ANA Discussion Forum
General Category => Inquiries => Topic started by: mcrue on January 10, 2016, 08:38:47 am
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After surgery, do they remove the catheter while your sleeping or are you fully awake?
Is it painful?
And how long will you be using a bed pan while in the hospital?
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mine was removed while i was awake. it felt weird but no pain. i think it may be more of an issue for men but nothing in the big scheme of things.
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i think it may be more of an issue for men.
Absolutely! I was hoping some of the men could chime in.
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Hi
I'm a guy and, like most guys, I didn't want anyone fiddling down there. Had mine taken out around 2 days after surgery. I was awake. It's not as bad as I thought it would be, and the torture and indignity is over with pretty quickly.
In all honesty, I think the idea of it is worse than it actually coming out. Slight burning feeling... on the discomfort scale, a 4 out of 10.
Re bedpan, never needed that thankfully but I did have to pee in some sort of bottle as I couldn't walk/balance too well for a week after the surgery.
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I had to be put under general anesthesia when I had a Cystoscopy a few years ago. I don't understand how any guy can stay conscious during that!
The thought of a catheter makes me cringe.
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Catheter removal post surgery is the very least of your worries, takes a few seconds. I recently had a prostate biopsy and that is something far mere concerning in regard to discomfort, both during and when the anesthetic wears off. ( Benign findings on the biopsy BTW) Good luck
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Catheter removal post surgery is the very least of your worries, takes a few seconds. I recently had a prostate biopsy and that is something far mere concerning in regard to discomfort, both during and when the anesthetic wears off. ( Benign findings on the biopsy BTW) Good luck
It's a big worry for a lot of people including myself.
Ed Engelking II on YouTube has a 5-part series on the aftermath of AN surgery. In one of his series, he specifically talks about how horrible it was to have his catheter removed, even though it "only takes a few seconds."
My knees buckled just listening to him describe his experience.
Yes, I understand compared to brain surgery that catheter removal is "less of a worry," but it's still an unpleasant concern for many of us.
Removing the catheter after the surgery BEFORE you wake up would seem to be a much more desirable situation.
Anyways, hopefully it won't have to get to that point with me.
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Removing the catheter after the surgery BEFORE you wake up would seem to be a much more desirable situation.
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That would kind of defeat the purpose of it in the first place. ;D There's a very good chance you won't even remember it, should it happen.
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You are unable to urinate normally when sedated so a catheter is used when under anesthesia. The catheter is not removed before waking up because the doctor needs to know you can urinate normally once you are no longer sedated.
The removal of my catheter post surgery was uneventful, I was also still on a post surgical pain meds.
Following my own discharge and after the steroids taper, I had the complication of acute urinary retention ( inability to pass any urine at all) presumably from the vagus nerve, 10th cranial. I was repeatedly catheterized for days at a time, sometimes in a ER or sometimes in a urologist office, until the problem resolved over about three weeks. Unilke the youtube video you mention I never experienced the slightest pain in any part of the process. Comfortable? No, but definitely not painful. Compared to the vertigo and falls I experienced, the vocal cord paralysis, and inability to swallow on the right side of my throat, the urinary retention problem probably seemed minor to me. You did ask for some males to chime in on their experience and I did so thinking it might alleviate some of your concerns since I had no problem with it, and never have during multiple surgeries recently. I believe your experience will be similar. Good luck.
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Catheter removal post surgery is the very least of your worries, takes a few seconds. I recently had a prostate biopsy and that is something far mere concerning in regard to discomfort, both during and when the anesthetic wears off. ( Benign findings on the biopsy BTW) Good luck
It's a big worry for a lot of people including myself.
Ed Engelking II on YouTube has a 5-part series on the aftermath of AN surgery. In one of his series, he specifically talks about how horrible it was to have his catheter removed, even though it "only takes a few seconds."
My knees buckled just listening to him describe his experience.
I don't know what Ed Engelking II is, but my father had to self-catheterize for years before he passed away. I think I'll be like my father (not be all "meow" about it) instead of letting "Ed Engelking II" project his weaknesses on me.
My best friend died of some form of meningitis years ago. He had pretty much lost his mind before he went, he was babbling and re-living jobs he had been on. He would always tug on his catheter. At one point, he really started pulling on it, so I hit the call button and ran down the hall for the nurse. By the time we got back he had pulled it out! "That's not possible" the Dr and nurse said, they can't be pulled out without deflating it, but he sure did. He was one tough son of a gun.! ;D
(ANGuy, cleaned up a couple of your acronyms.... thanks for understanding. Any questions, please PM me. Thanks. Phyl)
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OMG!
"Thanks" for sharing. Really, you shouldn't have ANGuy...
Also, I don't think a man is any "weaker" if he cringes at the thought of being catheterized. It's not a Macho Man contest, and nobody should be ashamed about wanting to avoid pain and/or discomfort in THAT area! I will be the first in line to PROUDLY avoid being catheterized at any cost. It don't view it like getting a tattoo or being manly or joining the police force or army...
And yes, I think everyone should thank Ed Engelking II on YouTube for sharing his 5-part series regarding his AN experience. It takes a lot of guts, and it is very informative. Much like an Acoustic Neuroma, everyone's experience with a catheter will be different.
Now every time I see that commercial with the guy in the cowboy hat selling "self" catheters I'm going to think of you ANGuy.
Cringe cringe cringe.
Anyways, I think I have enough stories now. Many thanks.
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I never equated strength with masculinity. I respect strength. I get strength, or at least try, from the strength of others.
You can call being overly-concerned with the almost certainty of getting a catheter "strong" if you want. Me, I'll choose to emulate all the women on this planet who bear children, most of them without anesthesia, which I'm pretty sure is a little more uncomfortable than being catheterized.
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AMEN ANGuy,,,
Was going to post exact same thoughts but not being a big, strong male,,,, thought I'd keep it to myself.
But ,, yes,, our human population would be MUCH smaller if males bore the children of the world. As for "pain down there" ,, After two kids, I can attest to pain.
Good luck with your catheter if need be.
Jane
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I never equated strength with masculinity. I respect strength. I get strength, or at least try, from the strength of others.
You can call being overly-concerned with the almost certainty of getting a catheter "strong" if you want. Me, I'll choose to emulate all the women on this planet who bear children, most of them without anesthesia, which I'm pretty sure is a little more uncomfortable than being catheterized.
Are you serious? You basically emasculated Ed Engelking II (a male) as being "weak" (lacking strength) for complaining (or "meowing" as you put it) about his experience having his catheter removed. Not to mention everything else you wrote that was deleted by the moderators. Come on man.
One is not "weaker", or less strong, because they want to avoid going through the discomfort of being catheterized. If you took some time to watch Ed Engelking's 5-part Acoustic Neuroma video-series you likely may empathize with the poor guy. His experience is not uncommon for what I've found on Google.
And to suggest that men shouldn't be concerned about discomfort because woman have more discomfort while delivering children is ludacris. So what if women have more pain while giving birth? It's not a contest. That's like saying a doctor shouldn't treat cancer unless he has had cancer himself.
A woman who chooses to have anesthesia while giving birth isn't any "weaker" than a woman who refuses anesthesia. Neither one is to be emulated.
As for those sexist comments about the human population being smaller if men bore children, I won't justify them as I don't see how it contributes to the topic in any way.
This is a support group to help others. I was seeking examples of men who had been catheterized during their Acoustic Neuroma treatment, and their experiences. I wasn't looking for Howard Stern "shock-jock" stories of people who lost their minds yanking their catheter out of their urethra. How is that helpful? That's just a horrible visual for people looking for support which adds absolutely nothing to the discussion.
LakeErie, I'm sorry you experienced so many side effects in regards to your AN treatment. It is heartbreaking. I can certainly see how in your case having a catheter would be the least of your worries. I wish you better progress in your journey.
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Well, all.... you certainly have our attentions. This is a serious topic that is now going off-track. I would like to remind everyone that we need to keep the topic on track. We will respect thoughts and opinions and yet, putting another user down will not be tolerated. As noted, this is a support forum where we can respectfully agree to disagree.
I'm just not seeing the "respect" anymore on this thread, thus...... if we see discussions continuing off-topic and not in a respectful discussion, this thread will be locked. It's a shame too as this topic is important for all (men and women) that must be catheterized for a surgical procedure. Been there, done that... and as a female, not comfortable either.
Please keep on track.... you all can continue the discussion offline in PM's (forum emails).
You may PM (email) me here on the site should you feel the need.
Thanks.
Phyl
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mcrue,
My first catheter experience was in 1969 when I was 12 for a urethral stricture that was surgically mended. Back then it was a traumatizing experience to be sure as it most likely would for most kids that age.
It wasn't until 2005 when I had the AN and shunt surgeries (plus another urethral surgery 5 years later) that I came to relive the experience, albeit as an adult. In the ICU (for two days) I was completely intubated, including a feeding tube that made breathing difficult and talking impossible. The feeding tube was so uncomfortable I ended up pulling the thing out on my own in frustration because I couldn't breath. It was like that scene in the movie "The Matrix" when Neo wakes up in the pod and pulls that thing out of his gullet. The nurses freaked out, "You can't do that!" I paid for it by not eating for over over a week, living off the IV. I had to prove to them I could swallow. They had to run a fiber optic tube up my nose that snaked through a sinus passage and down my throat (which also curiously did not hurt).
At one point after the catheter had been removed in my hospital room, I developed a painful UTI that required having the catheter reinserted while being flushed with Cipro. The nurse said "We'll have to put it back in" to which I responded, "No, no, no!" and he came back with "Yes, yes, yes!". This time, I was fully conscious and braced myself. The burning and discomfort from the UTI immediately stopped. To my chagrin, the insertion didn't bother me! The same when it was removed: no problem.
Several years later, after having another urethral surgery, I was catheterized again and had to return home after an overnight wearing a bag for a week. When it came time to remove it, I was told I could pull it out myself. The doctors assistant walked me through it on the phone after reassuring me there was nothing to it. She was right. I had to cut a small extension of the tube to release water and air that inflated a small balloon that held the catheter in place. After that she said, "Now you'll pull it out gently on the count of three.....1, 2, 3......It glided out effortlessly. I was amazed, after having lived in so much fear of the thing for so long. She said, "I told ya!" Of course I was impotent for about a week after (another weird experience), but it all came back.
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For someone predisposed to anxiety who's never "cathed" it's difficult to think about. Not to mention all the internet stories.
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I'd like to add my experiences here. During my recent AN surgery, the catheter was removed during my first day post op while still in the ICU. The IV drugs were so strong, I don't remember it happening (nor who was present). I never had to use a bed pan, but was escorted to the toilet to assure I wouldn't fall. My privacy and discomfort was always respected by the understanding nursing staff.
During a past surgery, a catheter was removed while I was fully conscious. As described by another member, it was quick and painless but felt a little odd for a few seconds.
McCrue, I bet your catheter experiences will be as inconsequential as most described here. Best of luck to you.
Eric
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Reading the whole catheter posts have been very interesting with being a nurse (now retired) and inserting and removing many catheters. Also with 4 AN surgeries been on the side of both. Some men may have more of a bad experience with catheters due to having an enlarged prostrate. Both in and out. One dr we had had us use lidocaine gel with male insertions. I have also seen many patients with dementia pull theirs out without the bulb being deflated. There also can be some discomfort with having one in if the catheter is not in far enough and the inflated bulb is in in the urethra and causing pain. Most catheters do not cause much discomfort for most people with the insertion or removal. There can be some other causes for discomfort so there is an occ increase in ain in some. During the AN surgeries mine was inserted while under for the surgery and removed within a day or so once on the regular floor and showed I could walk with help to the bathroom. There can be some slight burning for a couple times after removal. The catheter issue is usually no big deal but to those who have never had can seem scary. There are various sizes of the catheter and if one knows they have enlarged prostate mention this as a smaller size one can be obtained. I have seen an internet joke to be good to your nurse as she is the one who chooses the catheter or IV needle size.
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mcrue,
I understand your anxiousness. It is not a pleasant thing to endure anyway you look at it.
I just thought of a good analogy: Have you ever gone skydiving? I haven't and have no interest in doing so; but, I know that if I had to, I could do it. Look at it that way.
I'd like to add that with an AN at 18mm you may be a candidate for Cyber or Gamma Knife and not need surgery at all, given that you do not "watch and wait" too much longer. That thing has to either be removed or stopped from growing because it will only get worse over time. At this point, you may even be able to save the hearing in your effected ear!
In all the years I've lurked on this forum since my own ordeal, I've yet to see once instance of an AN that stopped growing without medical intervention. My growth was so big and so extricated with other nerves it could only be debulked. My recent scans have shown a reduced mass still in there but that stays the same year after year. With large growths, debulking seems to be another way of killing them but does not guarantee to stop regrowth from occurring down the line. So far I've been very fortunate.
I'm an example of someone who let it go almost as long as possible before incurring disastrous brain stem damage. I had my surgeries in '05 but had started feeling the effects of the AN in '99 with a gradual spiraling that included hearing loss, lightheadedness, then double vision, fatigue, and eventually total equilibrium collapse; but the AN had probably taken root years before I felt any symptoms.