APR Bladder question

Pamcakes

Richard had the APR last Tuesday. He the catheter was removed Saturda. He was unable to go after 6 hours so the cathed him again. They also started flomax. the catheter was removed this morning at midnight. He was able to go  little around 10:30am. an ultrasound showed he still had a lot of urine in the bladder. So he is being put back on the catheter. . We are being told this can happen esp for men. Does anyone have experience with this.richard is very anxious now so I am

trying to get some info on what others have experienced. Sorry for my typos I am

on my phone that I shattered the glass on here at the hospital! Thanks in advance.

SandiaBuddy

Catheter

I had the colectomy, but I had a nightmare with the catheter.  Perhaps my experience can be helpful.  The day after surgery, they removed the catheter and said I had to urinate a certain quantity (was it 100cc?) to keep the catheter out.  I did, but the nurses did an ultrasound and freaked out, saying my bladder was over-full.  They asked to put in a one time catheter to drain the bladder, to which I agreed.  They used students (it is a teaching hospital) who screwed up the insertion causing enormous pain and irritation.  The nurse then freaked out and inserted something like a "french catheter," which they left in (not temporary).  They then said they were going to send me home with a catheter, which I found unacceptable.  I insisted on getting a double-dose of finateride (a hormone inhibitor) and perhaps the flomax (my memory is a bit foggy on that).  I then had a heart-to-heart with the surgeon (as you have found, the doctors control everything in the hopital).  She agreed to remove the catheter and set some urinary goal, which I met, but was still hesitant to send me home.  I promised to go to the emergency room if there was any problem, and she released me from the hospital.  I had no issues when I went home.  I figuered if I went into the hospital with a functioning bladder and no catheter, why would I leave with a catheter?  Surgeons should alert mature men to take Finesteride for a month before surgery.  I also have no idea why they need the catheter for surgery.  Why not just use an adult diaper or a "trucker's catheter" (a condom like device).

My advice is to double the dosage of the meds, add finesteride, and to beg, cajole or threaten the doctor to get the result your husband wants.  The longer they leave the catheter in, the more difficult it will be to return to normal function.

Sorry about the situation you are in.  I hope I am of some help.

Trubrit

In and out and in and out and....

sore, sore, sore. 

I had problems urinating after one of my surgeries (not Cancer related). My bladder had overextended and quit working.  Being re-cathed over and over again became very painful. My heart goes out to your Richard. 

I ended up having to clip the tube for a while, then release it. Do that over and over. I went home with the cath.  With training, my bladded decided that it 'remembered' how to work.

I wish hubby well, and pray his bladder starts working again soon. 

Tru

Pamcakes

Thank you both for sharing

Thank you both for sharing your experience. We go tomorrow afternoon to see if Richard is able to have the catheter removed.i pray he is as he is not very happy at the moment and very worried this will be permanent. He is doing amazing with the colostomY. The catheter is making him crazy. Thank you for sharing with me, it gave Richard some much needed hope!

SandiaBuddy

Good luck

Good luck, and let us know how it is resolved.  

Pamcakes

He is able to tinkle on his

He is able to tinkle on his own and the catheter is gone. I have one happy hubby now!

Trubrit

Happy for you both

A happy husband equals a happy wife.

I'm glad the cath is out and he is able to go on his own. 

Hope its onward and upward from here. 

Tru

Annabelle41415

Ouch

That is very painful and sometimes can be so difficult to go after surgery.  So glad to hear that he is finally going on his own.  Sometimes it just takes the bladder extra time to wake up and function again.  Glad he is a happy camper.

Kim

SandiaBuddy

Great news

Great news.  Maybe it is my fragile male ego, but I found the catheter to be a real assault to my dignity.

Pamcakes

SandiaBuddy said:

Great news

Great news.  Maybe it is my fragile male ego, but I found the catheter to be a real assault to my dignity.

We wish we would have said

We wish we would have said something. Now Richard has very little control. It’s getting better, but I feel so bad for him I know he is getting so frustrated. I picked him up some of the man pads until he gets full control again. 

Butt

The ladder gets lazy with a catheter. I always asked mine to be out as soon as possible but of course sometimes they need it in. Usually gets better with time.

SandiaBuddy

Pamcakes said:

We wish we would have said

We wish we would have said something. Now Richard has very little control. It’s getting better, but I feel so bad for him I know he is getting so frustrated. I picked him up some of the man pads until he gets full control again. 

Odd issues

This is one of the odd issues that the doctors never discuss beforehand.  About a year after surgery I addressed it with my surgeon and she got very huffy and defensive, saying she needed the catheter in case she needed to open up my whole abdominal cavity--but she had no response to why one of the other strategies would not have worked.  I think getting the catheter out as soon as possible is one of the solutions.  I also think taking medication for prostate enlargement before the surgery would be another.  Hopefully, this post will help someone in the before-surgery category.