does anyone else have a suprapubic catheter?

oh my, i hate this thing. i can only sleep on my back and drag this around all day. and heaven forbid you move around too much or it leaks. what's worst constipation or this thing. any suggestions sisters? my bladder will thank you.

Sorry, can't help you out. Hopefully someone else will come along who can give you some suggestions.

Sorry for your dilema and hope you feel better REAL SOON

Yes, I came home with a suprapubic catheter. I could not wait to get it out. But I really think I would have been more miserable with a urethral catheter. I actually peed on my own in the hospital when the bag was attached. I was so excited that my bladder was already waking up. They took the bag off and clamped off the tube and put a "cork" in the end and I started going on my own and measuring to see what residual was left. Came home on Thursday and had catheter taken out on Monday. I really did not even unclamp the catheter after Sat. night because I felt I was emptying out okay. I would get sore around the site where the stitches were and just felt weird when I would bend or sit because I could kind of feel the tube in me. I was really surprised when they took it out to know there was about 10 inches of tube in my bladder. No wonder I could feel it. It didn't hurt to bad taking it out, just really strange. Clipping the stitches was actually more painful. When I read other posts about women coming home with foley catheters and the burning when they have them out and then having to cath themselves over and over, I'm glad I had the suprapubic over that one. Let me know how you do.

uuummm i don't know what it is.

hi! I came home with a supra-pubic and had it for 2 and 1/2 weeks. I was most comfy sleeping on my side kind of in a fetal position. Mine didn't leek. that must be agravating. The day it bothered me the most was the day I didn't have it taped right. Tape it so that there is a loop(or half a loop) near the cath. so if it gets tugged on, it won't pull on your bladder, just the skin on your tummy. You are probably doing your "bladder trials".? Hang in there, soon your bladder will begin to wake up. I agree that the supra pubic is better and more comfortable than a uretheral cath. And the site heals real quick once the cath is taken out! Hang in there...this is the hardest time. It gets much better! Carolyn

Carolyn - I forgot to mention when replying to debbieseymour about taping correctly and sleeping on your side for the most comfort. Thanks for filling in a few more details for her. I wish I had known about this site when I came home from the hospital but didn't find it until about three weeks post op. Hope you are doing well.

Hi,
I didn't realize that there is more than one type of cath. I just never really had the need to think about it. I came home with a foley. I had to have it blessing my leg for one week. It was alright. Not bad at all other than when I went to change my leg bag to my night time bag and then I realized that I had forgotten to take my pants off before I changed to the night bag. I sat on my bed and my DH found me sitting there with tears streaming down my face. I was just frustrated at having a tube attaching me to a bag and not being able to go to bed the "normal" way...without pants! I had the cath removed a week later and had trouble going potty for the first time. Now, a little over a week later my bladder is still sore when I go. But....I CAN GO!
I can't really give any advice here about your type of cath except to say that I can understand your frustration and I am so sympathetic for you. You have taught me that there are more than one type of cath and that just when we think we are alone we realize that we really aren't.
As for constipation......Man that HURT! For me, the cath was better. Then again, that is easy for me to say since both issues are over for me.
I really pray that you won't need your cath for very long. My bladder was attached to my uterus and after having to be removed from the uterus the bladder was plain old ticked off and wouldn't function except for a dribble. I was in such pain in the hospital that they ended up finally listening to me when I told them it was my bladder that was the problem and NOT the surgery part. They drained 1,100cc's off of my poor little bladder. NO wonder it wouldn't work.
Best of luck to you and each day gets better and better. Just remember, Don't push yourself at all and don't lift anything for a while. If you do.....You will know. You will end up back in bed the next day wishing that you hadn't pushed yourself. It only took me once to learn that one. I picked up a piece of wood when I shouldn't have. Now I just stand there and say "HONEY!!!!!" :-)
Heal healthy!
Daisy

I had mine for four weeks post-op. The other sisters mentioned taping the tube which helps. I also taped a little gauze around the inscision which helped with the irritation and discharge. I did better sleeping on my back. Usually, I sleep on my stomach which wasn't an option.

A week or so post op I started bladder training, so I could cap the tube - it was so much better than having the bag. I had problems with the leg bag leaking, but not the big bedside bag.

It isn't fun, but it's doable and hopefully it will be out before you know it. (I think the constipation is worse, it hurt a lot more )

s