Suggestions for suprapubic voiding

I just went through surgery to repair a very large vesicovaginal fistula. I have a superpubic catheter in and have to start the voiding (capping) process on the 9th of this month (July). I am open to any suggestions anyone has for me.
Thanks
Sassy

Sassy,

Did they give you any post-op instructions? When I was first supposed to clamp off the SP and try to go on my own, I set my kitchen timer. They had cut my bladder in half to remove scar tissue, so there was less capacity than before the surgery. They didn't want my bladder to get too ful and put any stress on where it was still healing. So I pretty much tried going every hour, on the hour.

Good luck,
Dee

Yes I was given instructions. I am suppose to try every two hours to go on my own. Which I do not seeing a problem since most of my bladder spasms are so bad that I urinate with most of them. They also cut my bladder completely in half to fix the huge fistula I had so they told me anytime I felt the need to go to at least try. I start my voiding with four hour increments and then increase from there once I reach 150cc two times in a row. I was just looking for any extra suggestions from someone who had gone through it. I had my dh buy me a watch that I could set so I would not wear out my kitchen timer going 24/7, lol.

Thank you
Sassy

Sassy,
What kind of meds did they put you on for the bladder spasms? I was taking stuff every 4 hours. It didn't make them go away, but they were a little more livable. What a great idea buying a watch with a timer...wish I would have thought of that!

It seemed like the "bad" thing about being able to void on my own, is that when the bladder was empty, that is when I could feel the tip of the catheter jabbing into the bladder.

Take care of you,
Dee

I am on pyridian(? spelling) three times a day 200 mg. Also B&O suppositories which I'm sure they are helping with the spasms it is just they put me right to sleep so I really don't know if I am having them or not. So I only use them at night before bed.
I am so concerned about the part of trying to urinate every two hours. I can not stand to bare down for a bowel movement because everytime I bare down I have a terrible, terrible spasm. So to try and bare down to urinate scares me. My spasms are so bad they bring tears to my eyesand I have to remind myself to breath. I sort of breathe like they tell you to when you are in labor. I have noticed if I move the tube just a little the spasm will lighten a little.
Today I am having that same feeling of having a tampon in wrong like I had before when I had the stents in. I didn't have this pain until my stents had been in for almost four weeks before and I still have over four weeks to go before they are removed. The last time I had this pain they took an X-ray to see if the stents has moved and they had not the doctor said it was just pretty much time to have them removed.

Thank you
Sassy

(((Sassy)))

Don't you wish there was a manual to look at so you knew when you should call the doctor, or when it was OK to just wait it out?

I had stents; but they were removed before I left the hospital...and I had an epidural in the whole time I had the stents, so they were sort of there, but not. They also had me wait a bit longer to try capping off the SP and try going on my own. I guess each doctor is a little different in what they do, and each case is different, too.

I agree the B&O do make you go to sleep. I was taking ditropan (not the extended release kind) every 4 hours. After awhile it really affected my eyesight among other things. I just kept telling myself it would be worse if I wasn't taking it.

To me the spasms felt like lightning exploding inside my bladder. Not fun at all.

Regarding your BMs...have you been taking a stool softener? You really don't want to get constipated, and the B&O can add to that problem. And you are so right that sometimes just a little movement can re-place the catheter so it isn't causing you as much grief. Just keep looking for infection; with any catheter you are so much more likely to get one.

s : and hang in there, kiddo.

Dee

Hi ladies! I've had my Supra-Pubic Cath in for three and a half weeks, since hysterectomy and pelvic reconstruction. My bladder spasms were never as bad as yours sound, but I have only urinated on my own once. I just keep capping, uncapping, recapping, etc. I find it a lot more comfortable if I keep the catheter tube secured to my thigh or in my panties. If it's just hanging there, it seems to pull and hurt my bladder. Sassy, do you have any specific questions? I've been dealing with this for a while, so I could maybe have some advice. You might not know what to ask about until you get started. Let me know if I can help you.

Jillby

Dee not to make light of your situation but an epidural sounds like heaven right about now. Yes I am taking stool softner's. It is just the slightest amount of bearing down causes so much spasm pain. Thanks for the reminder of watching for infection.
Jillby thank you so much. I have a strap that attaches to my thigh that the cath attaches to. I know what you mean about it just hanging there, it just about kills me while I am taking a shower because it is not attached to anything.
I spoke with my surgeons nurse today. I have to talk with them once a week with an update. I told her that I feel as if I am trying to get over the flu--I am weak, clamy, shaky and have no energy at all. She told me that it was normal. She also told me to make sure I stay away from all caffeine including chocolate and spicy foods. She said they will all cause the bladder to spasm. I don't drink soda's or coffee and I actually haven't felt like chocolate ( now you know a women feels bad when they are not in the mood for chocolate, lol). So hopefully that little info will help someone else.
Well I start capping tomorrow. I just hope and pray my bladder catches on soon and this will be over soon. I almost lost it last night sitting on the toilet changing from day bag to night bag and just loooking at all the tubes and the bags coming out of my body just overwhelmed me.
Thanks for all the support
Sassy

Sassy,

Good luck with the capping and voiding. It doesn't sound like it will be too much a problem since you already urinate with your spasms. I still have only voided on my own 4 times since my surgery almost 4 weeks ago. The thing that I have found most helpful was a suggestion from my surgeon to do a Kegel and then try to urinate as you relax your muscles. Then you can really tell if you are relaxing or not. If your muscles are tight it's going to be harder to void.

Again, good luck! Keep us posted!