How To Make Sitting With A Cath In More Comfortable?

[Yuna]

Hellos,

I was wondering what people do to make sitting with a cath in toleratable? I'm find standing or laying down, but sitting down puts a lot of pressure on my urethra.

The largest cath I can manage is a 14f, I am trying to see if a 12f makes it easier to sit today.

I am not sure where I would find a foley cath smalker than 12f, but I do think it would be so thin as to cause more discomfort while walking and moving.

My usual chair is a barely padded, cloth covered, metal folding chair...so it would be best to give advice with that in mind. Couches are ok, but car/bus seats again tend to hurt a bit.

Thank you so much in advance!

[Lili-Girl]

Hi Yuna~~

Hmmm, that chair makes it rough! Seems that a metal barely padded chair would be most uncomfortable for any length of time anyway, even without a catheter in place.

In my work (RN, worked with geriatric patients for several years) most cathed patients also wore diapers because of fecal incontinence, or simply because they didn't "trust" the catheter. (Bladder spasms can cause leakage around the cath.) The Foley was to control urine, decrease the number of diaper changes, decrease skin breakdown due to urine sitting next to the skin, that sort of thing. Output could also be measured more accurately with a cath in place than trying to weigh diapers. Even those with fecal incontinence had the ability to let the staff know when they needed a change, but some couldn't, usually related to dementia or neuropathy (loss of sensation).

All that having been said...when I use a cath, I wear at least a small pad, due to the fact that I have really strong bladder spasms and will lose urine around the cath sometimes. I also have to take care how I place the catheter inside my panties. It takes trial and error, and I'd suggest practicing at home to figure out the best "lie" of the cath. Usually I myself (uhhh, I'm a girl, & I was born that way, no surgeries "down there") find that I need to place it sort of pointing up, but not on top of my clitoris, and "looping" over the waistband of either panties or diaper. This also worked for most of my female patients with normal sensation, although some preferred to have it just come out of the leg of the diaper. (I find that very uncomfortable, as it pulls and tugs on places that aren't supposed to be pulled and tugged on.) The Rusch belly bag is my friend! I will not use a leg bag!

I'd also suggest wearing a diaper for the padding aspect, or getting your own little cushion to sit on. I have a lovely gel cushion that is fairly thin, and is readily avainable at Walmart in the fall, as a "stadium seat" thingie. I'm so sorry I don't know where you are located, so I don't know if Walmart or such is an option for you. There are also just plain little kitchen chair cushions which might help.

Oh, there are 10Fr foleys available. They are pediatric, and generally (in my experience with the elderly population) aren't nearly as nice as the slightly larger sizes. A 10 would drain very slowly for an adult, and you might find that the 12 is too small as well. I can't tolerate a 16, so I use 14, and I really wish I had the drainage of a 16, since the smaller lumen of the 14 makes draining just that much slower.

I'm new enough here that I don't really know anyone yet, so please forgive me if you've explained stuff about yourself previously that I should have known about to help answer this question for you. I just saw this and my heart went out to you, because I know how uncomfortable it can be to sit with a foley sometimes!

I hope you found something helpful.

Feel free to contact me if you have more questions.

Lili-Girl

[Dale Ridge]

Having spent 21 days with a foley post RC surgery, my advise is to get a better chair. Come on, spring for a decent recliner at home, and a good desk chair at work, and you will do just fine.

[foundout]

I have had to have one several times for two week stretches at a time, usually. I found that if I put some surgi-lube on the catheter where it goes into my urethra while sitting and then stand up, it will slide back in and help lubricate things. I think I tried every thing I could think of, but this worked the best. Thankfully, I haven't gone into retention in over a year. Good luck.

[diaper4life]

What type of catheter are you using. I personaly use a latex cath silicone coat as it warms up with the body it helps and forms and has some flexibility. I wear a 24fr to 26fr and let my cath drain into my diaper.

[Yuna]

What type of catheter are you using. I personaly use a latex cath silicone coat as it warms up with the body it helps and forms and has some flexibility. I wear a 24fr to 26fr and let my cath drain into my diaper.

I am using latex rubber fr 12 and occasionally a fr 14, but the 14 is too tight to be comfortable for a period of time.

[diaper4life]

I am using latex rubber fr 12 and occasionally a fr 14, but the 14 is too tight to be comfortable for a period of time.

You might want to consider stretch exercise with larger size and that might make it more comfortable. Took me a couple months but i am able to wear a 30Fr but i wear a 24Fr cause its more comfortable.

[I M Soaked]

If your discomfort is caused by the cath, when sitting on a hard to semi-hard seat, try a ring cusion. They are generally used by people with hemorhoid problems, to reduce the pain while sitting. It is shaped like a donut, so you will not be fully sitting on a pull pad, more like a small inner tube. You will have the soft cusion around your seat, but a hallow where the cath is, therefore, no pressure on the cath its self.

Good luck.

[Yuna]

I did see a hello kitty ring recently in a nearby city for sale, but I wasn't sure how it would work with a cath. I guess I might just have to check out that shop again while cathed so I can see how it feels.