Reply: A happy user of self-catheterisation

I copied this posting from another thread to make it more visible.

I as well as hundreds of others have complete empathy for what you are going through: the sweating as your body tries to get rid of the excess fluid; the feeling of light-headedness as your brain reacts against the problem; and of course the pain as your bladder is completely filled; then when you reach a relatively safe toilet you still can’t go as your bladder sphincter has gone into spasm and is refusing to open.

Andrew is completely right when he points you towards self-catheterisation Consult your doctor who should get you a referral to a nurse who will teach you how to do it hygienically. I have found most doctors and nurses are very sympathetic to the problem although I once encountered a urology doctor who demanded to know the name of the doc that prescribed catheters to me as he was going to report him to the B.M.A. His closing comment was “You can either pee or you can’t pee, there is no in-between”. Thankfully these dinosaurs are diminishing.

Andrew is right when he said no pain is involved; it does feel a bit funny when you first try it but you will be amazed how easily the catheter moves up to the bladder; you will then encounter an obstruction - the sphincter to the bladder - but a little push usually gets you through it; the nurse may ask you to cough as you push as this sometimes helps. Then lo and behold the bladder will start to completely empty: a lovely feeling.

So do the maths Chris :a minute or two feeling a bit funny against hours of total agony, it’s a no brainer really. There you have it: a “get out of jail” card that releases you from your self-imposed anti-social prison.
PS keep the catheter in your sock under your trousers and nobody knows you are carrying it.