My surgery is coming up and I'm just wondering ..

I didn't have one.

My experience with catheter (for a different surgery) was that it felt really odd, but it didn't really hurt. Nor did I end up with a UTI because of it, but it wasn't in all that long - about 36 hours.

Yes you do,but mine was done once I was under. This was a big concern for my husband. We don't want everyone looking at our business.(At least we didn't, we insisted it be done by a female.) But you never know. It didn't hurt being removed. Remove your kegal exercises. I hope I spelled it right.

I must say though a catheter in a male is very different than a catheter in a female. Very different anatomy!!

Yes we do have different anatomy, I'm glad you noticed but besides a little "longer" of a journey for the tube for the male,, the sticking of the tube up our urethra is about the same!

most people have one after they are knocked out. I almost felt like I should have had one in place at least for a while the next day because I had a lot of urinary retention from the drugs.

I'm pre op, but had two catheters with both csections. My first csections was an emergency, so she shoved the catheter in before I was numb. It was uncomfortable for a second, but tolerable. Taking it out is just weird, no pain. The only part that was painful was I got a UTI from it after my second csection. But luckily they gave me antibiotics in the hospital and it was fine.

They freak me out a little, I confess. I asked the doctor to take mine out before I woke up in recovery. He said he needed it for 24 hours to check urine output. It was not painful, but it bothered me. I started bugging the nurses first thing the next morning to get it out and finally refused to walk anymore until it was out. As I suspected, it was way more importent to them that I walk so out it came. I prefer to pee on my own. But my experience is, this is just me. They don't generally bother most people. I am weird about my bellybutton, too. I can't stand to have the inside of my bellybutton touched. Hmm, it seems it is just me..........

Yes we do have different anatomy' date=' I'm glad you noticed but besides a little "longer" of a journey for the tube for the male,, the sticking of the tube up our urethra is about the same![/quote']

Almost true ... For guys, about 6 to 7 inches in, you have to go past the prostate, which provides a brief, "Woa!" But, after catheterizing myself several times, it's not too bad.

When I was a nurse's aid, I put lots of catheters in both men and women. It really isn't a big deal.

I asked my doctor not to use a catheter at my pre-op appointment and he agreed. The day of surgery, I woke up screaming in pain in the recovery room as they removed the catheter. It was painfull enough to wake me up from the anesthesia as it was still wearing off. The pain was over quickly and I imediately went back a sleep. I still have dreams about waking up in pain, but never brought it up to my doctor as I was more concerned about my recovery.

Should I have said something?

I go in for my 6 month follow up on April 19th and I'm down 93 lbs from DOS, 145 lbs from my highest.

But' date=' after catheterizing myself several times, it's not too bad..[/quote']

Umm.... Why????

I asked my doctor not to use a catheter at my pre-op appointment and he agreed. The day of surgery' date=' I woke up screaming in pain in the recovery room as they removed the catheter. It was painfull enough to wake me up from the anesthesia as it was still wearing off. The pain was over quickly and I imediately went back a sleep. I still have dreams about waking up in pain, but never brought it up to my doctor as I was more concerned about my recovery.

Should I have said something?

I go in for my 6 month follow up on April 19th and I'm down 93 lbs from DOS, 145 lbs from my highest.[/quote']

Way to scare the **** out of a fifteen year old!

Oh and yes you should say something!

I might even sue!

They didn't use a catheter on me. But it sucked getting up from bed in pain to go pee every 10- 15 minutes bc of all the fluids pumped in me. Not to mention I had to time the call to the nurses to unplug me from everything just right so that I wouldn't have an accident.

I asked my doctor not to use a catheter at my pre-op appointment and he agreed. The day of surgery, I woke up screaming in pain in the recovery room as they removed the catheter. It was painfull enough to wake me up from the anesthesia as it was still wearing off. The pain was over quickly and I imediately went back a sleep. I still have dreams about waking up in pain, but never brought it up to my doctor as I was more concerned about my recovery.

Should I have said something?

I go in for my 6 month follow up on April 19th and I'm down 93 lbs from DOS, 145 lbs from my highest.

Uh ... screaming in pain when they removed the catheter? Really? Well, I suppose if they didn't deflate it or deflate it completely, but that is highly unlikely. It is a funky sensation and I can see where you would be caught off guard if you weren't aware it was being done, but screaming in pain? Hmmm ... I would say this is the 1% case.

Umm.... Why????

Pain meds shut down my urinary system. Just can't go. Tried all the tricks. Nope. So, anytime I am on them for an extended period of time, it's time to take out my little buddy. I've had two back surgeries in the past 6 months, so, you gotta do what you gotta do.

As I said, it really isn't that painful. Granted, for myself, I use a straight cath versus a Foley catheter, which has a little balloon on the end which gets inflated once in the bladder so it stays. You then deflate it and pull it out. Funky as all get out, yes, but pain? I really don't think we have that many nerves on the surface of our urethra. Especially for a woman. I mean come on, your bladder is only like 3 inches in. How much pain can you be in for 3 inches of a tube being pulled out? Passing a watermelon through a garden hose, yes, I can understand where that is painful, but a catheter? Like I said, they must not have deflated it all the way, so, yes, mention this to the Dr when you see them so they can tell the staff to ensure they have completely deflated the balloon prior to removal.

No need to sue and sorry if I scared anyone. In this case, I think honesty is the best policy and a little discomfort was well worth the results. My biggest issues were that I could not pee straight for a few days and the nurse stood at the bathroom door to confirm my kidneys were working properly.

I had one inserted after I was asleep and came out the next day. The feeling was almost a tickle sensation. No need to worry at all.