Mr. Foley (Catheter)

[metronome]

What a joy to have stumbled onto this site. I am clicking nicely tonight and hope everyone else is as well.... those with a mechanical anyway.

Anyway, I'm sharing a short recollection regarding my urethral catheter. Many post-op cardiac patients receive the diuretic, Lasix, to help with all the drainage that's occuring from surgery.
Late at night, sleeping as well as one does in CCU (empty the damn trash during the day). I awake to feel a slight fullness.... I gotta pee.
But wait, there's that catheter..... go back to sleep.
No can do... I really need to go. Ring the nurse station and wait. And wait some more. I'm feeling the tubing looking for the kink... there has to be one darnit !!
Where is the nurse ?!?!
She FINALLY arrives and indeed, finds the kink. What utter relief.
One thing learned and one conclusion.
Learned:
Now I know why racehorses run so damn fast. They have to pee so bad from the Lasix the give 'em, they just want to get back to the paddock ASAP.:biggrin2:
Conclusion:
If I ever find that Foley dude, I'm going to strangle him.:eek2:

 

[ski girl]

Heheh. I never understood the phrase 'pee like a racehorse' until I was given Lasix!

I'm 16 months post-op #2 now and it's only been recently that I've stopped random bouts of fluid retention - when they happened I'd take a Lasix at night and I could pee out FIVE POUNDS overnight! Racehorses weigh ten times what I do, poor things.

 

[metronome]

You go ski girl, I just read your history. Gave everyone quite a scare, yourself included. Twas a nasty bug you encountered.
Hope your doing quite well down under. I'm in Texas and I'm praying for some rain for ya'll.
Regards,
met

 

[ski girl]

Thanks met, yep we could use some rain here. My part of AUS is OK but the eastern states are all on fire!

The catheter really is the end of any dignity you may have had remaining. When they remove them here they do an ultrasound of your bladder after you pee by yourself, and if you have too much urine still in your bladder they threaten you that they will put the catheter back in! Sadists . . .

Hope you're doing well too, send me some proper salsa and tortillas please!

 

[Mom2izzy]

Mr. Foley (Catheter)

I had a similar experience, but there was no kink. I was feeling about to burst by the time they got things flowing again.

They thought they might have to take it out which would have been bad because I was on Lasik but not really walking much on my own yet. Drugs made me DIZZY.

Ended up that it moved just enough when she moved the tape from one leg to the other. 6+ liters later, I was feeling MUCH better.

 

[epstns]

Yeah - we all (the guys, at least) hate those things, but think of how much worse things would be without them!

 

[dwhist]

I had mine removed at 8 am on day 3. Around 3:30 in the afternoon, nurse came in and asked if I had peed yet. I told her no. She then said if nothing came out by 4 she would have to put it back in. I wish she had told me that ealier as I then drank a large glass of water and was able to give her enough not to put it back in.

It did not bother me at all while it was in and I did not feel a thing as it was removed.

 

[epstns]

dwhist - Try living (and going to work, driving, etc.) with one for a week and tell me it didn't bother you. . .

Not trying to make nasty comments, just that mine didn't bother me a bit relative to my heart surgery, but when I had a urological issue some years back, it was annoying. I had to keep it in place, bag and all, for a week to allow swelling to subside. Not painful, just annoying - but I would have been in agony if I did not have it.

 

[Jkm7]

If it makes you feel any better, you gents......

the ladies also can get kinks in the cath line and we are just as miserable when it happens. I had
that after one surgery and I was begging for relief.

 

[gerrychuck]

I loved my Foley! What a convenience; everyone should have one lol. I had a couple of episodes of urgency as well, but no kink in the line. I found that I could wait it out and it would ease, but the first time it happened I was ready to panic. When I discussed it with my nurse, I was told that sometimes the balloon will press on the bottom of the bladder, which gives the sense of urgency. Not a great feeling, that's for sure!

 

[yotphix]

My cath bag was hung higher than my bladder by a nurse who was either careless, or a little mean. (The rest of them were wonderful, but this one had a hate-on for me from the moment she saw me.) I was in excruciating pain for some time, until the next nurse who came on shift noticed it.

 

[Laggard]

If you think it sucks having one taken out try having one put in.

 

[epstns]

Well. . . having one put in in an emergency situation is more of a relief than a pain. . .

Been there, done it. Felt far better afterward!

 

[Jkm7]

I also had one put in when I was hurried to ICU in an emergency. With all else going on with me at the time, the cath was the least of it. Either I had a really good nurse do it or I was hardly noticing much of anything at the time.

 

[katm]

Loved my foley cathether but when the male nurse told me he was going to take it out I was happy cuz it was symbolic of them removing things and you getting better. But, after he removed it he then told me he was going to start me on lasix that day. I'm like seriously?? you couldnt keep the foley in for awhile longer because of the lasix and he said no, how else am I to encourage you to get out of that bed more often. He was pretty clever.

 

[Laggard]

Well. . . having one put in in an emergency situation is more of a relief than a pain. . .

Been there, done it. Felt far better afterward!

It was a huge relief to finally be able to go.