My experience with stents

[UsuallyDiapered]

46 minutes ago, Spargano said:

Sure I can, but it’s nearly identical to the one he posted. Part of the discomfort I was experiencing, I noticed when I placed my stent against a photo of his was my lower bend was slightly too long and angled too far up. When I took off that quarter inch and pushed the angle lower it felt immensely better. 
 

i don’t know what type of phone you use, but a trick that helped me capture the angles better was to take a screenshot of @cathdiap’s graph paper photo and then enlarger the photo on the screen until it is actual size. This is possible because of the graph paper. Then as I make my stent I set it on the screen to see if the angles match. The one I have in now that is performing well and is currently not feeling any drag or discomfort matches his exactly.

 

again, keep in mind, he and I are the same height and that might explain the near identical anatomy. 
 

i cannot understand why yours has so much play in movement. My thought when looking at your photo is the lower bend being too short and the tower also being too short.

if you look at @cathdiap’s diagram, the tower is the middle section but the bends start their gradual move after, particularly the top as once in the bladder it has to clear the bladder wall that is shorter near the opening, so that that shepherd’s crook bend begins at the top of of the tower and adds some length.

on the bottom, the slope begins at the bottom of the tower, merging more than the top one does. It is nearly twice the length of the top whereas yours is a 1:1 match on top and bottom bend lengths. A mistake I made was thinking it had to be perpendicular, and while it is close to that, it does have to have a slightly downward bend to conform to the urethra channel.

 

tldr: your stent is too short and so it is trying to slide up or down to allow the bend to get out of the prostate channel. Start lengthening that section gradually by 1/8th of an inch increments snd you will see less movement.

Out of interest, I superimposed last night's stent on @cathdiap's photo (zoomed to proper scale). In terms of size, they're almost exactly the same. However, it seems that the main difference is in the upper bend - as you say, @Spargano, cathdiap's one has a more gradual bend at the top, whereas mine is a fairly sharp bend. Maybe that's the issue. I have only enough silicone left for one more model...I have to order more...so I'll have to choose carefully how I go about constructing my next one!

[Don Incognito]

I've been testing techniques for making a stent based on Cathdiap's design. Does anyone have any specific advice for determining the proper distance between the bends? There doesn't seem to be much discussion of that. And what should I know about inserting it? Thank you.

[UsuallyDiapered]

1 hour ago, Spargano said:

Looking closer at your stent against Cathdiap’s it looks like your lower bend is more pronounced pointing downward. If you slide your stent so that the towers match up, your upper bend is higher and your lower bend is lower than his. His lower bend also comes to gradually point like an “L” more which might be giving it more purchase in preventing migration.

if were me, on the model you have shown, I would lengthen the tower by one square and sharpen the lower bend ever so slightly. Migration usually means too short in the tower. It also means it has not “docked” to lock in place.

Thank you, @Spargano - I'll give it a go in a while. Wish me luck - I'm on my last piece of silicone 'til Monday!

[cathdiap]

2 hours ago, Spargano said:

On another note, I switched back to the longer base sent in the above picture. Last night while I was a little dehydrated, I am happy to report. I went to bed dry and woke up soaked. My bladder was also empty when I got up

Congrats @Spargano! 

36 minutes ago, UsuallyDiapered said:

Wish me luck - I'm on my last piece of silicone 'til Monday!

Fingers crossed for you @UsuallyDiaperedYou will get there as well eventually.

[UsuallyDiapered]

Even though I'm a few inches in height than both @cathdiap and @Spargano, I latest model is as close as I have come to a replica of cathdiap's stent. My thinking is that, even if there is variation in the shape or length of the urethra around the prostate, it would be good to have a solid model from which to work.

 

Initial results are very positive. It's definitely not sliding around like the other models. In all of my previous attempts the stent has migrated in at one point or another as far as the o-ring will allow. This has not happened even once in the approximately two hours I've had it in - it did not even happen when I lay down for a short while. Drainage seems to be good and consistent as well. Maybe there isn't as much difference with our inner urethras as we might think - replicas of cathdiap's models seem to be doing the trick!

 

Unfortunately I made a bit of a mess when cutting the drainage holes on the inner part of the stent, so I'll have to re-do that when I get more silicone. I don't think it has scratched the urethra though - fingers crossed.

 

I should be able to leave it in for another while at least, so hopefully the initial good results will continue. I'll post an update when I know! For now, it's time for a diaper change.

[cathdiap]

10 minutes ago, UsuallyDiapered said:

For now, it's time for a diaper change.

Sounds like you will be usually diapered in the very near future.

11 minutes ago, UsuallyDiapered said:

Maybe there isn't as much difference with our inner urethras as we might think - replicas of cathdiap's models seem to be doing the trick!

That would be very nice for other members who are interested in experiencing incontinence.

So @Spargano and @UsuallyDiapered I am curious: How does incontinence with a stent feel like for you. Is it what you hoped for, is it better or maybe worse?

[UsuallyDiapered]

18 minutes ago, cathdiap said:

Sounds like you will be usually diapered in the very near future.

That would be very nice for other members who are interested in experiencing incontinence.

So @Spargano and @UsuallyDiapered I am curious: How does incontinence with a stent feel like for you. Is it what you hoped for, is it better or maybe worse?

Can't be diapered as much as I like, unfortunately...home life and work life just don't allow it...I get a few hours here and there, and maybe the odd full day. I'll have to go away for a few days to get a more full-time experience!

 

How does incontinence with a stent feel? It's hard to describe. Firstly, I know I would not like to be truly incontinent, and I have no interest whatsoever in going as far as surgery. Nor would I wish actual incontinence on anyone, given my limited self-imposed experience of it. However, there is something almost indescribable about having the stent in - in one sense, I can go about my daily life more or less as normal, but it's weird having the realisation that I need to be wearing a diaper. Just for fun, I've tried wearing normal underwear and trousers while stented - it's amazing how quickly a wet spot will appear! There's also something awesome about changing a full, wet diaper, knowing that it just filled and filled without any input from me. I guess it's also sort of strange not being in control of the one thing that we have probably all been in control of the longest in our lives! 

[cathdiap]

22 minutes ago, UsuallyDiapered said:

there is something almost indescribable about having the stent in - in one sense, I can go about my daily life more or less as normal, but it's weird having the realisation that I need to be wearing a diaper. Just for fun, I've tried wearing normal underwear and trousers while stented - it's amazing how quickly a wet spot will appear! There's also something awesome about changing a full, wet diaper, knowing that it just filled and filled without any input from me. I guess it's also sort of strange not being in control of the one thing that we have probably all been in control of the longest in our lives! 

Couldn't agree more, thanks!

[Don Incognito]

9 hours ago, Spargano said:

Insert a catheter. MARK where it starts to enter the prostate and then MARK when urine  comes out. That is the length between the bends. 

For measuring the lower sphincter, I had waited until my bladder was full enough that I had to work to hold it in, then insert a urethral sound until it stops. Would that give accurate results?

And does anyone know roughly what bend radius you're using for bending tubes? I had 3D-printed a bending jig with a radius of 15mm, which I had looked up as the minimum recommended radius for 2mmx4mm PTFE tube.

[UsuallyDiapered]

17 minutes ago, Don Incognito said:

For measuring the lower sphincter, I had waited until my bladder was full enough that I had to work to hold it in, then insert a urethral sound until it stops. Would that give accurate results?

And does anyone know roughly what bend radius you're using for bending tubes? I had 3D-printed a bending jig with a radius of 15mm, which I had looked up as the minimum recommended radius for 2mmx4mm PTFE tube.

What about the inner sphincter? I'm not familiar with sounds, so don't know if one would go as far as the bladder. Like @Spargano, I used a catheter to mark and measure the distance between the two sphincters.

 

Given my experiences - particularly my most recent, posted a few hours ago - I would suggest that you try building a model based on @cathdiap's. After a lot of trial and error, both @Spargano and myself seem to have had the most positive results by replicating cathdiap's stent (image is on p. 56/57, I think) as closely as possible. I took a screenshot and then zoomed in so that the scale was correct - each square is 5mm. Then earlier today, I softened the plastic inner tubing to gradually get it as close as possible to his design. I think this is a good starting point - we know it works flawlessly for @cathdiap, and is so far working well for @Spargano and for me - then you can modify it as appropriate.

[Don Incognito]

What's the proper temperature to heat spray bottle straw bits for bending? When I tried it with my heat gun, the piece partially melted.

[Don Incognito]

14 hours ago, Spargano said:

I don’t use the heat gun any more, I use a lighter.

That's just it - I don't have a lighter, but I do have an electronically controlled oven. With it, I was able to experimentally determine that 260F is about the minimum to let it bend (though with it springing back some).

I wonder if that would narrow down what kind of plastic these spray bottle straws actually are. It'd be nice to get the tubing without having to buy a whole spray bottle.

[UsuallyDiapered]

2 hours ago, Don Incognito said:

That's just it - I don't have a lighter, but I do have an electronically controlled oven. With it, I was able to experimentally determine that 260F is about the minimum to let it bend (though with it springing back some).

I wonder if that would narrow down what kind of plastic these spray bottle straws actually are. It'd be nice to get the tubing without having to buy a whole spray bottle.

I use a candle to bend the tubing. While the oven might work - you say the tube springs back into shape somewhat - I think the heat of a flame or a heat gun focused on the proper places would yield more reliable results... That's only my initial thought - I could be wrong, and if the oven works for you, great. 

 

Anyway, surely you can acquire a lighter fairly cheaply?

[zraihusky]

3 hours ago, Don Incognito said:

That's just it - I don't have a lighter, but I do have an electronically controlled oven. With it, I was able to experimentally determine that 260F is about the minimum to let it bend (though with it springing back some).

I wonder if that would narrow down what kind of plastic these spray bottle straws actually are. It'd be nice to get the tubing without having to buy a whole spray bottle.

You can also use boiling water. I use a heat gun, but water would be easy to get in and out, bend it while warm and place in cold water to hold the shape.

[UsuallyDiapered]

4 minutes ago, zraihusky said:

You can also use boiling water. I use a heat gun, but water would be easy to get in and out, bend it while warm and place in cold water to hold the shape.

That's interesting... Honestly, it never occurred to me to use boiling water. I suppose I assumed that the plastic tubing would need a higher temperature to bend and retain its shape properly.

[UsuallyDiapered]

7 minutes ago, Spargano said:

Interesting indeed regarding boiling water. If you live alone, I suggest trying it. I have not shared my stent play with my wife so I experiment in the garage or bathroom when I want to make changes. 
 

its true that it’s a bummer that you have to buy the bottle to get the tube, but as @UsuallyDiaperedand I can tell you, the teflon we order online does not have the same properties or rigidity as the windex/glassex tube. 
 

by the way, I know @cathdiap gave us that sheet with the grid lines, but I just had a much better experience replicating his stent from his album page. I have warn it all day and it does not have the tugging that my previous model had (the shorter bottom one I tried feels amazing, but it did not work well at night and was pushed out by a strong pee when I woke up. 
 

this model feels fuller inside me without making me feel as though I have a stent in me. The only complaint I have is that when my penis pushes against the wall the diaper id causes dam that I have to shake to get the flow moving. It might just mean changing more often might be the necessity instead of using one higher capacity 

 

Absolutely right, @Spargano. Even though my cathdiap-inspired stent is far from perfect, the feel of the spray bottle pipe compared to the previously-used Teflon tubing is far superior. I have no doubt that the increased rigidity helps to increase stability and reduce migration. I'll have to tweak my model when I get some more silicone in a couple of days - there was absolutely zero drainage last night. 

 

Thanks for the tip re. @cathdiap's other model...I'll give that a go. The top bend turns in 90 degrees, but the very outer folded silicone bends up maybe 20 degrees - is there a knack to that? Is it caused by the silicone being pulled tight or does it happen on account of holes being punched?

[Don Incognito]

After quite a bit of testing, I finally have a complete stent based on Cathdiap's design. What do you all think?

Also, I notice Cathdiap's original instructions specify 4cm for the bent tubes, but the ones I've seen here are closer to 3cm.

[UsuallyDiapered]

18 hours ago, zraihusky said:

You can also use boiling water. I use a heat gun, but water would be easy to get in and out, bend it while warm and place in cold water to hold the shape.

I was sceptical of the boiling water suggestion, but I think it could be a good method, particularly for making finer adjustments once the silicone cover has been put over the inner tube. As I won't have more silicone until tomorrow to make a new model, I used boiling water to bend the top end of my existing version to a 90 degree angle, then I dunked it in ice-cold water. It seems to have done the trick and this slightly modified version seems to be working much better than the previous one.

[UsuallyDiapered]

Definitely getting closer...The modification I made earlier (of sharpening the bend as close as possible to the inner tip of the stent) seems to have made a huge difference. Still some slight migration inwards so the end of the stent is in past the outer sphincter - I'll try a new model tomorrow with a more pronounced and slightly longer outer bend. Some evidence that it is working while lying down too. Anyway, the proof is in two absolutely soaked diapers after about seven hours.

 

But for now, that's an end to my stented diaper time for today!

[cathdiap]

I think using the heat gun makes the bends thicker and firmer. I also use the heat gun to widen the opening at both ends of the frame.

[UsuallyDiapered]

8 minutes ago, cathdiap said:

I think using the heat gun makes the bends thicker and firmer. I also use the heat gun to widen the opening at both ends of the frame.

I agree with you, and I think I'll have to retract what I said earlier about boiling water. When I removed the stent a few minutes ago, I noticed that the changes I had made earlier with boiling water had almost vanished...

[Don Incognito]

22 hours ago, Spargano said:

I assume you are trying to zero in on your lengths.

Any advice on how to go about that? That is, how to tell if it's too long, too short, or just right? Thank you.

Also:

I've found a US company that offers 4mm ID x 6mm OD platinum cured silicone:

https://www.fixsupply.com/zusa-ht-3667-3a-fda-silicone-tubing-4mm-id-x-6mm-od-x-10-ft-long

And based on temperatures at which these spray bottle straws get soft, it's highly probable that they're made of PETG (especially considering that that's often used to make the "bottle" part of the bottle). Though thus far, I haven't been able to find anyone offering 4mm PETG tubing. Which blows because it'd be great to get the stuff without having to buy a whole spray bottle and throw away most of it.

For making the drainage hole, penetrating both the silicone and the inner tube with a leather punch got messy. I wound up having to drill the hole with my Dremel tool.

 

[rick50]

I've been following this topic for several years, studied the instructions and photos posted previously and am hoping to get some clarification:-

When turning the ends of the silicone tube back on itself it it turned inside itself so that there are no exposed cut edges?

What tool is best for this, I have tried a crochet hook without success in the past?

Is the inner tube inserted before the ends of the silicone tube are turned back inwards? Otherwise they would not fit past the narrowing caused by the turned back ends?

How is the retrieval line attached to the stent?

 

[cathdiap]

@rick50 Did you check my album "How I make my stent"? All your questions are answered thete.

 

[rick50]

thanks for the information Cathdiap, really helpful