Question:
Does the catheter hurt? What about an upper GI? Did everyone have one?

My fears have to do with many of the pre-post op procedures. Will I be able to bathe...how does one care for their hygiene when mobility is impared?    — Jackie S. (posted on August 17, 1999)

August 17, 1999
I have been catheterized 3 times. Twice they did it while I was knocked out. When I had my gallbladder removed in 1990 which was my first ever surgery I was very frightened and requested they not catheterize me. When I woke up that night, I was hurting very badly and could not get out of bed to go to the bathroom. I BEGGED for the catheter and they did it and I only felt a liitle pressure, no pain at all and boy it never felt so good to go!!!!
   — Lynn D.

August 17, 1999
HI, the pre-op tests are nothing to fear. Just take it one day at a time. As for the Upper GI. It doesn't hurt at all. You are told to eat nothing after midnite the night before- no water, no coffee.. The next day you go to xray dept. where they have you change into a gown( they have large sizes.) You then drink 1-2 cups of barium, which isn't bad at all. They have you lie on the table and the machine watches the barium flow down your esophagus into your stomach. They take some films along the way and it's over. Are you talking about the urinary catheter after surgery? If you are, it doesn't hurt at all. You'll be glad you have it for that day or so, so you don't have to get out of bed all the time to pee! When they take it out, they tell you to take a deep breath and they pull it out. Doesn't hurt at all. Please feel free to write if you want more info. Blessings, Bev
   — BJ K.

August 17, 1999
Hi--No, the catheter doesn't hurt--it pinches for ONE SECOND (I promise!) when they remove it. As for bathing, I bathed myself (with my husband's help) with a washcloth for the first 4 days (because I had a ng tube that long). On the 4th day, I was able to take a shower, which was great (the nurse put a bath bench in the shower so I could sit down), The only thing I really missed was washing my hair, but I got through that by just combing it away from my face. Hope this help!
   — charlene M.

August 17, 1999
I had an upper endoscopy, not a barium swallow. That was totally painless, as you are more or less asleep for the procedure. The urine catheter was put in while I was in postop recovery and I vaguely remember it being put in and was not uncomfortable, as I was too preoccupied with the pain from the surgery. Taking it out was just a blur to me. It happened so fast that it was over and done with before I could even think about it. Nothing to really worry about. I won't bother scaring you with the details of the nasogastric tube.
   — Deborah L.

August 18, 1999
You will be under (or at least you should be under) before the catheter is put in. When you wake up, you will be in so much pain the first day that the catheter will not make a difference. After the first day, it is an annoyance, but that is it. You will not need to take a bowel movement for a number of days, so don't worry about that. You should be mobile enough by then to take care of that. Hygiene is a problem. Most days, a nurse's assistant bathed me. On the off days, my sister was there to help. Have a family memeber there, even if its just for your mental help. Your first 24 hours will be very, very painful. The morphine drip won't seem to make a difference. The next day it gets better, significantly so. The following day is even better. You should feel about 80% after 3-4 days. You probably won't feel 100% for quite some time, weeks, even months. Please don't misunderstand me. I'm not telling you this to dissuade you. On the contrary. Even having been through all the pain, inconvenience, etc., I would do the surgery all over again!!! In a heartbeat! I particularly hated the oh-so-tasty enema I had to take the day before. It's been almost 6 months, and I can still taste that foul liquid. Yuck! But I would even do that again. It is worth it! I've lost almost 100 pounds, and will lose more. Even more important is the way I can move around, walk up multiple flights of stairs without passing out, and the fact that I don't ache all over like I used to. If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me directly. I am more than happy to share my experiences, good and bad. Good luck!
   — Elizabeth W.