Yes that is what the subject is going to be today, Catheters. Its not a subject I would even have ever thought of talking about, but it is so important to us with CES and a neurogenic bladder.
When I first came home from the hospital, they sent me home with these long red rubber catheters that must have been around 14 inches long. WHAT? What do I need something that long for? Ummm I think they gave me the ones for men. So once I went to the urologist, he informed me there were other options. And that yes I was right, there was no reason I needed catheters that were that long.
So then I switched to the 6 inch ones, along with using the surgical lube, plus cleaning supplies. It was a nightmare and has been since it all started on Jan 5th 2009. I have had so many infections because of catheters. Just the name of them is like a dirty word to me and not something I would normally talk about (Since I never even knew any type of catheter except the ones they use in the hospital even existed)
When I was in the hospital, they told me I would need to use catheters, and I had this picture of carrying around this bag, as that is the only type I had ever seen, the foley type. I never heard of straight catheters and they had to teach me and my husband how to use them before we left the hospital. Use them? I did not even know what they looked like. I thought the ones they sent me home with were all that were available. Well I learned very quickly that was a wrong assumption. I now know that you have choices.
So I have finally found the catheter that is the best so far, the speedicath. It is awesome compared to all the others I have tried. It comes in a little tube about the size of a lipstick tube, and opens up with the surgical lube already applied. Now I am thinking how cool is that, and you are probably thinking why would you think that is cool right? Well when you have to learn to live this way, to find something that makes life just a little bit easier is cool no matter how you look at it.
On the other hand if you have a tarlov cyst and don't get lied to, just so that you will consent to a surgery, that in my opinion I never needed because it did nothing but damage me, you would not even have to think of things like this. But this is what happens when you are deceived and you are damaged, you use catheters, and that becomes your life. So then you have to go through trials and tribulations to figure out what is easiest for you to deal with it. This little catheter just might, and I say might because I have just started using them, it just might make my life a little easier. I hope this info helps someone out there, as someone else had recommended them to me and I am passing the info on. I think the speedicath is going to be a very valuable asset to my life, as long as my insurance continues to cover them, as they are much more expensive then the other type I was using. But yay no more surgical gel packets. Of course my life would work much much better if I did not have to think of this at all, and I did not get my life destroyed by some doctor that lied to me.
No comments:
Post a Comment