Indiana Pouch questions

12 years 8 months ago #38242 by Patricia
Replied by Patricia on topic Indiana Pouch questions
You're doing pretty good if you're only up twice a night at this point. I still was at 4 hrs by 10 weeks. My kidneys also seem to work a little harder when i'm lying down. How many cc's do you normally expell? I kept a record just to see if there was a pattern and there was. You don't want to let that pouch get much more than 700cc's tops or the bladder will get floppy. And if it is indeed that full that would explain the leakage.
pat

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

12 years 8 months ago #38241 by SleepyBob
Replied by SleepyBob on topic Indiana Pouch questions
Thanks for the info. I'm using a 14French catheter, which is the bigger of the two they offered me. I have a follow up in two weeks so I'll ask about the leaking while I cath.

I have the equipment for flushing, but my PA said I didn't really need to. The mucus is mostly thin, but I do get enough chunks that it gets clogs sometimes. Plus the thicker bits that get expelled.

I've started drinking a lot more caffeine in the last month, so maybe I'll try cutting that out again for a while. I feel less rested than I used to even though I sleep in some. I actually seem to have to go more often at night than during the day, so I'm pretty much always up twice a night, three if the kids have nightmares. :(

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

12 years 9 months ago #38181 by Patricia
Replied by Patricia on topic Indiana Pouch questions
Hi SleepyBob,
Oh your new baby is spitting up! This too shall cease.
You're just in the training period now and the pouch is rebelling..its still trying to be a intestine thus all the mucus.
Did they tell you to irrigate quite a bit in the beginning to thin some of that out? If not ask your doc about some sterile saline solution for irrigation only and you put about 30 to 60cc's in your cath after you've finished emptying(with cath still in you) and then swish around to see what further comes out but don't worry if you don't get it all. Sometimes a big cough will expel bounds of mucus hiding in there!
As for sitting or standing...its your preference. I prefer standing as i can move the cath around a bit better. As for the leaking around the catheter i never had that. What size cath are you using. But if you are really full or mucus is pushing its way out which it is prone to do may be why you're overflowing at the moment. I would say my mucus started thinning out around the 4 month mark where i would maybe use the irrigation only once a week as it was coming out more like egg-drop soup by then instead of matza balls.
The stoma will bleed...not to worry. Sometimes it just gets irritated from something rubbing up against it..other times i think it probably has something to do with acidity...i'm guessing. It still happens to me and i'm 8 l/2 yrs out.
I never had to use a pad...i would buy a 4" box of gauze pads and fold them over and put a bandaid over the top and when i would change i could just take the old gauze out put the new gauze on and restick the bandaid. Now i just use an ordinary bandaid.
There will be certain foods or drink that will make it a bit more cranky...caffeine one of them. I also found dairy products produced more mucus with me.....just make note of when it acts up and what you've eaten or drank, drunk, drinken,,,,whatever!!
Sounds like you're doing pretty well so far and you will find in time that this is a great diversion. You will be able to train it to go 5 or 6 hours (if you don't drink tons) and watching liquids at night you will be able to sleep 8 hrs eventually. I try to cath every 4 hours and i always cath before i go somewhere whether its 2 hrs or 4 just to give me some leeway. By the way Starbucks have the cleanest restrooms!
Hope that helped somewhat........keep asking the questions
Pat

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

12 years 9 months ago - 12 years 9 months ago #38178 by SleepyBob
Indiana Pouch questions was created by SleepyBob
I'm about 10 weeks post-op with an Indiana Pouch, with the stoma in my navel. Pardon for posting in the women's section, but I thought that these were much more common for women.

So here's what I've been running across so far and have questions about:

1. I've read several posts about people catheterizing standing up. Is that really the norm, because I've gone the opposite direction. I always sit down, because 25% of the time, a little or a lot of urine comes out around the catheter, getting my front wet. Is this just a new pouch issue?

2. I wear a Poise pad held in place with an abdominal binder, in case I have an eruption. Many times when I go to the bathroom, I'm pretty dry, but I almost always have some urine and I always have several globs of mucus on the pad. That seems like it would make it pretty much impossible to ever go without a pad. Does this get better, or do you always leak some and need protection?

3. Every couple days I get some blood spotting on the pad. Any concerns with that, or is this pretty typical?

4. Anybody active in sports? I started running with my doctor's approval, but even just a few minutes of running on the 3rd day caused enough rubbing on my shirt that I bled more than ever - actual drops of blood instead of just spots. Covering the stoma with a band-aid has made it manageable, I think, but is this a permanent issue?

Thanks for any comments.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Moderators: Cynthiaeddieksara.anne