My experience with stents

[Squeaky Bearsies]

On 11/6/2024 at 3:17 AM, cathdiap said:

Please check your inbox.

Hey CathDiap is there a reason I cant send you a pm? I wanted to ask you some questions about your cath experience.

[UsuallyDiapered]

1 minute ago, Spargano said:

Sadly, I can second @UsuallyDiapered’s finding on the hot water not retaining shape. It’s a shame as it would have made manipulating the bends easier. 
 

back to the smaller stent from two days ago for me. Unfortunately, I somehow threw away my satchel with all of my stent gear…. I had to order replacements from Amazon which is annoying. Lesson of the day, be careful wihen you throwing out garbage that you don’t accidentally throw out something else…. $65 to replace 😅. That’s ok, I am taking it as a stride since I am so close 

Yes, it's a pity - it would have been handy, as I said, for making finer adjustments. Sorry to hear about your satchel...I hope there was nothing more personal than your stent gear in it.

 

I bought a bottle of our equivalent of Glassex and Windex - called "Windolene" here. Somehow I don't think the tubing is the same as what @cathdiap has or what you have gotten in the US, @Spargano. The outer diameter is 4mm alright, but I'd say the walls are less than .5mm thick - all in all, it is a very flimsy tube, far worse than the Teflon I had been using. I know I can buy Glassex here from an office supplies shop, so I might give that a go and see if the tube is any better.

 

For now, however, I have modified the inner tube of the stent I had in yesterday, which was fairly successful. New silicone arrived today, so I was able to replace the silicone on yesterday's model. Not sure if I'll get a chance to try it today - I might just try to get it in for even a few minutes so I can judge if I'm on the right path or not.

[cathdiap]

1 hour ago, Squeaky Bearsies said:

Hey CathDiap is there a reason I cant send you a pm? I wanted to ask you some questions about your cath experience.

My inbox turned out to be full. I deleted some messages. It should be fine now.

[cathdiap]

It is advisable to avoid having too much urine accumulate in the bladder when wearing a stent while sitting at your desk. Once the floodgates open, it is nearly impossible for a regular medical diaper to keep up with the flow of urine and prevent leakage.

It is better to lift your bottom off the chair periodically to give the bladder a chance to empty itself into the diaper in smaller amounts

[cathdiap]

29 minutes ago, Spargano said:

I feel like that kid that tried a vegetable when he was younger and didn’t like it, but then tried it again as an adult and thought, “oh wow! This is incredible!”

As a meat eater, I don't understand this at all. 

 

[cathdiap]

42 minutes ago, Spargano said:

I was curious if that was a good metric on whether drainage in bed would be easier.

It is always a good sign if the stent continues to drain when you are sitting, but in my experience this does not predict the degree of drainage in bed.

The further the lower arm of the stent reaches into the bulbous area of the urethra, the less chance there is of blocking the urine flow when sitting.  

However, if the stent passes that wider part of the urethra, it will cause friction and pain.

[cathdiap]

1 hour ago, Spargano said:

can definitely confirm though on the bladder buildup. I was at a conferenced a month back and was sitting for hours. It got to be painful and then when I did it threatened to leak, even though it was a good diaper

Yeah, when that happens to me at work it reminds me of how exremely boring and irrelevant I think my job is. 

It's quite telling that peeing my diaper uncontrollably in front of a bunch of zombies makes me find it more worthwhile to have wasted my time with them.

[cathdiap]

49 minutes ago, Spargano said:

in your opinion, @cathdiap, does there need to be a wide curve in that lower arm up or down after the initial bend, or is it basically straight once you have the curve off of the tower

If any I would keep it very minimal in upward direction.

I have experimented with that extra piece of plastic tube that I use for attaching my retrieval line  by putting it on the upper side of the lower arm, thus creating a quite agressive bend upwards below the outer sphincter. When I pulled the stent out that extra piece of plastic tube had turned to the side of the lower arm proving that my urethra didn't have that upward curve.

Since then I decided to leave that extra piece of plastic tube at one side of the lower arm. It does make it thicker as a whole and also tends to turn the top arm of the stent a little to one side of the bladder. This helps preventing the stent from sliding out of the bladder. But ever since I started doing it that way my stent also started draining better in bed.

I don't know if you still use that "twist" in what you call the tower, so that the bottom arm and the top arm don't point in the same direction anymore. To me it's quite important.

[UsuallyDiapered]

14 minutes ago, Spargano said:

@UsuallyDiapered any update?

Hello @Spargano - not much to report. I had to order the Glassex online, and I'll probably get it tomorrow...I hope the spray tube is better than the Windolene one I mentioned the other day. I know this isn't a discussion on window-cleaning products, but it seems that Windolene doesn't have ammonia, but Glassex and Windex do - I wonder if the harsher chemicals requires a more solid tube?

 

I've had my stent in for most of the day - I put new silicone on it a couple of days ago, but kept the inner tube, which I had taken from the alcohol spray bottle. It's draining fine - I've effortlessly soaked a few diapers throughout the day. However, I'm still concerned that the inner tube is too narrow, even though it is definitely suitably rigid - I hope the Glassex tube might have a slightly bigger inner diameter to help the flow. Although I'm happy with this current model, it is definitely not perfect. I have had minimal success while lying down, but there is still a tendency for it to move inwards slightly - my feeling is that the end of the stent gets take up just inside the outer sphincter, so the dripping stops. I feel that I'm very close now with the lengths, but it's possible that I need to make the bladder section a little longer as I suspect it's still not completely clearing the bladder neck. 

[UsuallyDiapered]

So, as recommended by @cathdiap, I ordered some Glassex to see what the spray tube is like. To my surprise, it is the same as the Windolene one which I had already bought. I found neither to be as rigid as either the teflon tube or the tube from the isopropyl alcohol bottle, and I was sceptical.

 

However, I have had the "Glassex stent" in for a couple of hours now, and I'm pleased...Don't know if it's down to the tubing specifically, or if it is a slight tweak I made in the design, but it's draining well in practically every position. I found that the tube is most effective in terms of rigidity if it is all melted somewhat (not just at the bends) - as @cathdiap mentioned a few posts back, melting it makes the bends thicker and firmer. The inner tube has a diameter of 4mm, but the walls are quite thin, which means a wider inner diameter - I'm assuming this is aiding better drainage. Can't leave it in much longer unfortunately, but hopefully I'll get a chance to wear it for longer sometime next week. 

[UsuallyDiapered]

8 hours ago, Spargano said:

Another week, another realization. That in itself is a beautiful part of life and growing as a person.

@cathdiapstated that when he moved his retrieval anchor to the side he saw dramatic improvement, particularly at night. 

last night I came to a conclusion to do this. Some background. When I previously tried this it was uncomfortable compared to the sewing the line into the anchor method so I abandoned it. When I next tried it with the Teflon I ordered through Amazon it crushed the frame down and impacted drainage rather than helping it. When I tried it with the winder plastic I flattened the anchor, thinking this would limit the force on the frame and cause less of an intrusion. This was a mistake as it created a sharp edge and this was what was causing the pinching I mentioned in a previous post. Which is a shame as the stent did drain wonderfully and did not move when urine would come out in large amounts at night. I was sure that the next tweak was to smooth out the anchor by getting rid of it and building a new one that is not flattened at all. The rigid tubing of the windex frame is not going to be impacted.
 

today, I made a new anchor (the frame was fine) the way @cathdiap has in his guide album and placed it to the side.

oh mercy was he right! The drainage is on steroids! While I can feel the stent, it is not like before. I think that extra bulb does something to the urethra to open it up more at the lower bend.  He was so right on this method!
 

i think it’s going to take a day for the previous model’s irritation to dissipate completely. I will report back again later.

That is very interesting, @Spargano …I hope the positive initial results continue. Regarding the shape of the additional inserted plastic, am I right in thinking that it's a piece of tube truncated at an angle at both ends? Have you kept your usual threaded retrieval line or have you now attached it to the anchor (I don't see how that would affect its functionality anyway)?

[UsuallyDiapered]

1 minute ago, Spargano said:

I thought the same thing, but it does somehow. I have it as the retrieval line as well so as to have nothing in the tube to obstruct flow or collect bacteria. 

now for the negative and yet positive report. The negative is after a while the stent did become uncomfortable. The extra piece pinches.

but that might be a good thing. Because I could feel it, I may be able to adjust the curve of the lower arm better. Additionally, I may need to elongate the lower arm a little as the bulge right before a right angle probably led to the pinching.

my next model will have a softer curve and hopefully that does it. Still, it’s a neat variable element. 

And you don't have any fear of the inserted plastic piece coming loose? Obviously it hasn't been an issue for @cathdiap, but I'd be somewhat nervous about having a component which may be under some tension not being solidly attached to the main device.

 

Yes, it might be a case that you once again have to negotiate the angle of the bends to accommodate the new addition, while also ensuring that it remains effective. I suspect that the extra bulge will help stop the stent going in past the external sphincter and will probably help it overall to anchor within the urethra.

[UsuallyDiapered]

1 minute ago, Spargano said:

Exactly. It won’t go further in. As for the anchor coming loose, I had the same fear until I started testing and realized the folds will not come undone once in and the anchor has angles to grip the fold further. I will say, it needs to be rinsed thoroughly before testing the tension as the lubricant in the building can cause it to slip, but once it is rinsed, it’s solid.i have build my latest build. The one that I initially installed the anchor had a 90 degree bend. That made the discomfort accute. I am hoping the gentle slope alleviates that discomfort at the bend.

Very good to know. Any chance you could post a close-up photo of the piece that you add and where you tie the retrieval line? ...I'm not 100% clear from cathdiap's photos - unless I'm missing something (which is entirely possible!).

[UsuallyDiapered]

5 hours ago, Spargano said:

Forgot to bring my phone. .., so no picture yet. I made a smaller version and it led to a very scary moment. I guess because the tower was too short it migrated into the bladder. Removing a stent from inside the bladder is scary enough, but with the extra girth, it as terrifying. I kept thinking, “what if the floss snaps!? What if the floss cuts through the plastic anchor?! What if I tear something in getting it out!? Am I going to have to go to the ER!?”

 

luckily, no… I just needed to calm down until everything got soft below and gently pull. This is why I assume the anchor is angled the way it is, so that it can move smoothly.it popped out and didn’t even traumatize anything as there was no blood from bumping the bladder wall. I may revisit the fishing line..,

 

needless to say, I switched back to the longer version. I will see how it goes. It may not be draining as readily as I would like in bed ( i had to be on my back for it to drain easily and I am a side/belly sleeper) still. I will take safety over scary.

At least there was no damage done, @Spargano. Yes, take safety over scary...that's why, as I said, I'd be reluctant to tie a retrieval line to the anchor. Unlike me, @cathdiap has years of experience, so he can have far more confidence in his creations!

 

Have you abandoned the cathdiap-replica stent?

[UsuallyDiapered]

10 minutes ago, Spargano said:

Nope. The design flaw was my own. If anything, it proved in tribulation that it worked. But I will for sure make the tower is never that short again. Here are the picture of the stent (the taller safer one) with the anchor highlighted.

 

 

Looks good. Sorry if I'm being a pain with all the questions - what exactly are you inserting to make that anchor bulge? A piece of tubing or just a sliver of plastic?

[UsuallyDiapered]

30 minutes ago, Spargano said:

Not a pain at all. Safety is paramount so it needs to be understood.
 

It is a piece of the windex pipe cut in a trapezoid. Any other material could move or be compromised.  I haven’t measured it but it looks to be 3/4 of an inch long. The line is tied to that. Then, using my forceps I push the anchor into the completed stent bottom. I push it past the folds so that if it is pulled, the angle will catch hard and pull the whole stent. I complete this process before doing the fold on the top bend or the hole punch as the whole construct could shift as it is inserting the anchor. Once it is in, you quickly understand it is not coming out. Because of the rigidity of the pipe, the line won’t cut the plastic and it will retain its shape. It is extremely snug inside the silicone. It’s essentially two pipes in one sleeve. This widening is likely why it is more effective.

Thank you, @Spargano. I've tried something very much like what you describe, but I probably won't get to test it out today. It was a bit of a job to get the additional piece of tubing in. Unfortunately, while the Glassex / Windex pipe might work better for drainage, I'm finding that it's not holding its shape particularly well once the silicone is slipped over it...maybe I need to melt it even further to help make it more rigid.

[UsuallyDiapered]

23 minutes ago, Spargano said:

I wonder why your experience has been thus. The shape retention has been markedly better for me than the teflon or non-rigid pipes.  

Yeah... It's definitely strange given your experience and @cathdiap's recommendation. There is a cleaning agent which seems to have a more rigid tube but which still has narrow walls - I might try that. I'll have to put all those newly-bought cleaners to good use 😂 

[cathdiap]

6 hours ago, Spargano said:

@cathdiapcan you explain the anchor a little bit. In constructing it, it is like a second tube inside the silicone. Your photos, however, do not present such an exaggerated bulge.

I think this photo does.

But over time, the silicone has compressed the anchor into a smaller bulge.  But the big bulge never bothered me either. Is the silicone tubing I'm using perhaps not as easy to stretch as yours? Mine at least isn't that transparent.

[UsuallyDiapered]

Here is today's attempt.

 

I got the inner tube from a household cleaner spray. It is very rigid, though the walls are thin. I think it also has a slightly wider diameter than the Glassex tube, as it was slightly more difficult to get the silicone over it. The bends have kept their shape much better than I experienced with the Glassex one. However, I have a feeling that I might have over-melted one of the bends, because I don't think the drainage is quite as good as it should be. Like you, @Spargano, I added the extra sliver of tubing similar to @cathdiap's model - even though it adds a lot more thickness to the rest of the stent, it went in fairly easily and was not at all uncomfortable. I'm pretty convinced now that it is this element which is preventing migration in or out. The overall dimensions replicate cathdiap's model.

 

As seems to be the case all too often recently, I was only able to have it in for 2-3 hours. It was long enough to soak a diaper though! Drainage seemed pretty good - dripping while standing, but a mix of dripping and spurts while sitting. I wasn't really able to evaluate how it works while lying down. Crucially, during the time I had it in, I didn't once have to pull the end back outside of the external sphincter - it sat fairly comfortably at the back of the perineum.

 

Hopefully I'll get to try it for a bit longer later in the week. The test for me will be how it performs during a long walk - something I haven't had the opportunity for some time. But, for now, this seems to have been a success.

[Spargano]

13 minutes ago, UsuallyDiapered said:

Here is today's attempt.

 

I got the inner tube from a household cleaner spray. It is very rigid, though the walls are thin. I think it also has a slightly wider diameter than the Glassex tube, as it was slightly more difficult to get the silicone over it. The bends have kept their shape much better than I experienced with the Glassex one. However, I have a feeling that I might have over-melted one of the bends, because I don't think the drainage is quite as good as it should be. Like you, @Spargano, I added the extra sliver of tubing similar to @cathdiap's model - even though it adds a lot more thickness to the rest of the stent, it went in fairly easily and was not at all uncomfortable. I'm pretty convinced now that it is this element which is preventing migration in or out. The overall dimensions replicate cathdiap's model.

 

As seems to be the case all too often recently, I was only able to have it in for 2-3 hours. It was long enough to soak a diaper though! Drainage seemed pretty good - dripping while standing, but a mix of dripping and spurts while sitting. I wasn't really able to evaluate how it works while lying down. Crucially, during the time I had it in, I didn't once have to pull the end back outside of the external sphincter - it sat fairly comfortably at the back of the perineum.

 

Hopefully I'll get to try it for a bit longer later in the week. The test for me will be how it performs during a long walk - something I haven't had the opportunity for some time. But, for now, this seems to have been a success.

I noticed you and I have almost the same difference to @cathdiap in the upper bend. Our angle is wider compared to his sharper bend. I noticed when I have it too sharp it hits the inner wall and doesn’t drain. 
 

 

[UsuallyDiapered]

4 minutes ago, Spargano said:

I noticed you and I have almost the same difference to @cathdiap in the upper bend. Our angle is wider compared to his sharper bend. I noticed when I have it too sharp it hits the inner wall and doesn’t drain. 
 

 

In reality it's probably a bit sharper than it appears in the photo - on account of the deliberate misalignment of the bends, the inner one is pointing up in the photo. 

 

That said, it wasn't quite as sharp as what I was aiming for...but maybe it'll work out for the best. I, too, had a previous model with a sharp inner bend - I could feel a sharp pain at times, particularly when lying on my stomach - so maybe a more relaxed bend is better.

[UsuallyDiapered]

7 minutes ago, Spargano said:

On closer examination I see what you mean. On my latest version (the one I had been wearing all day), I purposely lessened the extreme twist as I wondered if it was strafing the bladder wall. It’s still angled off of center but not so radically. The anchor also lends to the twist. 
 

having worn all day I can say that it flowed continuously and the only reason I am sore is because the front of the diaper swelled so much that it blocked the urethra opening. I just changed for bed, and I am eager to see how the night progresses.

this week I am going to be scanning sites for cyber Monday sales on diapers. 

Great. Fingers crossed for a positive report in the morning! 

 

I did wonder that myself about the twist - maybe mine doesn't need to be so dramatic! 

 

Unfortunately cyber Monday sales on diapers are not a thing in this part of the world...

[UsuallyDiapered]

10 minutes ago, Spargano said:

So I can report there was both leaking and also buildup, and other things too.

 

this might sound graphic, but I am encountering hemotosperma. The last time this happened it took months to resolve itself. This is where there is trauma to the urethra during a sexual encounter causing blood to mix with seminal fluids. My wife and I had a bit of a dry spell and we discovered the copper colored semen after. 
 

this is to say that I saw some copper discharge in the diaper this morning, which could be because of the rubbing of the prostate at night by the stent. It could also be residual damage from when the stent went into the bladder two nights ago and the tissue flushed out when there was a build up. 
 

Regardless of the cause there was a slight sting in the urethra (also was dehydrated) that has since subsided. 
 

so I am in day 2 of this stent that is still nearly 100% not noticeable unless I focus on it with constant dripping regardless of position. The only reason there isn’t a flow is when my urethra gets plugged by the wall of the diaper when the diaper is overly full.

i agree with @UsuallyDiapered. The anchor works both ways. It anchors the retrieval line to the stent and it also anchors the stent in the urethra. Win win when done right.

I have already had to change a super soaked diaper (got up at 4) that leaked down my leg. Second diaper was fluffed and well tape lol (my first diaper wasn’t)

its a great feeling knowing there was nothing to stop the leak and that it was not the result of a flood, but the accumulation of dripping.

Well I hope the hematospermia clears up soon...As well as the migration a few days ago, your urethra is putting up with a lot of unusual trauma with the insertion and removal of stents every day...that should calm down as you approach achieving the perfect stent. I count myself lucky that so far I have not had so much as a drop of blood - the most I've experienced is a bit of discomfort after removal, most likely caused by the stent contorting the urethra on insertion or removal.

 

However, good to hear that the current stent is comfortable overall and that not only did you have to change a soaked diaper, but a super soaked diaper!

 

I don't want to sound intrusive - so feel free not to answer this - but what does your wife make of all of this? I think you said before that she knows about the diapers but not about the stents - does she think it's strange that you have to change a "super soaked diaper" at 4a.m.?

[UsuallyDiapered]

21 minutes ago, Spargano said:

Not intrusive at all. She’s known I am incontinent since before we got married 13 years ago so me changing at all times is nothing new.

my super soaker experience was from 4 am to 7:30😆. 
 

to help with my equipment challenge, I am trying “pointed up” to see if that makes a difference. I am just hoping the diaper wicks down with gravity or I am going to leak fast with the dripping.

Ah, okay...I knew she knows something but I couldn't remember how much exactly!

 

As for pointing up, I'll be interested to hear how/if that works. I often start by pointing up, particularly if I'm going to be sitting at the desk, to make sure the front of the diaper gets used. Lying down, I wouldn't chance it...However, maybe it would work with a stent where you're just dripping constantly rather than flooding.

[UsuallyDiapered]

7 minutes ago, Spargano said:

Update: Pampers overnight .70 cents a diaper. I just pulled it out of my rearz inspire meg- ($3 a diaper), not a drop in the Mega and the baby size 6 diaper is soaked. This is awesome.  I will just time changes of the baby diapers. Changing at work will be so much easier too!

i will change from my 3-5 diaper changes a day to possible 1-2.

Great!

 

Do you pierce holes in the baby diaper and cut away the sides? I've used baby diapers as inserts in the past, but I found it too time-consuming to cut away the excess material and pierce holes. Plus, I've never had much need for diaper inserts, because I don't usually have the opportunity to be diapered for longer periods of time. That might change, of course, when I get a properly working stent!