Catheter Alternatives

Hi Jen444,

Welcome to the online community. I am really sorry to read that your father is terminally ill with liver cancer.

As your father is being cared for at home he should have District Nurses coming to help with his catheter care. It is important that you tell them about how much pain and discomfort your father is in.

There might be alternatives for your father other than having a catheter in place, but it is difficult to know as we do not know the reason for the catheter being put in. Sometimes if there is swelling in the stomach and legs this might mean that the urine cannot drain properly and the only way to drain it is with by putting in a catheter. If the catheter is bypassing this usually means that it is getting blocked and this might be causing some discomfort. The District Nurses will be able to see if this is the case. They will also be able to suggest alternatives which might be suitable for your father.

The Macmillan Nurse (or palliative care Nurse) will also be able to offer help and support with his pain and discomfort.

If you the District Nurse or Palliative Care Nurse is not available and you father is in pain or discomfort you can ring the GP, or 111 if it is out of hours, to get some help for him.

It is an emotional time for you too when you are supporting your father. There are different ways of Getting Support when you are caring for someone with cancer. You can also get in touch with us on the Macmillan Support Line.

I do hope this information is helpful but please know that you can call one of our nurses to discuss things further.

Take care and best wishes,

Sharon

You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email. 

REF: LZD

Sharon C

Cancer Information Nurse Specialist

Thank you so much for your response. He does have nurses in everyday i think its just frustrating my parents so i shall reach out to them directly and see what i can get them to do. 

Thank you.