This morning’s review was mainly to repeat the bladder scan. The purpose was to see if I continue to retain urine. We needed to determine if the previous scan was a one-off. I’d peed less than an hour before the appointment. It wasn’t as much as the 300ml that the previous scan showed. However, it was still above the 100ml limit that they go by. I was given the option of starting to use intermittent self-catheterisation (ISC). Now the word intermittent can infer a lot of things. To me, I took it to mean perhaps every few days. Even when the nurse started to discuss the frequency, she began with “perhaps 2 to 3 times.” I expected her to continue with “a week”. I was taken aback when she completed the sentence with “a day”. That seemed a lot, and I questioned whether an indwelling catheter would not be simpler. Evidently not. There is a risk of urinary tract infection from ISC. However, the risk is much greater from indwelling catheters. They are not great for even a moderately active person.
It seemed a little odd. On the one hand, I was being given a choice to do it at all. On the other hand, if I chose to do it, I’d need to do it 2-3 times a day. Ultimately, I figured I have enough going on. I don’t want to risk a UTI from retaining urine, so I’d probably better go ahead. I will receive an appointment for a home visit. During the visit, they will show me how to do it, and I will try a couple of different devices to see which works best.