difficulty peeing

Had a TVH with anterior and posterior repair and bladder stitched up on Monday, feeling great except can only pee 2 teaspoons at a time. I'm self catherting, but am frustrated. Any ideas on how to increase flow. Moe

Hi Moe25
I had difficulty after my hyst and also a couple weeks ago when I had more surgery and came home with a catheter. The uro nurse gave me these instructions:

*When you sit on the commode, have your legs apart as much as possible. (Forget you are a lady.) The wider you spread your legs the better. Lean forward and rest your elbows on your knees. This allows your pelvis to tip forward, thus placing the bladder outlet in a dependent position. (The bladder outlet is like a funnel - you want the funnel tipping straight down, not sideways.)

*Relax everything in the abdominal cavity. If you tighten the muscles in the abdomen, you are defeating your purpose. Totally relax and let your body work for you. The weight of the abdominal organs will press on the bladder to help you empty your bladder without pushing or straining.

*To be sure you are emptying your bladder completely you should do a “double void”. After urinating, stand up completely and bow, (Bend over from the waist) then sit back down (in the correct position) and empty your bladder again. < (Yes, I know that sounds silly - but hey, whatever works, right?)

This helped me because I had been sitting up pretty straight and ladylike. I hope it helps you too.

Gentle s,
Beth

Everything Sistabeth said is exactlley what I would tell you. I was lucky and did not come home with a cath. Had 2 week check up THurs and I am emptying well. Drink lots of water. Remember, there are 2 seperate streams that come. I go and then I sit there for a little while and here comes the 2nd stream. Might sound crazy but the dr said that the 2nd stream is very important because that is when you do your most emptying. Good luck!

Lucyrue

tvh,bso, A&p repair with bladder tack/sling

I had trouble voiding and still do for that matter, but one thing the doctor explained to me is that pushing and straining only make the problem worse. If you do this too much, you can actually cause damage to the urethra, swelling, inflammation, and you won't be able to go at all.

Another thing you might try is going in the shower. The nurses at the hospital tried to get me to go this way. They put me in the shower with warm water and put me in a somewhat squatting and leaning forward position. They said that sometimes it easier to go standing up than sitting down. Try this and see if it works as well as the tip about leaning forward and relaxing.

But, if you are not emptying all the way, keep doing the self-cath. If you don't, you could get a terrible infection and believe me - that is no fun at all!

Good luck and hope these hints work for you!
Amber

Thanks for the ideas. Will try them out. Things are slightly improved today, but still have a long way to go. Cheers, Moe

Beth,

What do you mean, "there are two streams?" I have bladder issues and am curious.

	Quote:
To be sure you are emptying your bladder completely you should do a “double void”. After urinating, stand up completely and bow, (Bend over from the waist) then sit back down (in the correct position) and empty your bladder again.

Sometimes when we finish our stream there might still be urine left in the bladder. Going again right away helps ensure the bladder is empty. Urine left in the bladder is more prone to bacterial growth, which increases the risk of urinary tract infection.

s,
Beth