Catheter out soon - need some advice

My catheter is due to come out at on Monday morning, December 15th.  It will have been in place for 32 days at that point since surgery.  I have several questions.

Will it hurt much being taken out?   I have never had one before.

Will I have uncontrollabe urine flow once it is taken out?

Do we need to bring any supplies to the doctor's office that morning?  The urologist office never said anything one way or the other.

Should taking out the catheter end all these horrible bladder spasms I still continue to have daily?

I don't understand if I will need diapers like Depends or some talk about pads or panty liners, this is all new ground to me, any information will help.

I cant wait to have this ever annoying and irratating catheter out of me.  Thanks for any help.

David in SC

It's pretty much painless. You'll leak like Niagra Falls when it's first removed. Doc will point you to the toilet to see if you can stop the stream. I used these: http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/catalog/shop_product_detail.jsp?filterBy=&skuId=264671&productId=264671&navAction=jump&navCount=3 Spasms will still be there.

I had no pain with the removal. The doc deflated the balloon and it almost fell out on it's own. My bladder wasn't filled prior to removal to check for leaks like others indicated, nor was I to pee and stop and pee again with the doc checking. He just removed the little buddy and gave me a sample pull up diaper and said see you in a couple of weeks for the PSA test. I never had the spasms, so I can't comment if you will still have them or not. I leaked continually for almost two months...only recently has it improved to just a few pads a day.

My experience.

No pain with removal but definite discomfort. I brought along depends and pads to the office but it wasn't necessary because the Dr's office gave me an initial supply. No filling the bladder prior to the catheter coming out. However after removal, the nurse gave me lots of fluid to drink and had me wait in the area for 1-2 hours to be sure that I was urinating. Well, in my case. being one of the fortunate ones,  I didn't need the pads at all - full continence from the get go. I left the office after 2 hours.

Unfortunately, several days later I couldn't urinate and I had terrible pain. I was admitted to the emergency room and a catheter was reinserted and left in for several more days after which I didn't have any more problems. They think there must have been some swelling or some other blockage in the urethra that cleared up with the second catheter insertion.

Good luck to you.

Mine wasn't painful coming out. Uncomfortable (a slight burning) but it was over in seconds and then FREEDOM.
I had a nurse do it. Before taking it out, she squirted sterile water up the cath tube into my bladder. When it felt full, she did the removal. She had me standing over a container to catch the outflow.
I took a deep breath and exhaled steadily through the removal. Maybe that helped me, I don't know.

Water, urine, a little blood, all gushed out.

I brought along something--pads, I think--to wear home. Maybe it was Depends.

It was a happy day.


Best wishes.

For me the joy of removal erased any memory of pain--if it even existed at all. A deep breath, then an exhale as it was being pulled out worked as an effective distraction to the extraction. I am not a great pee on demand person so I did not go right away. After a few attempts they sent me away for a few hours, suggested that I drink some water and come back and empty my bladder. I drank about a quart and held it with no leaks. They then gave me an ultrasound and that confirmed that my bladder emptied ok. That was the best pee of my life! Other than the occasional drip for a week or two I only had to wear very small pads. I had spasms while the catheter was in but never after it was out. I am a lucky man.

I really liked the Tena (Serenity) pads. They fit much better and are the right 'weight' (i.e. light) for me. I bought a pack before the surgery, then could not find them anywhere afterwards having been discontinued by all the local pharmacies. I'm using the depends pad now, but its bigger than I need and much less comfortable. :-(

Thanks one and all, I knew by now that I could count on all of you for some real rounded opinions. Made me feel a little bit more confident. I did something either brave or stupid today, couldnt stand being stuck in the house on a very rainy day all alone, and since I had my wife put on my leg bag this AM, I took off and drove for the first time even with the cath in place. My dr. had told me not too. I went to WalMart 2 miles away to pick up some med, went to drive in at Mickey D, picked up 3 items at the grocery store, and stopped and bought a lottery ticket, then came home. Was gone for an hour total, but totally wiped out by the time I got home, didn't realize how weak I really am coming up on the 4 week mark from surgery. Told my wife I won't try that stunt again until after the cath is out next Monday.

David in SC

Les,

Point well taken, I get it. It was a one time moment of madness or weakness, never felt comfortable the entire time.

David

Sorry David...didn't mean to sound so harsh...after all the old saying...It's better to ask for forgiveness than for permission. Anyway...its just a few days and all this catheter will be behind you...and then you can lament like I did for your buddy....<smiling>

Well,
I guess I need a licking also - I drove the hour and a half back to the doc the day mine was removed (simply because my wife's driving gets on my nerves). I didn't think anything about insurance etc.. I do recall that I tired much more easily the first few weeks out from surgery.

You're going to be a happy uncorked recoverer - keep us informed and enlightened. Best wishes...