Stricture Redux

Warren..check out Allegro's price of $2.58 for Mentor Coude..they'll also send you free samples.
www.allegromedical.com/urologicals-catheters-c539/self-cath-coude-tapered-tip-with-guide-stripe-16-long-funnel-end-p192495.html
Pat

Duke: unlike most of the guys who have to self cath, I still have my own bladder and I still have my prostate. The reason I have to cath is to keep open a urethral stricture which developed as a complication of my cancer treatment. It feels a bit funky when the catheter hits the prostate, but it's not painful. I'd much rather do this for the rest of my life than have anymore urethral surgery or dilations for cystoscopy not to mention the horrible urinary symptoms I got when the stricture became inflamed.
Pat: Coude catheters are ideal for prostate patients, but I've managed to reach almost 62 years without much prostate enlargement. Apparently the coude, because it has a tapered end, carries a greater risk of creating a false tract, so my doc doesn't prefer it for strictures. Of course, I was on my way to creating a false tract and based on where it was, the coude was the clear solution. I've used it twice without any problem. Also, straight caths are about $1.50 each whereas coudes are $7 apiece.

Humpy..i certainly was not suggesting trading a neo for an Indiana..can't be done anyway. I just think all 3 conversions should be offered if your uro can do them and careful consideration in choosing. I remember recovery well...very well...my surgeon laughed at me after my surgery for breast cancer as i said it wasn't as bad as stubbing my toe!!
And Mike..just wondering why you and the others who have to cath with neo's would not also qualify for the 200 catheters a month so you could just throw them away after one use and not worry about washing and keeping little microbes off them that may cause infection. I would think if your doc wrote a note you would qualify? And especially the women as cathing is a much "darker" experience in a dirty public bathroom or tiny airplane cubbyhole.
I've tried to keep track of different surgeons and results from neo's and it was much easier before the hippa laws but i do remember 8 yrs ago interviewing 12 females who got a neo from one of the top surgeons in the LA area and all had to catherize.
Now here's a survey of only 5 guys but it discusses the placement of a urinary sphincter valve and i remember our dear old friend Zachary had this procedure done and it took care of his problem
patient-research.elsevier.com/patientresearch/displayAbs?key=S0090429501016557&referrer=http%253A%252F%252Faolsearcht1.search.aol.com%252Faol%252Fsearch%253Fquery%253Dsurvey%252Bof%252Bmen%252Bwith%252Bneobladders%252Bafter%252B5%252Byrs%2526s_it%253Dkeyword_rollover
wonder if this could be done on a female?
Pat

Duke,

I'm doing pretty well. Went skiing in Winter Park last week and had a lot of fun. Out of shape though so I'm going to have to do something about that before next season.

Today is a birthday party for one of my grandkids. She is turning five and the weather seems to have cleared here in Fort Collins so it is going to be in a local park.

Had to get one of those dumb basal cell carcinomas removed from my back last week. It was about an inch by 2 inches on my back next to the spine. Got that last Friday before leaving for skiing. Doc said no skiing but I asked him to use his biggest, toughest thread or bailing wire to stitch it up. He did and it held. My legs tired out before I had any problems so that was good.

I don't even consider that to be cancer since darn near everybody gets them and they just cut them off and your fine after that.

Don't know why I mentioned it other than so everyone knows how dumb I can be (doctor said...I said).

Was running some numbers this morning to figure out retirement and was putting in ranges from 75 to 80 which is better than I was thinking a couple of years ago.

Mike

Jim and Mike, thanks a lot for the response and the info.
Like i said, I must be doing good if all i have to worry about
is something possibly in my future. But it's still great to have you guys to answer my questions.
Jim, yes i am doing well, thanks. Have a check up in about ten
days. Feeling pretty much back to normal. A little leaking at night, but then i also have a bad habit of drinking right up till bed time. So it's my own fault.
I hope everything is going well for both you and Mike.
Wishing you all the best.
Duke

Duke,

Not to worry. For men, the neo works great most of the time. Sometimes, as in my case, it can run into problems. THe problem for me was that I was not able to drain the neo sufficiently so my frequency of having to empty it was going up and it was getting stretched bigger. Once it gets too stretched, the ability to drain it can get even worse.

I had a foley catheter in because of another surgery that I needed and it was blocked. When I realized it and told them to let me self cath to clear it, I got over 1000cc of urine. That pretty much told me that I had streched to 1000cc.

Prior to that, it was about 800cc.

Thing is, if you do have to cath (I hope things continue to great for you and you don't have to), it is a piece of cake when you don't have a prostate. That rascal is the leading cause of problems with cystos and catheterizations because it squeazes the urethra. Without it, a catheter can go right in and I could probably give me myself a cysto exam now.

I too was pretty worried about the concept of having to cath. Even after the surgery, I didn't want to hear about that. However, now that I have to do it, it's not a huge deal. Would I rather just be able to pee normally like most guys with neos? You betcha!

Would I go through another surgery to try to resolve it? Nope. Well....let me just say "Not at this point".

I am a business consultant and am client locations typically 4 days of every week. Means I have to use restrooms at those locations and have to cath each time and then try to discreetly wash the catheter and get it back into my little zip lock bag that I keep in my pocket with the gel pack while people are coming and going.

No discomfort doing the cath, a little discomfort trying to keep the fact that I have to cath private and not known to client staff who use the same bathrooms.

Mike