Indiana pouch

Pat when I said adaquate water intake was very important I was talking after the training period. And what I meant by adaquate was your normal eight onces eight times a day. Of course you can over due anyting but you will have to agree with me that drinking enough water keeps everything running better.
I two use disposible cathathers but am blessed in the fact that my insurance picks up most of the cost. Many use reusable caths and do well with them. I have talked to one guy that used the same one for ever and just washed it and keep it in his pocket lol. I remember having a visual of him picking the pocket lint off of it to use it for heavens sake. But for most of us it would take a little more to make sure they were clean. Many Uros will start you with reusable caths and if they do they will give you good insturctions on how to care for them.
Pat thank you for the chance to clarify.

Chin up and striaght forward

C

Alan,

I am the proud owner of an Indiana that just turned a year and a half. The best advice anyone can give someone going into an RC is to get yourself up and walking as soon as they let you. Those that do tend to recover quicker.
The other is to say to yourself everyday you are one day closer to normal. And one day you will realize you are.
You will have a learning curve with your new buddy and during the training period will feel it is a lot of bother we all do. But that phase ends and one day you will realize that it has all became old hat and that life goes on pretty much like it did before. It takes me no more time now to urinate than it did before. I carry a baggy with my supplys in a pocket. This kit contains my cathather, foil packs of lubricant and a small bottle of hand sanitizer. I keep a zippered cosmetic case in the car for refills if needed.
After your RC and everything has settled if I was to give you only one piece of advice it would be to make sure you drink plenty of water. I strongly feel that this is the key to many things. For me if I do not have enough fluids I see an increase in mucus in the urine and what can follow is an infection as the mucus is the perfect medium for it to grow. I know of some people that have restricted liquids because they did not wish to have to urinate as often but this is wrong thinking.
I wish you could be where I am now with this all behind you. But take it from someone who has been there one day soon the surgery and chemo will be a memory. I have relativly the same life I had before RC I just urinate differently. I dance, exercise, snorkel, hike and generally have the same crazy busy life I had before blc.
As always we are all here for you and if I can help you in any way do not hesitate to contact me.

Chin up and straight forward

Cynthia