Catheteters

srbelle1
srbelle1 Member Posts: 123
in Kidney Cancer #1

how many of you who had nephrectomies left the hospital with catheters? My husband was released today after a laparoscopy on Friday. Surgery went well; clean margins and a tip of the adrenal gland (taken as precaution to not spread the cancer by cutting the gland from the kidney.

after 3 nights in the hospital and after 3 trials at urinating without the catheter, they sent him home with it and an appointment to have it removed this coming Friday. 

With the pain killers which depress his appetite, he began hiccups and burping, along with attempted vomiting.

is this common? Has anyone else experienced any of this? This is all so new even 3 months into it so I panic each time something odd happens.

please share some similar experiences or let me know it's unusual; my first thought is always to call 911 which I am sure is overreaction, or is it?

sarah

Comments

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #2
    My favorite subject.

    Sarah,

    The one thiing that is not unusual is  the pain in having to go after the catheter is removed. It is very painful because the catheter acts like a blast furnace in heating up your urinne. unrelated I thik is that thr painkillers can and do upset your stomach. I can not imagine being sent home with a catheter in.

     

    Icemman

  • NanoSecond
    NanoSecond Member Posts: 653
    #3
    Catheter

    Hi Sarah.  I too am amazed that the hospital would send your husband home with a catheter still in place.  Regardless, I have several thoughts.  First, perhaps he has developed some sort of infection with it still in place; Second, he may reacting to taking those pain killers; Third, most pain killers induce severe constipation. Has he been taking adequate laxatives and drinking prune juice, etc.?

  • srbelle1
    srbelle1 Member Posts: 123
    #4
    NanoSecond said:

    Catheter

    Hi Sarah.  I too am amazed that the hospital would send your husband home with a catheter still in place.  Regardless, I have several thoughts.  First, perhaps he has developed some sort of infection with it still in place; Second, he may reacting to taking those pain killers; Third, most pain killers induce severe constipation. Has he been taking adequate laxatives and drinking prune juice, etc.?

    thanks for the responses; he

    thanks for the responses; he has had the catheter removed three times since surgery and reinserted when he was unable to urinate.

    so, yesterday they sent him home with it (apparently, it is commonly done for prostate surgery) but he hates it and wants it out on Friday.

    he and I have done battle over amounts of liquids he drinks and today, the urine was a reddish color. The nurse said it is not blood but a sign of dyhadration and the amounts he should be drinking. She also explained to him that coffee does not count but rather acts as a dyhadration. 

    I am going to battle him on the narcotics as well; I am sure he will not want another obstruction.

    being a caregiver AND a wife is..... I will keep it clean; frustrating.

    sarah

  • mom2two
    mom2two Member Posts: 48
    #5
    srbelle1 said:

    thanks for the responses; he

    thanks for the responses; he has had the catheter removed three times since surgery and reinserted when he was unable to urinate.

    so, yesterday they sent him home with it (apparently, it is commonly done for prostate surgery) but he hates it and wants it out on Friday.

    he and I have done battle over amounts of liquids he drinks and today, the urine was a reddish color. The nurse said it is not blood but a sign of dyhadration and the amounts he should be drinking. She also explained to him that coffee does not count but rather acts as a dyhadration. 

    I am going to battle him on the narcotics as well; I am sure he will not want another obstruction.

    being a caregiver AND a wife is..... I will keep it clean; frustrating.

    sarah

    Sarah

    I haven't had my kidney surgery yet..that is scheduled for next Thursday, Oct 3, but I have had many other surgeries. I have been sent home with a catheter a few times. It isn't fun, but it was managable. In my case, the pain meds along with the anesthesia made it hard for me to go on my own. It tends to relax my muscles for several days, but eventually I was able to get going again normally. In this day and age, they don't keep you hospitalized for just a catheter. I hope you have visiting nurses, which it sounds like you do. :)

     

    Oh, by the way, my 98 year old grandmother lives with me, and she has had a catheter in for months. :) Well, it gets changed frequently, but she has one in continuously.

  • icemantoo
    icemantoo Member Posts: 3,361 Member
    #6
    srbelle1 said:

    thanks for the responses; he

    thanks for the responses; he has had the catheter removed three times since surgery and reinserted when he was unable to urinate.

    so, yesterday they sent him home with it (apparently, it is commonly done for prostate surgery) but he hates it and wants it out on Friday.

    he and I have done battle over amounts of liquids he drinks and today, the urine was a reddish color. The nurse said it is not blood but a sign of dyhadration and the amounts he should be drinking. She also explained to him that coffee does not count but rather acts as a dyhadration. 

    I am going to battle him on the narcotics as well; I am sure he will not want another obstruction.

    being a caregiver AND a wife is..... I will keep it clean; frustrating.

    sarah

    Blood

    Sarah,

     

    From my experrience you donate a litttle blood when the catheter come out.

     

     

    Icemantoo

  • donna_lee
    donna_lee Member Posts: 1,045 Member
    #7
    icemantoo said:

    Blood

    Sarah,

     

    From my experrience you donate a litttle blood when the catheter come out.

     

     

    Icemantoo

    And have the doc check for

    Pancreatitis.  The pancreas can become inflamed as a result of surgery, meds, and irregular food/iv's, and having the docs paw thru the inside organs.  Nausea/vomiting can be the result.

    Hope every thing comes out all right...if you get the joke.

    Donna

  • srbelle1
    srbelle1 Member Posts: 123
    #8
    mom2two said:

    Sarah

    I haven't had my kidney surgery yet..that is scheduled for next Thursday, Oct 3, but I have had many other surgeries. I have been sent home with a catheter a few times. It isn't fun, but it was managable. In my case, the pain meds along with the anesthesia made it hard for me to go on my own. It tends to relax my muscles for several days, but eventually I was able to get going again normally. In this day and age, they don't keep you hospitalized for just a catheter. I hope you have visiting nurses, which it sounds like you do. :)

     

    Oh, by the way, my 98 year old grandmother lives with me, and she has had a catheter in for months. :) Well, it gets changed frequently, but she has one in continuously.

    no visiting nurse; we spoke

    no visiting nurse; we spoke by phone. It's encouraging to hear that this will pass. 

    SarahSarah

  • srbelle1
    srbelle1 Member Posts: 123
    #9
    icemantoo said:

    Blood

    Sarah,

     

    From my experrience you donate a litttle blood when the catheter come out.

     

     

    Icemantoo

    so you think the blood is

    so you think the blood is coming from the repeated removals and insertions? That is something we hadn't thought of and I will ask the nurse when she calls later today.

    thanks, Sarah

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