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El Chancho


El Chancho

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I just registered yesterday on Daily Diapers.  For me it's lonely with nobody to talk about my condition.  I was born to be incontinent and why I started wearing diapers when I was a teenager.  I'm 64 years old and about 15 years ago my wetting myself became more frequent, I didn't mind at first, and had to start using super absorbent with liners due to accidents. I travel for business and always had to change frequently, but I couldn't wear the super absorbent because I felt people would notice.  I'm Bi-Polar and suffer from ADD,  before I was diagnosed I self medicated.  Many suffer incontinence because of an accident or disease.  I use to be able to control my incontinence most of the time until about 15 years ago.  I did see a urologist and given medication for OAB and urge.  Provided temporary relief, but I couldn't handle the interaction with my Bi-Polar meds.  The desire to become incontinent started early in life and then became an obsession which took over my life.  My thoughts seriously considered having surgery outside of the country. I no longer have those dark thoughts because I found a urologist who let me try an indwelling catheter.  Best day of my life and finally feel free.  Using an indwelling catheter is to completely give up control.  I'm a very successful business man with a secret I've never told anyone before even my wife.  She just thinks I had bouts of incontinence that reached a point I needed an indwelling catheter.  She has accepted it because she can see I'm so happy to be able to control my incontinence.  My incontinence, I feel, is a mental disease because I couldn't stop thinking about it every second of everyday.  I did eventually told my physiatrist and tried changing medications, but the desire remained. In the end he said if your happy that's the most important thing.  I know this is a long introduction about myself, but I really needed to just let it out.  I've been using an indwelling catheter for 5 years with no UTI's and will continue for the rest of my life.  Does anyone out there feel they were meant to be incontinent?   I didn't realize until much later in life and couldn't understand why.  My mind was just wired that way.  

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An indwelling catheter is a closed system and to reduce or not be subject to UTI's you always have to keep that in mind.  I wear the collection bag for as long as possible because changing the bag can introduce bacteria.  I clamp the catheter before removing the collection bag and then attach the new one.  I don't use a night bag because that means every morning you need to change bags.  I always wear a 1000ml bag which is sufficient for overnight use.  There are several bags that size which are undetectable even wearing jeans and the bag is almost at capacity.  Also when I drain the bag I leave enough urine to keep air out.  The sphincter acts in the same way.  The bag is just a bladder outside of your body.  

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Wow, 5 years IS a long time using indwelling catheters. I too went the near-permanant route you did. Though after 7 months I developed a sensitive urethra. Even the most smooth and lubricated catheters felt like sand paper to me.

After that I seriously started looking outside the USA to make me functionally incontinent. Almost went to a medical retreat facility in Mexico, except they wouldn't give me a guarantee they'd do the surgery. Even after a couple of telephone consults. It was a scenario where I'd have to first spend 3K booking everything, then bet if it would happen or not. So I ended up not going.

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23 hours ago, El Chancho said:

An indwelling catheter is a closed system and to reduce or not be subject to UTI's you always have to keep that in mind.  I wear the collection bag for as long as possible because changing the bag can introduce bacteria.  I clamp the catheter before removing the collection bag and then attach the new one.  I don't use a night bag because that means every morning you need to change bags.  I always wear a 1000ml bag which is sufficient for overnight use.  There are several bags that size which are undetectable even wearing jeans and the bag is almost at capacity.  Also when I drain the bag I leave enough urine to keep air out.  The sphincter acts in the same way.  The bag is just a bladder outside of your body.  

On this note. I too never had a UTI from an indwelling catheter. Direct with my urologist at the Mayo Clinic, I asked him about it needing to be a closed system with a bag. And surprise, the answer is it doesn't have to be. He told me with one in place you CAN let the catheter drain directly into a diaper. Which I did (mostly for personal comfort and not having to lug a bag around all the time).

However, this comes with a few BIG caviats. 1) You absolutely must stay well hydrated. This way your urine is constantly flushing out the catheter. 2) You absolutely must change your diaper no less than every 8 hours. This way bacteria doesn't have a chance to breed and become a problem. 3) Take cranberry pills or drink cranberry juice (not the mixed apple with flavoring stuff), or otherwise already be on antibiotics. For the obvious effect of reducing your chances of an infection. 4) ANY signs or inclinations of an infection and you need to go back to using a collection bag, a d follow up with your urologist. Or for worse, make a trip to the ER. And lastly 5) If you're someone who's prone to get UTIs in the first place, then don't even try doing this. 

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