Need Intervention!

[armslee]

I am in tremendous pain today. :mad:
I am at work and it feels totally ludicrous to be here. Just wishing my pain medicine would kick in.

Saw my doctor last Friday. He asked if I wanted an instill then and I declined. I suppose it is my own fear of catheters.

But I am in terrible pain! :headbang:
If someone stuck that stupid painchart in front of my face right now I would probably knock their teeth out. I think that is the most rediculous thing ever created. Yes it is a 10. Now give me something you loonies!!! :loco:

Alright, so all you instill peeps, tell me how wonderful you feel afterward and talk me into going. Tell me my long weekend will be much better if I go. :grouphug:

[armslee]

Ok, pain meds are kicking in and I am a little more myself. I called and made an appt to go at 3pm today for the instillation.
Someone please let me know what I should expect.
THANKS!

[BellaTutu]

I do hope you feel better soon hun :grouphug:

[armslee]

Thanks Bella, me too!!!

[BellaTutu]

you're very welcome sweetie. As for the instills - it varies from person to person really, and depends on what they plan on using. Lidocaine or marcaine mixtures usually help alleviate the razor blades feeling for me. Of course, I always have trouble holding anything for over a few minutes (like 5) because it hurts too badly for me.

I do hope you'll give them a try though - so many have been helped by them.

[ICNDonna]

The procedure isn't bad if you can relax. The way I relax is to concentrate on breathing slowly and evenly and consciously relaxing my abdomen. It will depend on the contents of the instillation whether you will feel any discomfort afterwards. If they use lidocaine or marcaine with it, it should help.

I hope you will feel better for your long weekend --- try to get some rest.

Warm healing thoughts,
Donna

[armslee]

I am not sure what they will be using, but I will request the lidocaine or marcaine.
Thanks for the information.

I am a bit bummed out that the latest they could do it was 3pm so that means that I will have to come back to work afterwards, drat drat drat!!! But hopefully I will have more relief than I do now.
Wish me luck!

[armslee]

Well, I made it back alive and well from my instillation.
I have to admit that it wasn't as bad as my mind dreamt it would be. The procedure was over very quickly. The nurse practitioner at the doctor's office is really sweet and explained things to me when I asked.

It has been one hour. I do feel some better. The "cocktail" is still in place and I am holding on to it as long as I can. I am getting another on Monday morning after my therapy session.

Thanks again to all who replied to me.
I think this disease is going to make me get rid of some of my fears if nothing else!

[Sarojini]

I think the cocktail will help some -- if I get my flares in time with a home instill, often it is all I need to knock it out. Unfortunately, a lot of my flares start at WORK, and in that case it's pretty hard to do an instill! ;)

I hope you feel better soon :grouphug:

[Vampireness]

Well, I made it back alive and well from my instillation.
I have to admit that it wasn't as bad as my mind dreamt it would be. The procedure was over very quickly. The nurse practitioner at the doctor's office is really sweet and explained things to me when I asked.

It has been one hour. I do feel some better. The "cocktail" is still in place and I am holding on to it as long as I can. I am getting another on Monday morning after my therapy session.

Thanks again to all who replied to me.
I think this disease is going to make me get rid of some of my fears if nothing else!

Glad to hear your feeling better!!!! What are you using btw? (the "cocktail" I mean) What did it feel like when the solution when into your bladder? Thanks, let me know.

[armslee]

Vamp-
They used a lidocaine/heparin type instill. I was extremely impressed by how quickly the procedure went. Let me say that I had a horrible experience being cathed when I was young and have a major mental phobia about it now. However the nurse coated the cath in lidocaine as well. There was a slight burning feeling during insertion and another slight burn as she was doing the instill. It took less than 1.5 minutes to complete. Afterward I had alot of vulvar irritation, but it diminished about 30 minutes later. I was able to hold the instillation in for about 1 hr and 20 minutes. I had some burning while voiding for a few hours afterward.

All in all I am extremely impressed with the results. Today is Saturday and I have felt really well the last 2 days. I am not sure if it is the instill alone or a combo of the instill and the aloe vera juice I am drinking now too. But this is the best I have felt in quite some time!!!

[kadi]

Hi there,
Rinsing with a perineal wash bottle with cool water right away really helps with the vulvar irritation. If they used betadyne to wash you externally, you might try asking for something different next time. That might account for the irritation. Also, you might ask for a non-latex cath. For me, that reduced the urethral burn by about 90%.

I'm so glad you're feeling better!!!
:woohoo:

[mlb]

Hi, I noticed your med list doesn't include Elmiron, Neurontin or Lyrica. You may be able to try them. Hope you feel better.

[Vampireness]

Vamp-
They used a lidocaine/heparin type instill. I was extremely impressed by how quickly the procedure went. Let me say that I had a horrible experience being cathed when I was young and have a major mental phobia about it now. However the nurse coated the cath in lidocaine as well. There was a slight burning feeling during insertion and another slight burn as she was doing the instill. It took less than 1.5 minutes to complete. Afterward I had alot of vulvar irritation, but it diminished about 30 minutes later. I was able to hold the instillation in for about 1 hr and 20 minutes. I had some burning while voiding for a few hours afterward.

All in all I am extremely impressed with the results. Today is Saturday and I have felt really well the last 2 days. I am not sure if it is the instill alone or a combo of the instill and the aloe vera juice I am drinking now too. But this is the best I have felt in quite some time!!!

That's really great....how many treatments have you had so far and how are you feeling atm, let us know! :)