www.incontinentsupport.org

My self-catheterization now is becoming routine. Great! When I check, residuals still are fairly low.

Thanks everyone for you help and support. I'll pay it forward.

--John

The catheterization now is so routine that I give it little thought. My post-void residuals have dropped to lows consistently between 75 ml and 120 ml. and sometimes as low as 50 ml. I think that is good for a man of my age.

It took my urologist doubling my prescription of Flomax to 8 mg per day to achieve the drop in residuals. I guess he could just keep me on that dosage indefinitely? He may have me discontinue my morning cathing. He may or may not have me continue to cath before going to bed. A secondary rationale for that one was to drain the bladder to enable me to get a better night's sleep without waking up peeing or needing to pee.

BTW, someone (I forget who) suggested that I wiggle my toes while cathing as one cannot both tense up the urethral sphincter muscles and wiggle the toes at the same time. I do not think that is exactly correct, but it quite effectively distracts one from the cathing, so it definitely helps.

--John

John, I'll remember the wiggling the toes thing the next time I'm getting my foley placed.......sometimes it's plain uncomfortable.....after its in for an hour or so I don't even know it's there. The wife took it out this morning so I could go to work for a 24 hour shift.......man, I'm wishing that thing was in right now.....I've been in the bathroom like 30+times today.......

PB&J,

30 times? Wow, that's rough! How do you get any work done?

--John

When you have a catheter inserted, do you find any urine comes out and if so how much? It sounds like you are retaining urine and passing only an overflow amount.

Wheels, what do you mean by retaining urine and passing only an overflow amount?

--John

Exactly!

As far as my situation, if I've emptied my bladder before I'm cathed I don't usually see more than 50ML's come out. I have been able to rule out retention time and again in this manner. My problem with suspected Interstitial Cystitis is that ANY urine in my bladder causes, frequency, and urgency......so I have the urgency to go but there isn't much in my bladder. There's always something, though, because I don't have false alarms. If I get up to go......I always pass urine.....it may be a small amount, but I do empty. As I understand, and correct me if I'm wrong, PVR values of less than 100mL's are typically not cause for alarm.

Wheels, I don't understand. Are you indicating that the catheterization has been done incorrectly, thus leaving more urine in the bladder?

--John

No, John, not at all. It is just that retention can produce the symptoms PB is having but he has now ruled that one out.