thank goodness
i
> >>
haven't!!
> >> so you have a stoma also? where is yours? mine is
like 2 inches to
right
> >> of belly button, and the SP is 2
inches below...temporarily! i don't
> >> think
> >>
i'll have mine a year...i go back in 2 weeks and he mentioned removing
>
>> it...hope so, it hurts my feelings to see how it rubs my skin
and
> >> stretches it, my eyes water every time i see it...i must
be a vain
> >> person....haha
> >> thanks a lot
dana!!
> >>
> >>
> >> Dana Miller
wrote:
> >> It will be fine! It will produce a lot of mucous at
first because part
of
> >> your intestine was used and that
produced mucous! It "will" bleed, the
> >> edge
> >>
of the hole is tender right now. I kept a SP in for nearly a "year"
>
>> before
> >> 'trusting' that weird thing in my belly. Make
sure you irrigate it!! At
> >> least daily. Do not be gentle about
it! Put 60cc's of sterile water inn
> >> the syringe and shove it
in! Then pull 30cc's out! When you pull out,
do
> >> not pull
if you get resistance--the end of the catheter may be against
> >>
the
> >> wall of your new bladder. Irrigate again. I irrigated at
least twice or
> >> until it pulled back clear. It is amazing how
much mucous can build up
in
> >> 24 hours.
>
>>
> >> Between cathing, cover it with 2 x2's or a 4x4. It
will keep the
> >> irritation
> >> of clothes down.
When you do cath, make sure you get far enough in--the
> >> first
few weeks of cathing, if my doc did it, I would be flabbergasted
as
>
>> far in she would put it. The type of cath I use, only about 5-6
inches
> >> sticks out in order to get it all the way in. I really
should measure
> >> that.
> >> I will let you know
what kind of cath I use as those red rubber
hospital
> >> kind
might as well be a piece of spaghetti! Plus they drain slowly.
>
>>
> >> Do you still have a SP in? Using that at night gives
the hole a chance
to
> >> rest and the sides to heal a bit. If
the cath will not go in easy, if
> >> there
> >> is
resistance, take a deep breath and let it out--relax! And keep your
>
>> water drinking up! It will help expand the new bladder--altho if
you
are
> >> cathing only every 4 hours, I would cut back on
the water, or just sip
it
> >> now and then. If you drink a
whole glass it will hit in about an hour
and
> >> you will need
to cath every 20-30 minutes, if that much, as your
bladder
> >>
will not be able to hold that much liquid at a time. If your
are
leaking,
> >> up the caths to 3 hrs.
>
>>
> >> It will take quite a while to get used to it and to
the new feelings
you
> >> will get. They re-arranged your
insides! They will be sore. A picture
> >> will help. Sometimes,
no matter what you do, the durn thing will 'not'
go
> >> in.
Relax for a bit and have someone else try. The angle of the
cath
will
> >> help. When it goes in the hole have it pointed
down a bit towards the
new
> >> bladder.
>
>>
> >> The main thing is to be patient! It "will"
work--stay on ditropan or
> >> whatever you use for bladder
relaxation. What kind of cath are you
using?
> >> The red
rubbers are the softest, but because of that it does not have
> >>
enough
> >> stiffness to get thru the tight times, but will
eventually if you
> >> lubricate.
> >> I forgot about
lubricating--its been so long since I have used it, I
> >>
forget
> >> about it.
> >>
> >> Basically
its one of those things that the more you 'fight', the worse
it
>
>> is. Then suddenly it will go in, and you have no idea what you did!
I
> >> will
> >> be signing off for the day, but be
optimistic, it will work and see ya
> >> tomorrow! take
care,
> >>
> >> Dana and ?
> >>
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >> ----- Original Message -----
>
>> From: "~LittleQuad~"
> >>
> >> To: "Quad-list
post"
> >> Sent: Sunday, January 09, 2005 5:52 PM
> >>
Subject: [QUAD-L] Help....
> >>
> >>
>
>>> Hey gang! I've had my surgery and my doctor says it was a
success. I'm
> >>> not
> >>> so convinced! The
hole gets clogged up and fluid build-up. It's very
> >>>
sore
> >>> and bleeds when messed with. I can hardly stand to
look at it, much
less
> >>> cath thru it! My mom tried and
she couldn't figure it out. So I'm
going
> >>> to
>
>>> try it in a little while. Doc says do it every 4 hours. Ugh,
help! Is
it
> >>> supposed to do that??? I'm going to get a
pic taken of it and send,
> >>> hopefully this week.
>
>>> Thanks guys!!
> >>> Amye
>
>>>
> >>
> >>
> >>
>
>
> >
>
>
>
>
>
The
moral flabbiness born of the bitch goddess Success. That- with the squalid cash
interpretation put on the word success- is our national disease. -William
James 1906
|
