Cindy’s Multiple Myeloma Blog

I’m doing quite well with the self-cathetering.  Several nurses and others told me that it wasn’t all that bad.  I suppose it’s more common than I knew, but how common, I still do not know.  I had my catheter prescription filled at the medical equipment place (you don’t do it at places like CVS).  They put a size on the prescription, (e.g. 14FR), but I didn’t see any specification for male or female.  The place that filled it gave me the male tubes and told me that most people like them.  The only  difference is the length of the tube.  I’m sure glad I have the male’s tubes!!  It makes it much easier to aim.  It’s impossible to aim with the female tube.  So, I’ll continue with the male catheters, that is for sure. 

I’ve blamed my stomach bloating on the steroids, but I definitely have something going on in my stomach.  It could be a number of things I guess.  My oncologist have me going to a GI doctor.  My appointment is not until 7/29/08.  I hope I last that long.  I’m real low on iron and anemic, and am losing blood somewhere.  (Have I said all this before?)  My colonoscopy and endoscopy in January this year showed normal.  The capsule GI endoscopy malfunctioned.  I wonder if the capsule got stuck and is now causing an obstruction?  That was done on 2/25/08 and my symptoms did not occur until after 2/25/08.

Or, I can have a sluggish bowel.  I may have some kind of blockage.  I’m so uncomfortable.  I’m taking 4 to 8 Senna tablets, 2 Colace, 1-2 cups Senna tea every day.  The last few days I’ve been taking Miralax.  I can’t say it’s producing a lot right now.  We’ll see what the 3rd day in a row of Miralax does.  My stomach has softened a bit.

I talked to a very informative nurse at my eye doctors yesterday.   The other nurse and her informed me a lot about stomach issues as either their husbands, mothers, or themselves have had similar issues.  They were very helpful. 

Ahead of me I also am scheduled to see another urologist specialist; I believe one who specializes in individuals who cannot eliminate completely like me.  I have no idea if they would allow me to continue self-cathertering 3 times a day myself or whether they think it wiser to go another route.  When I had that last procedure done where the girl put a catheter in me and filled my bladder, she told me of a lady that has an opening in her bladder down in her stomach area somewhere.  She wears some bag that I guess her urine goes in.   I can’t imagine something like that, but who knows, it too may be in my future.  I’ve learned to keep my mind open to these possibilities. 

I’ve discovered that I have lived my life in some cocoon, never realizing all the many different things others have had to put their bodies through.  In a way I feel guilty and ashamed.  I was healthy and everyone in my little social circle were reasonably healthy, so I never was concerned much beyhond that.  Now I am finding out that many people, young to old, have encountered many health challenges and have had to become accustomed to ways of coping with their bodies in manners that I find difficult. 

But now I think I am experiencing nearly every demon I ever worried about!  I have a feeling that I’m going to experience some of these many different discoveries of science in order to simply function.  But, the good news of this is that these demons can be conquered.  They’re not such bad demons after all.  Much of it is in our minds, and oh ya, that famous never-ending term “our attitudes”.  I think I want to puke if I hear someone say “it’s all in your attitude” again.  So I will just say that sometimes we think  we can’t do something, but when we have to do it, we surprise ourselves quite nicely.     

Filed under: Contemplative, Disability and