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0400hrs: Examined the night pouch contents. I’m hoping they can clear a bit before the nurses come on Monday to take out the entire … not that I’m looking forward to the pain of it, I’m no sadist… is that the right word. Excuse me, I’ll look it up… No, I got that wrong; according to WordHippo, sadist means a brute, villain, rogue, scoundrel or wretch. It seems I was looking for a masochist!

I’ve lost my plot now. Oh, yes, the nurses coming next Monday. A rather embarrassing procedure, to put it mildly. I usually tell them jokes like, “You’ll need your glasses on to find it!” And: The last time anyone touched me there, it was the midwife… she laughed too!” That sort of ilk… I think I used them all up the last time the nurses did it. Hahaha! I’m still hoping that I’ll be able to pee manually again; and get rid of the catheter at long last. But what are the odds with my luck?
No, it’ll not work, and I’ll have to face Dr. Snot-Bag again at the Nottingham City Urology for the permanent catheter to be fitted. I looked up the options months ago: Suprapubic Catheters: Indwelling urethral or suprapubic catheters are commonly used to treat urinary retention in those who cannot perform clean intermittent catheterisation (CIC) due to limited hand dexterity or alterations in cognition.

Suprapubic Catheters

Indwelling urethral or suprapubic catheters are commonly used to treat urinary retention in those who cannot perform clean intermittent catheterisation (CIC) due to limited hand dexterity or alterations in cognition.

Indwelling urinary catheters

An indwelling urinary catheter is inserted in the same way as an intermittent catheter, but the catheter is left in place. The catheter is held in the bladder by a water-filled balloon, which prevents it from falling out. These types of catheters are often known as Foley catheters. Urine is drained through a tube connected to a collection bag, which can either be strapped to the inside of your leg or attached to a stand on the floor. Indwelling catheters are sometimes fitted with a valve. The valve can be opened to allow urine to be drained into a toilet and closed to allow the bladder to fill with urine until drainage is convenient. Most indwelling catheters need to be changed at least every 3 months. A suprapubic catheter is a type of catheter that is left in place. Rather than being inserted through your urethra, the catheter is inserted through a hole in your tummy (abdomen) and then directly into your bladder. This procedure can be done under general anaesthetic, epidural anaesthetic or local anaesthetic.
A suprapubic catheter is used when the urethra is damaged or blocked, or when someone is unable to use an intermittent catheter. The catheter may be secured to the side of your body and attached to a collection bag strapped to your leg. Alternatively, a valve can be attached that opens to allow urine to be drained into a toilet, and closes to allow the bladder to fill with urine until drainage is convenient.
This type of catheter is usually changed every 4 to 12 weeks.
Further investigations today revealed:

What is the success rate of a suprapubic catheter?
The technical success rate for suprapubic bladder tube exchange was 92.3% (405/439), with 34 failed exchanges or rescues necessitating new primary suprapubic tube reinsertion. Condom catheters are known to be discrete, reliable, comfortable and very easy to use which makes them preferable to bladder catheters.

Do condom catheter systems cause urinary tract infections? Condom catheters are widely used in the management of male urinary incontinence, bedridden patients and the geriatric population. They are considered to be safe, however, they are associated with complications in care of incorrect use. In our hospital setup, a 73-year-old male bedridden patient attended the surgical opd with a complaint of penile skin erosion following condom catheter application for 4 days, for which dressing was done to remove the slough for 2 days then circumcision was done. Henceforth, although less known complications are associated with the condom catheters, if not attended to promptly can lead to grave conditions like penile gangrene, necrosis, death, penile strangulation and necrosis, due to the condom catheter. Plus urinary tract infections, and other complications.
I’m sorry I looked it up now! Hehe!

A bad early morning view.
Ah, that’s betterer!

Visit Number One

Wetroom, I really must get some more olive oil.
Visit Number Two
Oh, flipping ‘eck, it almost gurgles as it splattered out!
What a mess, I  used a full toilet roll on these two visits!

Thought I’d titivated the carer’s desk.
But no… Back hastily to the
Visit Number Three
Nearly half the new roll was used!
Getting miffed with this!

Blogging away and…

Back uploading the photographs, and…
Visit Number Four
Gotten Himmel! This toilet roll is gone now!
Took me ages to clean up again!

The Two-Tone Toes are back again. Tsk!

I can’t believe this!
Visit Number Five!
These Iceland Toilet Rolls are rubbish!

Arrived. We were out of Paracetamol, but I’ve already ordered some today on the Asda order. So, no bother.
He said he was fetching the prescriptions from the chemist this afternoon, and he’ll leave them in the Meridian office for me. I appreciated that; thanks, Richard. I didn’t get them, but then I didn’t need them, cause Asda sent some as requested on the amended order. Nae bother. In fact, they arrived within minutes of the lad leaving.

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The driver kindly put them in Iceland carriers and a box.
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Cleaning requirements.
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Bikkies, all for me, bar two as treats.
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And these came as Freebies! I handed them to a gal to make sure they got used.
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Bread & baking potatoes.
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Small potatoes and Bananas.
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Pure treats for oneself here. Mint ice cream cones. Lemon curd desserts. Breadsticks, which I would not have bought if I’d realised they had gone off the offer price, Tut!  Extra Strong Leicester cheese, garlic potatoes – these were ordered in error; when I decided to get the bags instead, I meant to take them off the order… but. you know me and my ever-present . I shall feast well tonight. My plan is the no-fish prawns, tomatoes, garlic potatoes and a lemon curd pot for dessert… but, you never know.
I restocked the helper’s treats on the bookcase.

Carer Kara, then Carer Dorcas. Then…
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Still messy, but nearer to solid than the other visits.
This may be the last one, hopefully.

Window Cleaner Joe arrived and got them done in no time. Calling again on 12th October.

Well, here are two photographs with a difference wot-I-took.
A challenge for you here, if you don’t mind, thank you.
What is it, and what can my  Pareidoliable mind see in it?
Just a bit of fun!
An accidental photo was taken. I just wondered what the black thingamabob on the tape box was? There is no mark on it now, and nothing on the lens on ?

I replied to the WP comments and then went on the WP Reader. At last!

A Neighbour and friend from another flat came in as I was on the blog. It was Jenny, with an unexpectedly pleasant surprise for me… She bought me some beautiful yellow and red tomatoes from an allotment.
How kind she is to me ♥. A wonderful gesture.
Bless you, Jenny: they are so tasty. Thanks again! ♥

I turned off the computer and set about making a salad of sorts. I was going to try the Vintage Leicester cheese on the plate, but let me forget about adding it.
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No butter, butter on two cobs (buns or rolls?), as we call them in Nottingham. Potatoes, beetroot, no-fish-prawns and a lemon dessert. But no Leicester Extra-Mature Cheese, of course. Humph! The tomatoes tasted superb!
Overall Flavour-Rating for the meal, 8.9/10!

I hobbled into the kitchen to wash the pots, and…
I’d left the freezer door open again! Shut it quickly and an hour or so later, opened quickly, and had a prod of the foods… I fear they were all far too soft, and many will have to be sorted and thrown away in the morning. I’m getting fed up to my two remaining back teeth with doing this!

One good thing, though, was after the Carer’s last call and, she got the night pouch attached to the day pouch, did the eye drops, had a little natter; I faded into a grand deep sleep, without any jumping awakes, or Thought Storms for the first time in many months. I must have got 6 hours+ of bliss!

Mind you, seeing the lack of ZZZ figures on the Health Checks tells you why. I was great, help from Jenny again, and got some sleep… Smile developing!

TTFN