Self- Cath. has been really hard for me

[Amelia14]

Hi All. I hope everyone is doing well. I tried to self-cath. lat night. It was so hard and painful. I can't figure out what I am doing wrong. They make it look so easy in the office. I tried to relax the best I could but I am already in so much pain right now. I guess I am just going to have to go back to the docs. Is this somehing that I will eventually get the hang of? I really hope so. My docs office is so far from home and I usually have to take my three kids with me...and that's no picnic. I am using a pediatric cath, so it is fairly small. Well if anyone has any helpful advice for me I would love to hear from you. Love to all--KIM

[ICNDonna]

Self cathing can be a challenge the first few times. I think it would be a good idea for you to ask for another instruction session. That way, they can let you know what you're doing that could be made easier.

Sending gentle hugs,
Donna

[campbell04]

I am also doing my own installations due to my doctor being so far from my house. I find it a whole lot easier if I sit on the edge of my bath tub and prop both feet up on the other side of the bathtub and kind of lean back to where you are at an angle. I don't know why this helps but it does. I can't do it on the toilet at all. In my doctor's office they had me in a chair with pillows behind me and I was leaning back so I guess that is why it is easier for me on the side of the tub. I hope you get the hang of it and I am sure you will.
Kylee

[~*~Christine~*~]

I "partly" self-cath, I did it once on my own and ended up hurting myself so I feel your pain.
My mom inserts it into the hole than I push it up; I find that is best was, at least for me, to do it since it's hard to find the hole from my angle

[~*~Christine~*~]

I can't do it on the toilet at all
same here. The nurse showed me how to do it, on the toilet, and it just kept going up my vagina lol

[emilyrose197377]

I also self cath and it hurts everytime my uro prescribed me lidocaine creme it helps some.

[Sarojini]

I self-cath too -- it took me a while to learn to do it over the toilet. I still can't do instills over the toilet :) It seems like it would take two more hands than I have :lmao: But if I'm retaining and just need to insert the catheter I've figured out how to do it....

For instills, I lie down on some towels with my back propped up. I use a mirror and a headlamp (available at most sporting goods stores) to light up the area. Also I bear down slightly at the beginning to make it easier to see the urethral opening so I don't accidentally put the catheter in my vagina :)

[SrMaggie]

Many times when I've been cathed at the dr. office, the tech would tell me to cough. I do that when I cath myself. It does present the opening better. I always thought that the opening was so tiny. I could never imagine how the cath went in - especially during the first exam I had at the uro. I closed my eyes to that tube! I was surprised that I could do it myself. As I was doing crossstitch the other day, I thought that it was the sewing that helped me get the cath in - it's like threading a needle ??:? Oh well.