I had an accident a few months ago, and among other things I had a pelvis fracture in 3 places, and the fracture severed my urethra. I’ve been living with a suprapubic catheter for 3 months now, and it’s actually not so bad, no pain most of the time, and the fact that I don’t have to go to the bathroom for a long time is pretty cool too.
The thing is, in march I’m going to have surgery to fix the pipes, and after that I’m going to have a foley catheter through the urethra for 3 weeks, I had a few exams while in the hospital where they inserted a catheter through the penis and it hurt like a motherfucker, so you’ll understand I’m a little curious if not anxious about having it for 3 weeks.
So, have any of you had to deal with this type of thing?, care to share your experience?.
It’s been my experience that all men squirm and shudder at the very thought of being catheterized. If somebody even brings up the subject, I immediately think of the sequence in Deadwood in which Dr. Cochran removes Al Swearengen’s kidney stones by inserting a pair of forceps up his urethra and yanking them out (Oh God, shudder, shudder, squirm, cringe.) It’s the stuff that nightmares are made of (NSFW, I think). I’ve never been catheterized (knock on wood), but I hear it’s actually not that bad.
Had them with surgery, always unconscious when they were inserted but awake during removal. I found the removal painful but brief. Having them in feels a bit funny but not really painful.
Keep the tubing unkinked, and keep the bag lower than your bladder. Otherwise you have the horrible urge to urinate and no actual ability to void your bladder, which is highly uncomfortable. (And by “highly uncomfortable,” I mean rage inducing and terrifying.) Basically, you should not feel like you have to pee when you have a Foley in. If you do, check your bag and tubing to make sure the flow is clear.
Having a Foley in isn’t as bad as having a Foley or straight cath put in and taken out for a test or procedure. It’s the in and out that’s painful. Once it’s in, if it hurts, something isn’t right - either the size or the placement or there’s irritation or infection starting. Tell your nurse or doctor, because all of those are things that should be looked at and fixed if possible.
Asked wife, who is an RT, and renter, who is an LVN. Wife says it hurts a lot (based on ER experience) but renter (home care nurse) says it’s almost painless if you have the right technique. Not sure what to make of that.
Gah! I have got to get out of this fucking thread. Every time I refresh it I experience this weird physical empathic sensation, sort of like the strange quasi-electrical sensation you feel when you think something really bad is going to happen right now. It’s difficult to describe. Eeks. My wife thinks I’m a wuss… I’ve watched the video I linked to about four times, just to give myself the Imp of the Perverse creepy-jeebies. Why am I doing this to myself… :smack:
I had one after surgery, don’t remember it going in. Wearing it was no problem, but removal was. Apparently they didn’t use enough lube, because I had a burning sensation as it came out and for the first post cath pee. I can only imagine that having the clap felt similar.
Don’t worry, as I said I’ve had a suprapubic catheter for 3 months now, so I’m familiar with all the cares and precautions. And I’ve also dealt with the horrible urge to urinate when my catheter got clogged once.
They’ll put the Foley after surgery so I’ll be asleep, so apparently the only unpleasantness would be when they remove it and by experience I know that’s very fast so I’m not worried, thanks.
Practice makes perfect. Catheterizing frequently will both dilate the urethra and expand the sphincter at the neck of the bladder, not to mention make the patient relax more because they know what to expect. So the more often one caths, the easier and less discomfort you feel.
Once it’s in it’s fine. Taking it out is pretty unpleasant but the pain only lasts for about three seconds so just grit your teeth and man it out and you’ll be fine
Catheterized many times, including several multi-week stints with a Foley.
Do you have any history of sensitivity to latex? If you do, let the doctor/nurse know so they can use a non-latex (PVC?) catheter. If you’re not sure, just ask for a non-latex cath. If you’re going to learn that you have a contact allergy, this is not the part of the body you want to be using for the educational experience.
Keep your penis clean. The urinary tract appears to secrete a bit of fluid, and this can accumulate where the catheter exits the penis. When you bathe, let the gunk soften and clean it off. You’ll feel better.
It is possible to get an erection and have an orgasm with the Foley in place. If you frequently get an erection and/or orgasm while sleeping, this will probably happen to you. It feels a little… weird, but it won’t hurt anything. Just clean up as usual.
With good technique and the right size catheter, it should not hurt going in, although there may be a brief burning sensation as the tip goes through the bladder sphincter.** The Foley catheter should not hurt at all once it’s in place. If it does, something is wrong (bladder infection, catheter is kinked/clogged and not draining).**
I’d like to add a suggestion for those unfortunate enough to be stuck on one of these for any length of time. Recurring erections, especially at night, can be very painful unless you prepare for them. When it inevitably happens, pre-ejaculatory fluid may force it’s way out between the catheter tube and the urethra. When the penis returns to the flaccid state, it will leave deposits on the tube. These deposits accumulate and dry, leaving a “sandpaper-like” surface on the previously smooth silicone rubber tube. The next time an erection occurs, the penis must painfully slide over this surface; and when it retracts, it will leave additional deposits on the already rough tube. Thus, each successive erection becomes increasingly more painful. To avoid this, thoroughly clean the catheter immediately in front if the flaccid penis. Use your fingernail to scrape the tube smooth while using soap and running water. Make sure to clean all of the exposed tube so there will be plenty of smooth tube for a full erection to slide over (some will need more than others). Next, dry the tube and put a drop of silicone sex lube on it at the penis opening. Work it into the hole as best you can, pushing down on the penis to expose as much of the tube as possible. Finish by very lightly coating a few inches of the tube right in front of the penis. Finally, when going to bed, be sure to position the penis straight up, against the belly (the position an erection will seek) and place the catheter in line with it, taping in place as necessary. Be sure to leave enough un-obscured, lubed tube for an erection to slide over. This should allow you to sleep through the natural, nightly erection cycles.
