Owwwwww!

[SandyRN]

Ohhh man have I done it now. I was getting kinda desperate because the spamss had started again and of course the pharmacy screwed up, AGAIN, and forgot to order my catheters....they had some 14 fr clear ones, that are very stiff. I bought betadine, I bought KY, and cleaned myself very well, used half a bottle of ky, and inserted the cath, without looking, right in where it was supposed to go. The pain I had when I put that cath in, holding it in while I put the instill in, and then ohhhhhhhh lord, pulling it out was unbearably painful.

Now I have urethral spasms.........WHY is this so bad? My 10 fr caths are supposed to be in tomorrow or Wed. I looked in the catalog and picked them out for the pharmacist to order. If they don't get this right I'm going to lose it because I cant keep using these big ole caths that hurt soooooooo bad.

I'm also terrified I'm going to give myself an infection. I know how to do sterile technique, but at home, as opposed to doing it as a RN in the hospital, is SO hard......cats everywhere, dog hair, towels that are clean but not sterile, hands that are gloved and clean but not sterile, ohhhhh man...I'm so worried. I lock myself up in the biggest bathroom in the house, lay everything out that I need and am as sterile as possible, but I dont have enough syringes and have to reuse them.........anyone know if I can boil the syringes? LOL

I feel like an idiot. Four years in nursing school and I feel like a fool right now.

Oh, and I took some pyridium beforehand so that I could ward off the urethral spasms.....it didnt work :loco:

[tigger_gal]

(((hugs))) I have never cathed and wouldn't know what to tell you, maybe a surgical supply store may have them...... Hope you feel better soon.

[Sarojini]

Hi Sandy

For syringes, are you talking about the large 60cc ones? If so, I clean mine out with antibacterial soap, rinse VERY well, and then while they are still damp, I microwave them for a few minutes in a plastic baggie -- the steam sterilizes them almost the way an autoclave would. They will last quite a while and you can do this repeatedly. You can also do the same thing with red rubber catheters to reuse them (wash w/antibacterial soap and microwave while still damp) but you should toss them as soon as they begin to get "sticky" or cracked.

For the small ones, you can do the same with the barrels, but you can't do it with needles -- the needles will rust in one hell of a hurry.

If you're worried about your hands, you can do what we do in the lab to be sure the outside of our gloves are sterile before doing tissue culture with our cells -- wash with antibacterial soap up to the wrist, dry well, put gloves on, and then keep some alcohol (either isopropyl or ethyl rubbing alcohol) in a spray bottle and spray the outside of your gloves, wait for them to dry, and voila -- you've killed most bacteria and fungi.

Hope that helps.

If you do get frequent infections -- ask Dr. Evans if you could get a prescription for a broad spectrum antibiotic to take after each instill.

[SandyRN]

Thank you! I had no idea how to sterilize these things at home. I've been very careful with the needles and think that they're probably ok for several uses a piece. THAT much I have managed to keep sterile, lol!

Like I said, I feel like an idiot because this is so different from a hospital setting where ya have everything ya need, and you're doing it on someone else! I need 3 hands to do everything it seems!

I am feeling better now that the spasms have stopped, and I had the presence of mind to save a tiny bit of the instill to inject as I was pulling the cath out, so that the lidocaine helped my poor urethra. It actually worked too!

This too shall pass and I'll do fine, it's just awkward right now.

Thank you soooooooo much for the info. Don't know what I'd do without y'all!

Hugs, Hugs, HUGS!! Sandy :)

[SandyRN]

oh, and yes, the 60 cc syringes. I also have 3 and 10 cc ones as well but the 3 cc ones are pretty much uselss!

[traceann]

Oh cripes Sandy! I think I must have felt every bit of pain you did (well, that may be an exaggeration, ;) ) while reading that!! Owieeeeeee!!!! I am glad you figured out a system now, yeesh. Good work!!!! :)


Big Hugs!!!! :)

[SandyRN]

Tracey, I figured out a system? LOL! Did I really? Please tell me what it is cause I'm not sure. :) I know this will work out for me, but it really does hurt to cath with those big honkers........can't WAIT til my lil ones get here......hmmm, sure would be nice not to have to suffer at all anymore. I have enough instill meds I can do an instill a day for a month :) Ahhhh!

[traceann]

LOL, yes you silly bean you have a system now to deal with the honker caths, of saving a bit of the instill meds to help out ye olde' urethrra!! :)

OOoh a whole months worth for every day of the month? That alone has to give you some peace of mind, knowing it's just a few steps away should it be needed!!! Yippy!! Um, yeah, those caths better be in for you, that's all I have to say......grrrrrr.....

Hugs!!!!