Re: Elaine/bladder infection

[Guest guest]

Ann - this is embarrassing, but I am so ignorant about this. We will see our urologist again on Monday (scheduled for an ultrasound of the bladder just to see how things are). But...how often do you sterilize the tubing and bag? Also, I was so ashamed to learn that the bags were DISPOSABLE!! I'd been using one for two or three weeks, seemed fine to me (I had cleaned it) - so why would we throw them away??? Have you ever had a condom stay on for 24 hours? That's what the pharmacist said they are supposed to do.....we don't have that luck.

Elaine Grimmesey

[Guest guest]

Ann - this is embarrassing, but I am so ignorant about this. We will see our urologist again on Monday (scheduled for an ultrasound of the bladder just to see how things are). But...how often do you sterilize the tubing and bag? Also, I was so ashamed to learn that the bags were DISPOSABLE!! I'd been using one for two or three weeks, seemed fine to me (I had cleaned it) - so why would we throw them away??? Have you ever had a condom stay on for 24 hours? That's what the pharmacist said they are supposed to do.....we don't have that luck.

Elaine Grimmesey

[Guest guest]

Thank you, Steve. I am calling the doctor today as Bob seems no better at all. I'll mention this!

Elaine Grimmesey

[Guest guest]

Thank you, Steve. I am calling the doctor today as Bob seems no better at all. I'll mention this!

Elaine Grimmesey

[Guest guest]

Elaine:

Ken had his share of UTIs both before he used a condom catheter and

after. We didn't notice any increase when he started to use the catheter, but

we never put it on him during the day at home. He used it only at night or

when he was going out somewhere. Otherwise, we tried to get him to the

bathroom in time and if that didn't work, we always had a Depends on him

during the day. He usually didn't urinate too much during the day unless he

lay down for a while. Most of the urination was at night when his BP went

high. We learned to keep it on by using the self-sticking kind and paper

tape. Good luck with this. I do think you will have fewer UTIs if you don't

try to use the Condom catheter all the time. it is a difficult subject

because wet Depends can contribute to a UTI also and so can an indwelling

catheter. The best for us was to keep the UTI strips around and to contact

the doctor the minute one turned pink. We used one whenever Ken seemed a

little " off " as we did waste quite a few on false alarms, but if one turned

pink, it was always right. One time I was sure he had an infection even

though the strip said " no. " That time he had pneumonia and not a UTI.

Barbara

[Guest guest]

Elaine:

Ken had his share of UTIs both before he used a condom catheter and

after. We didn't notice any increase when he started to use the catheter, but

we never put it on him during the day at home. He used it only at night or

when he was going out somewhere. Otherwise, we tried to get him to the

bathroom in time and if that didn't work, we always had a Depends on him

during the day. He usually didn't urinate too much during the day unless he

lay down for a while. Most of the urination was at night when his BP went

high. We learned to keep it on by using the self-sticking kind and paper

tape. Good luck with this. I do think you will have fewer UTIs if you don't

try to use the Condom catheter all the time. it is a difficult subject

because wet Depends can contribute to a UTI also and so can an indwelling

catheter. The best for us was to keep the UTI strips around and to contact

the doctor the minute one turned pink. We used one whenever Ken seemed a

little " off " as we did waste quite a few on false alarms, but if one turned

pink, it was always right. One time I was sure he had an infection even

though the strip said " no. " That time he had pneumonia and not a UTI.

Barbara

[Guest guest]

Elaine:

Ken had his share of UTIs both before he used a condom catheter and

after. We didn't notice any increase when he started to use the catheter, but

we never put it on him during the day at home. He used it only at night or

when he was going out somewhere. Otherwise, we tried to get him to the

bathroom in time and if that didn't work, we always had a Depends on him

during the day. He usually didn't urinate too much during the day unless he

lay down for a while. Most of the urination was at night when his BP went

high. We learned to keep it on by using the self-sticking kind and paper

tape. Good luck with this. I do think you will have fewer UTIs if you don't

try to use the Condom catheter all the time. it is a difficult subject

because wet Depends can contribute to a UTI also and so can an indwelling

catheter. The best for us was to keep the UTI strips around and to contact

the doctor the minute one turned pink. We used one whenever Ken seemed a

little " off " as we did waste quite a few on false alarms, but if one turned

pink, it was always right. One time I was sure he had an infection even

though the strip said " no. " That time he had pneumonia and not a UTI.

Barbara

[Guest guest]

Elaine,

I was told by the urologist that I could use the bags for a month, and to

clean with vinegar, I questioned the vinegar, and asked 2 home health

care nurses about that and they told me equal parts vinegar and water

will kill bacteria.

No I have not had the condom to stay on that long, we take it off in the

A.M. and put on depends,(of course Al is still pretty mobile), I have had

the little suckers come off at 2:00 A.M. and had to change the bed and

everything else. I clean the bags everyday. We use convene condom, it

comes with a double face tape, which I wrap around his penis. then I take

a strip a tape and wrap around all of that and criss cross it up on his

stomach.

Hope this helps if you have any more questions just ask.

Ann from Soddy,TN