fetishbroDO

Thanks for the advice.. I've made one which seems to "slide into place," so to speak, and it seems to fit somewhat appropriately... But it does get uncomfortable after a while. The funny thing is that the measurements seem nearly identical to another one I've made, which doesn't seem to fit so well. I can't seem to figure out what the right answer is, truthfully. On this issue of materials, I do wonder if that may be part of the problem. Can you comment about what you're using? Specifically for the interior. I have been using a 4mm OD PTFE tubing, and I'm starting to wonder if that may be part of the issue. It doesn't seem to be very easy to mold into shape, and yet it's also very firm. Did you just keep making new ones of various lengths until you found one that fit?

Do you find that this causes discomfort? I've still been unable to find a design that is comfortable for long term wear.. The longest I can go is a couple of hours.. Especially if I am doing any sort of activity. Not really sure what direction to head.

So I have had some success with a new design. The biggest issue I have now is that I don't find it to be effective while lying down. The dimensions are 5cm-6cm-4.5cm with the 5cm portion going toward the bladder. I guess part of my problem is that I'm not sure it's truly in the bladder, vs just opening the sphincter. I do feel my bladder getting full at night, and I eventually will end up needing to sit up to empty it or stand up. I haven't actually slept through the night with it yet, partly because I haven't been able to sleep while it's in. I don't know if I can feel it or if I just think about it too much.. I may need to work up to it. It seems to be almost perfectly functional in every other position, although I do think the flow is a bit slower than I'd love. Not sure that I can fix that to be honest. Anyone have any advice for the lying down position?

So I've made one based off Cathdiap's design. I guess I'm having a hard time finding the right positioning that allows for both functioning of the stent, but then also no discomfort. I find that especially while sitting, I can feel some discomfort around the stent where it is sitting. Would definitely appreciate advice on how to figure out the right position, because that's been a struggle. I had one in for quite a bit last night (read: 2-3 hours) and it seemed to be going okay until I found that it was no longer functioning well, and I believe that it retracted into the bladder. I have tried familiarizing myself with the external anatomy, but this is something that I have struggled with, and the knowledge from catheters doesn't seem to just translate easily to me. I also have concerns that the retrieval line may be pulling on it, and displacing it, but then again that may just be a psychological thing to get past. Which leads me to my second question. Anyone have any tips on 1)retaining a tight bend angle, and 2) preventing the either piece of teflon from twisting within the silicone tubing? I have found that mine do tend to twist some occasionally, but not all of the time. I used a heat gun to make the first curve, however I can't reliably get it to keep a curve of ~60-70 degrees. Often times it will revert back to around 45.

I'm getting to this thread a bit late. I have followed it for a while from a distance, but am only just now starting to have the nerve to want to dabble with creating my own stent. I know that there used to be a sort of "how to" for beginners, but It looks like that link is not working anymore.. Can anyone recommend a good starting point for a newbie?