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Catheter out now or wait?

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Posted 3/16/2015 10:26 AM (GMT 0)
Question for you surgery guys. I am due to have catheter removed 5 days after surgery. Day 5 is here and I am not sure I am ready. It still takes me a while to get out of bed (with assistance) and moving. I'm afraid ill be totally wetting myself and never make it to bathroom in time. Prob have to wear depends. My elderly parents (quite capable and robust) are caring for me and I think I would be taxing them at night. I want this thing out but not at worst cost than keeping it in another couple days. Suggestions? Would you get cath out and just wear depends until you can get out of bed on your own? Struggling with this. Thanks for any advice.
Posted 3/16/2015 10:42 AM (GMT 0)
You might have to wear depends for months.... So ya, I'd get it out.
Posted 3/16/2015 10:49 AM (GMT 0)
Mine came out on day 7, and I was almost immediately continent. Getting rid of it makes a difference on many levels. If your doc thinks 5 days is enough, then I'd go for it.
Posted 3/16/2015 11:03 AM (GMT 0)
Mine came out on day six, I was leaking but it quickly got better. After the cath comes out you will be able to do a lot more walking and kegel exercises which should help. Good luck in your recovery.

Rick
Posted 3/16/2015 12:05 PM (GMT 0)
Take it out I had mine in for a month, and now here almost 18 months later still wear depends..and leak...get it out as soon as possible then work on getting dry it might be immediately or it might be never or any place I between good luck and welcome tithe other side
Posted 3/16/2015 12:48 PM (GMT 0)
Agree with the others. I had mine in for ten days. Getting it out was a glorious day. I'm 99% continent, no pads.
Posted 3/16/2015 1:30 PM (GMT 0)
Five days sounds a little early, we took mine out at nine days. My urologist's protocol is catheter out in seven days if a local patient, ten days for a traveling patient. You are going to be really sore for eight or nine days.
Posted 3/16/2015 1:38 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks gents. I worry that I am not healed enuf, worry about this and that, random crazy stuff when I am laying here in the middle of the night. My mind can be my worst enemy sometimes. Throw in some low back issues (chronic, 20 yrs or more) so no stretching and no chiro for at least 6 weeks and I at times wonder will I get there. This site has been a great help, and I am thankful for the kind people who hang out here and respond to guys like me. Someday I will contribute back.
Posted 3/16/2015 2:56 PM (GMT 0)
I had mine out at day 6 and was glad to get it out. Did not have any problems. I felt like it was time for mine to come out, so listen to your body.
Posted 3/16/2015 2:59 PM (GMT 0)
Mine came out at day 6, it was removed at the doctor's office. I then leaked for 22 months until I had an AUS installed.

Results may vary, as they say!

Bill from Florida cool
Posted 3/16/2015 4:10 PM (GMT 0)
The longer a catheter is in the higher the risk for infection.

Could you rent a hospital bed or install a hoist (may not be the correct word) in the ceiling to assist you? If you've had back issues for 20 years, it might be good for you in the long term. Good friends of ours have a business where they rent medical equipment. They deliver and set it up.

Just thinking, trying to be helpful.

Jane B.
Posted 3/16/2015 4:13 PM (GMT 0)
Bob didn't get his out until day 14. Uro said something about making sure everything is healed before cath came out. This is his standard protocol not just Bob's situation. I have seen so many of you that got cath out early and wondering how things can be healed that fast?
Posted 3/16/2015 10:12 PM (GMT 0)
I had mine out at day 10. When I asked my oncologist urologist about getting it out earlier, he said no. He wants the anastomsis to completely heal.
Posted 3/17/2015 12:16 AM (GMT 0)
I think mine was in for about 10 days -- I got it out a couple days ahead of schedule thanks to a neighbor who was also a nurse in my uro's department. But based on my experience, you're going to leak for a while, so might as well get on with it. I was ok laying or sitting but as soon as I stood up I needed to dash for the bathroom. It got back just a bit of leakage within another few weeks. I was able to dispense with pads after several months, though I still get leakage if I have a bad cold with a lot of coughing.
Posted 3/17/2015 2:23 AM (GMT 0)
I had mine in 14 days to ensure complete healing. I gushed like a fire hydrant when it came out, but got mostly dry within six weeks.

Take care and hang in there.
Posted 3/17/2015 8:40 PM (GMT 0)
I had mine removed after 10 days. All is well!
Posted 3/18/2015 1:34 AM (GMT 0)
I was told, due to surgical issues, that my original cath was to be in for 30 days, not the normal 7-10 days. In the end, it was in for 63 days, over two months. 5 days sounds way way too short a time to me, but I am not your doctor or you. I feel you have some reason to be concerned about such an early removal. Wouldn't hurt to leave it in a few more days, until you are more comfortable about the situation. I was on catheters for a grand total of 1 1/2 years, and never once had an infection related to them being inside me.
Posted 3/18/2015 3:16 PM (GMT 0)
Five days seems short to me, but apparently a lot of the guys have been OK with that. Mine came out after seven days and everything seemed fine but then after 10 days I was back in the hospital for two more days with a suture tear and then back on the catheter for another month before it all healed up. Don't know if it never healed completely or I was too active and caused the tear myself, but I did wish in hindsight that I had kept the original catheter in a bit longer for better healing. After my experience, I wondered why they don't routinely do a cystoscopy, which didn't seem like a big deal to me, to see if everything had healed before they removed the catheter.
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