One Step Forward-Two steps Back

After my cath was removed in November I peed like a seventeen year old.  Good strong stream.  Lately the stream has gotten thinner and thinner until the last few days where I can stand over the toilet and it takes a good minute to drain the bladder (at least it is still draining).  No pain or anything like that.  Made an appointment to see the Urologist this PM.  Guess I am going to get scoped.  I just hope I am not going to have to go thru the whole scar tissue thing.  I know the doctor told me he had one hell of a time sewing me back together during the surgery.  I don't relish the thought of getting a catheter again.  All this and I still haven't made up my mind about getting IMRT (that meeting is next week).  I would think that the radiation would contribute to more scar tissue forming and making the flow problem even worse.  Feeling down, just venting.  Thanks.

Subic, welcome to my world. You definitely want the uro to fix your stricture or blockage before it closes all the way. Trust me, you don't want to end up in the ER with someone that doesn't know how you are re-plumbed trying to get a catheter into you. Been there done that.

Not to scare you, but because of all my catheter and strictures and stricture corrective surgery, this is why I agreed to have the SP Suprapubic catheter installed pre-emptive before I started salvage radiation. The radiation oncologist and my uro.surgeon knew more than likely that swelling from the radiation would make a bad thing worse.

They were correct, I just had my 4th corrective surgery a week ago Tuesday, my uro/surgeon was amazed that my bladder neck had 100% closed back up, as if it never had an opening. Still recovering from that one, that's why I have two caths in now instead of one.

Good luck, and please have him take care of you before it closes off, wouldnt want you to go through what I have been through in the past 15 months. Let me know, or email or we can talk by phone.

David in SC

Subic, you just have to keep doing it one day at a time like me. I would be overwhelmed if I looked at a list of all the complications I have endured since my big surgery in 11/08. Looking back, that was the easy part.

I was in the ER late 12/08, when I had total blockage less than 8 hours after a cath was removed. The ER staff acted liked they never saw a cath before. I insisted that they call my uro staff, this caused much pain and delay, then they didnt do what they were told to do, they used the wrong size and type of catheter, and it took 3 of them to finally get it in. My uro was furious the next day at the ER, he said they could have seriously damaged me. Took me a while to get over the trauma of that event, trust me.

Now my uro makes sure when we do things or try things, that its timed to where he can get back to me during normal times, another reason why I have 2 caths in, instead of one, to prevent another ER or traumatic event. I appreciate his extra concern, because he knows the living hell I have been through so far.

Yes, we are a small group, 2-4% tops, that will have repeat issues with excessive scarring and/or strictures in general. I am still hoping, following my dr's current game plan, that I will finally be able to attempt cath free living in another 5-6 weeks or so. After all I have endured, that is actually a short time. And yes, will be scared as get out even when I reach that point. It will make me nervous until I have peed for a full week on my own.

There are more perm things my surgeon can do if this continues to repeat again and again, but I can't allow myself to think about that at this time.

I can say I understand what you are going through, brother, so if you need some encouragement, I am here.

David in SC

Subic, glad you got into your doc, sounds like he knows what he's doing, pretty normal approach at this point. You are lucky he said the cath only has to be in till Monday, usually mine have had to stay in at least 2-3 weeks at a time. Hopefully this will get you flowing smoothly again, and hopefully it will last a good while for you. Listen to what he said about the ER, too much risk of bad damage if you go and someone doesn't know what they are doing.

Keep me posted of how it goes for you.

David in SC

Wishing you luck, Subic,  on  getting back to the old 17 year old flow rate.

Good gawd gushing flow is certainly the one nice benefits of surgery.

I am still the envy of the Lavatory after almost a year -- showing up

 those young bucks and the envy of the older BPH guys ...  

Been there (BPH) done with that!   Kind of scarey to think that my plain old  BPH would have required surgery to fully correct also (never started Avodart or any of those -- was too late).

Good luck, good flow!