I have recently because of urinary problems, very likely increased because of my peg and hernia problems been trained to use an intermittent catheter by Luton & Dunstable Hospital.
This is not my regular hospital but I mention it because of the very good nurse there who spent an hour training me how to use it. She used a Bard size 14 which she says is the best.
There are many companies making them, selling them and offer free samples but only to those who have been trained. They make a big fuss about the training. It isnt that complicated although the instruction sheets dont mention what I am going to write. First of all I found out that the bladder even if you dont drink will not stay empty. Since I inserted and took it out twice and the second time (later than the first) had urine in. There is nothing one can do about it but it is a great drawback. The problem with inserting it is that you really need three hands and only have two. Maybe there exists a catheter and there are very many, which solves this problem.
Anyway the catheter is like a long straw made from plastic but not rigid since the body is not straight. Today straws are made that bend I dont know why catheters cant be made like that. They are about the same thickness or just a bit thicker and are coated with some kind of gel for two reasons. One some kind of anesthetic to numb the body and also it should glide in easily and smoothly. This has the drawback that it comes out too easily when putting it in and somehow has to be held tight to stop it coming out. Now because of infection one should not touch the catheter so there is sliding 'slide' on it to be able to move it. Since it is not rigid one cant hold it at the end and slide it in so one first has to hold it near the middle and then move the 'slide' without touching the catheter and making sure it doesnt slide out before inserting the rest of it. This I found this the difficult part since one has to hold the catheter in place and that can only be done by squeezing the 'member' (I prefer that word to the correct one) to hold it. This cant be done too low down so one has to insert as much as possible at first. This needs getting used to. I am sure there ought to be some easier way to do it. Maybe such a catheter exists. It needs what is called an applicator. Which holds the catheter and you move it in. Something similar to a kind of gun which holds the middle of the catheter at the top and by pulling the trigger it moves it along. The catheter being in a casing and the gun also strips the casing away as it rolls it in to stop infection.
If anyone is using another make which they think sounds better I would like to hear from them.
