Bladder training after suprapubic catheter

Dear Sisters,

Thank you for all the encouraging words, thoughts and prayers. The waiting really was worse than the actual surgery and recovery.

My surgery went really well. It took only 3 hours, instead of the expected 4. Knowing that I was so freaked out about the SP cath, my doc decided during surgery that I did not need one. So it was a very pleasant surprise to wake up in recovery without one. :-)

I went into the castle on Tues. and home on Friday. So I've been home a week. I've been taking Levaquin for the UTI and it still burns when I urinate. I had a few bad nights in the castle with fever, itching, and vomiting (reactions to the pain medicines). But overall, I am very happy to be on the other side and on the path to recovery.

Thank you all again!!!

Katie

So pleased to hear youre ok Katie.....big hugs to you and hope you have an uneventful recovery.....and what brilliant news about the catheter....just make sure drink and dirnk and drink and get lots of rest that will speed your recovery.

big z xxxxxxxxxxxx

Hi, Katie!

I am so glad you posted to let us know how you are! The wait really is worse than the surgery, isn't it? No sp catheter...good for you!! (I STILL have mine ) Just make sure to follow all of those post op instructions and don't overdo!

Take good care of you

I was soooooooo freaked out before the removal of my SP too. It's so normal. AND I also had the question....if there's a hole in my bladder for the SP HOW the heck will it close up.

I took a 5mg valium before the removal I was so scared. AND guess what. It was a "non issue" to use a doctor's term. I felt embarrased because I was SQUEEZING my husband hand and it didn't hurt at all.

The doctor (uro) fill my bladder up with saline to make sure I could PEE LIKE A WOMAN!!!!! It was weird at first, after being cath'd for four months....

A year and half later..... I have to pee urgently. I can "hold" it but it hurts. Then I never feel as if I empty all the way....

I was told the bladder is the "most forgiving organ" and so far it's held up....I still, however, feel as though I will have problems for the rest of my life. It took a year on low dose antibiotics to get rid of constant UTI's....I wake up at night and feel myself to make sure I'm dry. I dream that my bladder bursts in public....(the doctor had to cut my entire bladder as my VVF was posterior)

I think that after what we've been through our lives will never be the same. I still have tugging and some pain if I overdo....

RELAX though....your bladder hole is tiny......and your SP won't hurt coming out. YOU WILL have a hole and a scar. <grrrrr>

I'll be thinking of you tomorrow. AND the other's in waiting.

Renee

This thread has been very helpful to me over the last few days. I am so greatful to everyone who has shared their experiences here. I had a supra pubic catheter after TVH with A&P repairs on 8/23. Yesterday, thank God it came out. I was afraid that my residuals (about 40 cc's max) were not low enough and that I'd have to have it in longer. I was also afraid that it would hurt when it came out. I'm generally pretty stoic about pain, but it seems that over the last week I've had so much that I just can't handle any more.
I did take a tranquilizer before I went to the doctor's office. I would have taken a pain pill but my stomach was so upset (from nerves probably) that I couldn't risk anything that might make the stomach so bad I wouldn't be able to leave the house.It did hurt but was so brief that it was not much worse than ripping a bandaid off.
Well anyway, the doctor liked the way my husband had rigged my panties to accomodate the catheter so I thought I'd pass it on in case it might be helpful. He just cut a hole in the front over the area where the catheter came out so that it could come out without being forced down by the panty. This helps it avoid kinks. And everyone who's had one of these knows how uncomfortable it can be when it can't drain freely. Needless to say, I didn't let him mess with any expensive Victoria's Secret panties, not that I have any. These were just old 6 to a bag panties from Target.
I haven't really had any problem with leakage over the opening in my skin. The nurse had me empty my bladder before the doctor came in and afterwords, he just put a thick piece of gauze over it. He told me to press on the gauze everytime I urinated. So far, that has worked. I've had a few drops of leakage but nothing major.