Male intermittent catheter

Hollister sent me today. That means I am still waiting for two who seem to have forgotten me coloplast and wellspect.

Today I tried the Braun one. I dont think it is a good idea to try too  many at a time because it has anesthetic on them.

They dont work with a slider but you hold the catheter in a bag and tear off the bag a bit at a time. I couldnt tear it off I would have needed scissors so I had to take out the catheter and tear the whole bag off and insert it from the end because one must not touch it. Now this catheter is made from a much harder plastic so one can do this. Now it didnt want to go in after only a bit. I had to lift the limb up and it afterwards went in. It didnt hurt but being quite hard it didnt go in too easily. After a time it stopped I wasnt going to force it but the urine had come out about 50-100 ml so I suppose it all came out and couldnt bend in the bladder. It had a bag as well that is why I know how much came out.

They also sent me a 'curved top' one, I dont think that would have gone in at all. I am not yet sure why they all make a curved top one. 

I know it was the first time but I dont think it is for me. 

https://tinyurl.com/9xa7f3y6

This  is my training card without which most wont send you samples

So how many left to try? It will all be useful info for folk who have to self catheterise. Well done 

Well I have given the list of companies who have sent me or are going to send me samples. There are more US companies, but I havent yet found more UK ones. I must state again that people are not the same and it is my first try. Perhaps with experience things my be different. So far I have tried three. And as I have written none are yet perfect at least for me. Although I am old I am sure there are older people who need it, and unless they have help every time I wonder how they manage. So far it certainly isnt as simple as they state. Each company has also a film of how to insert it with a person holding a 'dummy limb' on him and inserting into it. It looks easy but that is not how I found it. 

I suppose your are all waiting for next update. I wont disappoint. Today Welspect sent me samples so only Coloplast left which I think is the largest company.

Today I tried the Hollister catheter. It was a real pleasure to use. I get the impression although it says size 14 it seems thinner and very little urine came out. But I cant be sure anything was left in unless I use another catheter but I dont feel like doing that now. Anyway they have come across with what I have been saying the main problem is all the time that you have to hold the limb tight it should not fall  out. They have sorted this out this way. They have cap on the tip which you also insert and the cap is like a one way street that the catheter can only go in unless you pull the cap out. So you only have to hold the cap onto the limb and make sure it stays in. Much simpler than holding it tight. The catheter is covered with a plastic which you push in and at the same time squash down. It would be easier if the plastic could come off at the end but there is something holding it back. I would cut if off to start with. It went in easily and didnt hurt at all. Taking out one really has to take out the cap and pull it out.  

I would like to get the cap separate and use it on all the other catheters when I try them out. 

Well that sounds a better way. Do you check for infection having to do this every day? 

I dont know how to 'check for infection'. I have not been told of anyway to do this. The only way is when something is not in order then you know you may have it. 

Dipstick? Just wondered if GP supplies you with any. 

I am as you know new to this and will discuss it with my GP who hasnt mentioned it yet nor did the nurse at the hospital. 

Today I tried the manfred-sauer one. It was very good. Maybe because I am getting more experienced I say this. It seems a bit harder plastic than the others, and at the tip has something to make it go in easier. It went in very easily but it had no bag so I cant know how much came out. Their site is rather interesting with a diagram of all the possible 'strictures' on the way. It is covered with plastic which when pushed down 'bunched' or 'squashed' up well. One has to hold the limb slightly at the beginning but not very much. As I say I found it very easy to use. 

Today I tried the gentle-cath by convatec. For some peculiar reason they dont tell you on their site how to open it. So I had to find a youtube to tell me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f8ql7Qz_5w

Anyway while it is in the package you have to break the sachet and let its contents flood the package (not as easy as it looks or sounds). Anyway you take it out holding it by its sleeve. It has a long sleeve unlike the bard one so that is good. Then as usual you have to insert it without touching it. For some reason they sent me a size 12 which has a white funnel not a green one on the top. I had the usual problem of getting about six inches in before I could grip the catheter holding the limb, but this time, however much I tried I couldnt. I suppose it was because it was only a size 12 not because it was more slippery than others. So now I know why they have sizes. Anyway I managed somehow by pushing the funnel end in to get the whole lot in without having to grip it with the limb. It went it in easy not stopping on the way and the urine came out. It doesnt come with a bag. I suppose I would need a size 14 to make a proper judgement. So you have to know how to break the sachet, you could just bang it with a hammer I suppose, having first bent it. Using your fingers isnt easy. Inserting it since it has a large sleeve is better than others, and in my opinion better than it being covered all the way with a plastic that has to be pushed down. Maybe even a larger sleeve would be even better. I think it is not the softest like some which is good and is not hard either. 

I read on many catheter sites that they are recommended by hundreds of nurses and users all over the world that they are the best. I doubt very much that any of them have tried them all out like I am doing. And I certainly wouldnt be recommending some of them. 

I thing this site should have a section where products are recommended  after being tested by viewers like I am doing. After I have finished no  one will be able when he needs them to find my posts again and will have to trust his nurse that it is the best for him. The one I trained on, the Bard one is certainly not the best like my nurse claimed, apart from this one, I think it is the only other one so far which has an uncovered catheter which can easily be touched and a very small sleeve that is hard to grip tight and was harder to put in initially than this one. With some the tip of the catheter is specially made a lot smaller than size 14 so it can get in much easier the Bard one isnt. Like a nail it ends in a point to get it in easier.