Collicat

Hi!

I just wanted to ask you a few questions about when Dillon had to catheterize because of obstructions. He's the only person I've ever heard of besides me who has had to do that.

How often did they happen?

How long did he leave the catheter in?

How long did it take for him to "recover" from the obstruction?

Did the dr ever mention possibility of scarring in the intestine because of that?

So many people keep asking me if I am going to get a second opinion because of this. I feel that my dr is very good and know that he is trying everything he can. I've had 5 surgeries in the past 11 months and he doesn't want to do another. I don't blame him. But everyone keeps acting like me catheterizing during obstructions is not a good option at all. Any info you can give me would be really, really great. This is really stressing me out.

Thank you :)

Hi....sorry I missed this the first time around.

Dillon had most of his problems between the second and third operations. It ended up that there was a lot of tension on the loop ileostomy, pulling it downward, and because of this it constantly wanted to "twist". He had a catscan and they knew that the problem was just on the inside of the stoma. The first few times the docs used a catheter to straighten the twist but within hours the intestine would spit out the catheter and he would over the course of about 24 hours obstruct again. At this point the docs showed him how to do it and said that as long as he did not push if he felt resistance that there was no problem and it was no different than sticking a finger into your mouth. During this whole time Dillon was hospitalized which makes your situations different. His surgeon also said, that for Dillon, this was a short term fix since she was going to repair the issue when she went in to close the stoma.

Only you and your doctor know the ins and outs of your situation. It is easy for others to say you should not be doing this but maybe it really is the best answer in your case. Do you know what is causing the obstructions and it is easy for you to catheterize and relieve the obstruction? I think it would ease your mind if you made an appointment with your doctor and told him what you are being told and see what his response is. Also, I fully believe that you should never feel badly to seek another opinion from another surgeon. Any doctor should not take it personal that it would make you feel better to have someone else give their opinion on the course of your treatment. It does not mean that you do not have faith in your surgeon. It is only natural to need affirmation when our health is at stake.

All this being said, my impression was that it really was not a big deal to insert the catheter yourself. It is like running a finger along the inside of your mouth...not a big deal.
I don't want to offend anyone but when I was a teenager so many people thought it was terrible that a girl would use her finger to insert a tampon and that she could cause damage. I think this is the same type of thinking.

Anyway, I do believe that if this is bothering you that you should let your doctor know that you are anxious and if another opinion would help settle your thoughts that that is the route to take.

Sorry I am not of more help,
Cathy