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Post surgery Catheter-time Clothing recommendations

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Posted 5/27/2007 12:36 PM (GMT 0)
I'm going to be staying in a local motel for a week after surgery and am wondering whether I need to go out and pick up some elastic waist pants. I would not typically wear them. And I have several pairs of pants that are now too big on me. Most recently I'm about a 36 inch waist but previously was a 38.

I'll need to get out of the motel each day for some walking.

And convenience for changing the bag and all that is a consideration.

What kind of clothes did you all wear during your initial post-surgery, catheter-wearing time?

Any recommendations welcome,

Markus
Posted 5/27/2007 1:44 PM (GMT 0)
Markus - Bob wore Addidas - type track pants and found them very comfortable and made manipulating the bag easy. He wore a leg bag during the day when up and the larger bag when lying down.

The elastic type waist on the pants also kept that area more comfortable on the small incision points you will have.

Good luck - we'll be there with you on Thursday!

;o) Linda & Bob
Posted 5/27/2007 1:53 PM (GMT 0)
Curt wore sweatpants and lounge pants while recovering (actually he still is around the house). He tried blue jeans yesterday, 2 weeks post surgery, and they irritated one of his incisions. Definitely would recommend some loose elastic waist pants.

Vicky & Curt
Posted 5/27/2007 4:07 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Markus,

You can certainly try a pair of regular but baggy pants. Paul wanted to be back to his rountine and simply refused to wear sweats as he had done in the past during the post-op period for testicular cancer. Figuring he knew what he wanted an dits his body, I bought him a couple of pairs of pants a size larger and he loved it!!!
His need to feel like himself asap motivated his optimistic ideals I'm sure. Since he doesn't typically wear sweats, the carpenter style pants were a perfect choice. Paul is one of those guys who has to wear a belt or he doesn't feel dressed.

His surgery was on Thursday, he drove to do errands by Saturday and was back to training with the guys at the fire department, leg bag an all, by the following Tuesday. Training was not physical by the way!

Swim
Posted 5/27/2007 5:22 PM (GMT 0)

  I agree with both larger size pants or sweat pants.  What ever you like best.

  KW

Posted 5/27/2007 5:32 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Markus,

Ken used both types of pants during his recovery.  For lounging around the house, he generally wore either his bathrobe with nothing underneath, or a pair of track pants with an elastic waist.  He also used track pants for his daily walks. 

However, we were up and out after a few days several times to go out to eat, do some shopping, go to a movie, etc.   He did wear loose in the waist "regular" pants for outings, and he did not find that they irritated his wounds for these type of activities (although he found elastic track pants more comfortable for his walking).

Since you will be in a motel for a week, and if your recovery is going well, I imagine you will be getting stir-crazy after a few days and will want to go out to eat and so forth.  Might want to try your regular pants in a size bigger for these type of outings, instead of buying new ones that you will never wear again?   If it does irritate your wounds, I wonder if putting like a gauze abdominal pad over the belly wound would help?  (don't keep it on, the wounds need to breathe, but just if you were wearing regular pants out for dinner or whatever).  

You could always try your regular pants a size bigger, and if they don't work make a trip to wal-mart for some stylish elastic pants :)

Tanya

Posted 5/27/2007 5:35 PM (GMT 0)
I bought 2 pair of big baggy basketball shorts and 2 pair of loose polyester basketball pants, both with elastic wasteband. I wore the longer pants when I used the smaller leg bag (to and from the hospital and outside of my hotel room). When I was hanging around in my hotel room I wore the shorts and used the larger catheter bag. The elastic wasteband was loose and comfortable without falling down. I think loose non elastic pants might have more trouble staying up.

Many people talk about the sweats that snap up the side and I thought that was a good idea but could not find them. The button downs would have been a little easier getting on and off than mine without the snaps.

Cheers,
Joe
Posted 5/28/2007 1:16 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Markus. I found those snap leg pants at Dicks Sporting Goods and they were even on sale.

mvesr
Posted 11/4/2012 7:53 PM (GMT 0)
I wore loose addidas shorts and the joggers and button legs should work...Also you're going commando so don't forget undies when you go back to get that gigantic water hose pulled form your little friend...I did and ended up wearing a depends home....and I can promise you I was never happier...Me and Fred (my Cath) had enough quality time together...
Posted 11/4/2012 7:57 PM (GMT 0)
Please note that this is a resurrected 5 year old thread from May 2007. Any suggestions or discussion may be to people who are long gone from participating here now. So don't expect an answer... devil
Posted 11/6/2012 4:42 AM (GMT 0)
Marcus, so what did you wear after the surgery five years ago?
Posted 11/6/2012 12:58 PM (GMT 0)
Marcus last logged in 24 Oct 2008 (look at a user's profile for this information).

I would not be expecting a response from the original folks on this thread.

Just to have an answer, I wore the basketball (snap side) pants from adidas, but because of extreme bladder spasms and severe leakage around the tube, had to use a depends "adjustable" pant, which opens /closes on the side with a velcro patch, and can be put on over the cath tube.

Posted 11/6/2012 2:07 PM (GMT 0)
I know this is an old thread waking up but I will nonetheless add soemthing.
I think guys aboutt io have surgery need to consider that choice of clothing after surgery needs to allow for more than just the pipe and bag of the catheter.
I had far more problems with my scars and the waistband of my pants, trousers, underpants, boxers, pajamas/pyjamas (choose language!).
Three of the incision wounds/scars were exactly in line with the waistband and that could really hurt, especially if I absent-mindedly tucked in my shirt.
So wear loose clothes and wear your shirts outside your pants if you can (I was lucky to have surgery in July and have hot weather afterwards.)
Even now over three years after surgery I can sometimes have pains in the scar by my navel if the buckle of my belt gets in the wrong place.

Alf
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