Catheters

[Guest guest]

Tom, oh experienced one,

You gonna give us a demonstration of the acquired skill of navigating while bedecked in tubage? Some of us learn better visually.... Nan E

[Guest guest]

I don't know about other docs, but Dr. Anthone's patients can expect

to wake up with a catheter. (This applies to panniculectomys as well

as the DS -- Sorry Nan!)

How long he leaves it in depends on what type of pain control you

have:

If you have a PCA, (the self-controlled pump-thingie), then they

*can* take it out as soon as you are able to pee in one of those

urinal bottles, or a bedpan, (I guess?), for you gals. I emphasize

the word *can* because they are quite obsessed with measuring urine

output, so you have to convince them that you'll religiously save

every drop of the precious stuff so they can measure it.

If you have an epidural, then the catheter stayes in until the

epidural comes out. Otherwise you'd likely pee on yourself and not

even know it.

What's really fun is going for a walk (or to the imaging department

for an Upper GI Scan) with the catheter, central line, and those

other tubes (I forget which is called what, but there's one that

drains bile from your biliary limb, and another one that drains

fluid/blood from your abdominal cavity) all dangling and wanting to

get wrapped around the wheeled IV pole. It takes a little practice,

but you get used to it.

Tom

[Guest guest]

I had a catheter inserted after I was knocked out. I kept it till I

was able to get out of bed myself (day 2). Once I was able to get up

and go on my own, it was outta there.

[Guest guest]

Not true. I had my catheter out long before my epidural came out and

managed to get up and to the bathroom to pee.

in Seattle

----- Original Message -----

> If you have an epidural, then the catheter stayes in until the

> epidural comes out. Otherwise you'd likely pee on yourself and not

> even know it.