11 replies to this topic

[Slowlegs]

Hi,
after having a particularly bad week for infections I thought enough is enough. I went out and purchased a waterproof fitted bottom sheet which helped a bit. I also purchased something called a dri sleeper elcipse http://www.dri-sleep...isu::cpn=0625,s. It's a remote alarm which fits into the front of your underpants at night and there is a separate wireless alarm which sounds if it detects moisture. Due to my work schedule and a long commute I was finding I could only drink water for about six hours per day. I thought that if I were to use this I could quite possibly drink plenty of water up until I go to bed. So far it has been great, I tried it last night (had a glass of water at bedtime to test it) and had a great nights sleep. I had to wake up at three for the toilet but at least I didn't have to change my sheets and for the first time in about ten years can actually wear pyjamas! I know that nocturnal bladder leakage is an issue for some of us so I will get back and let you know how it works for me over the next month.

Edited by Slowlegs, 03 April 2009 - 08:40 PM.

[Santa Cruz Soul Surfer (LRO)]

The only fundemental issue I can see with those alarms, is don't you have to actually have to wet the bed to begin with before the alarm will sound?...If your bladder is already in the process of spasming anyway, how do you hold it back once the alarm wakes you up? I mean, this kind of system might work well for bedwetting kids, but for para's and quads I don't really see the use...

[Slowlegs]

Santa Cruz Soul Surfer (LRO), on Apr 4 2009, 09:16 AM, said:

The only fundemental issue I can see with those alarms, is don't you have to actually have to wet the bed to begin with before the alarm will sound?...If your bladder is already in the process of spasming anyway, how do you hold it back once the alarm wakes you up?

If it wakes you up, you can grab a bottle, get to the toilet quick smart or just squeeze yourself to prevent the flow (if you are a guy). I just think it is better to wake up early than after 500ml pours out and you wake up like you are lying on a beach where the tide has just gone out and the mattress is soaked, especially in a hotel or someone elses' house. Saves changing the sheets each time or having your partner do it for you. Obviously it won't be right for all but so far it is working for me.

[Santa Cruz Soul Surfer (LRO)]

Ya, I could see how that might be a option for a ambulatory para...But some of the medication I take to sleep at night leaves me SUPER groggy when I wake up, not to mention how hard it is for me to get to sleep in the first place...Personally, i'd much rather stick to wearing a diaper to bed and preserve my good nights sleep, versus having my sleep pattern disturbed by a loud alarm...But hey, to each his own! ;)

[Slowlegs]

Santa Cruz Soul Surfer (LRO), on Apr 6 2009, 08:05 AM, said:

Ya, I could see how that might be a option for a ambulatory para...But some of the medication I take to sleep at night leaves me SUPER groggy when I wake up, not to mention how hard it is for me to get to sleep in the first place...Personally, i'd much rather stick to wearing a diaper to bed and preserve my good nights sleep, versus having my sleep pattern disturbed by a loud alarm...But hey, to each his own! ;)

Yes, as I said it won't be suitable for all. As for myself, my scar tissue itches really badly and breaks down easily when exposed to pee. Not only that but I suppose I am a bit of an environmentalist at heart and don't like having all those bulky supplies hitting the landfill when for me they can be avoided and will probably still be there years after I am dead. I am often up at least once, sometimes twice in a night to pee too anyway. The nights I am not up to pee I'll probably be up changing my sheets anyway. I do know that with the pain meds I have taken in the past it has been hard for me to wake up too so I see your point but then that is when I most likely will need it as those things seem to affect my bladder function.

[Slowlegs]

Well, it has been 23 days since my last nocturnal bed pee. The dri sleeper has been working well. The alarm is pretty loud and it can feel like I want to throw it out the window when it wakes me up in the middle of my rem sleep at 2:13AM. It is adjustable for volume though which I haven't tried yet.

I do find though that I am becoming more aware of when I want to pee at night and seem to be waking up more before the alarm goes off. A couple of times I have almost dropped the sensor down the toilet (it is fully waterproof though) and this morning I forgot to turn the receiver on again but I actually woke up before it was an issue. I feel much more comfortable about staying away on business trips or sleeping on couches or staying at friends places now.

Not only that but I am finally wearing pyjamas again now which means I am warmer at night and have a better sleep as a result.

As Santa Cruz has rightly pointed out, it may not work for everyone but has certainly worked for me. I'll keep updating this post and will let you guys know of any changes or findings.

[adam_downunder]

I use to have terrible trouble getting through the night dry. I get a bit of a sweat up on the left side of my head and left shoulder if I need to go urgently, and that would wake me up sometimes, but often I slept through it until it was too late. Sick and tired of having to hope I would wake up 3-4 times a night to pee I decided I needed to change something.

Now what I do is very simple. I use a 2L bag that has a tap at the bottom also and a regular intermittent catheter. I just attch the catheter to the hose for the bag, thread the catheter and leave it in all night. To help it stay in I then have a folded up towel across it and the clip that is on the hose gets clipped to the towel making it hard for the cath to eject on it's own. If I semi-wake during the night I just reach down and check that the cath is still right in, if not, just poke it back in again.

In the morning I pull it out, take the cath off the hose and re-cap the hose. Once I am up, empty the bag into the toilet and clean it and the cath out with hot water, ready to be used again that night. Once a week I'll soak the bag in milton water to give it a more thorough clean.

Being at home and everything being clean I have had no issues with UTI's (which I had awful trouble with in hospital) and I get a good dry nights sleep every night.

May or may not work for you, but hope it helps.

Adam

[Slowlegs]

adam_downunder, on May 26 2009, 06:51 AM, said:

I use to have terrible trouble getting through the night dry. I get a bit of a sweat up on the left side of my head and left shoulder if I need to go urgently, and that would wake me up sometimes, but often I slept through it until it was too late. Sick and tired of having to hope I would wake up 3-4 times a night to pee I decided I needed to change something.

Now what I do is very simple. I use a 2L bag that has a tap at the bottom also and a regular intermittent catheter. I just attch the catheter to the hose for the bag, thread the catheter and leave it in all night. To help it stay in I then have a folded up towel across it and the clip that is on the hose gets clipped to the towel making it hard for the cath to eject on it's own. If I semi-wake during the night I just reach down and check that the cath is still right in, if not, just poke it back in again.

In the morning I pull it out, take the cath off the hose and re-cap the hose. Once I am up, empty the bag into the toilet and clean it and the cath out with hot water, ready to be used again that night. Once a week I'll soak the bag in milton water to give it a more thorough clean.

Being at home and everything being clean I have had no issues with UTI's (which I had awful trouble with in hospital) and I get a good dry nights sleep every night.

May or may not work for you, but hope it helps.

Adam

Thanks heaps Adam,
because my urethra was severed and re joined and also my bladder is now in a different position as my pubis bone was removed because it was too badly damaged, I can't self cath and my specialist has to put them in. I get so much bleeding when a catheter is in
that the clots block up the catheter. I tried self cathing and the damage it used to do to my urethra on the way in made infections worse as my urethra has a kink in it. I did have a catheter when my reconstructions were happening and I do remember those blissful nights where I could drink what I wanted and sleep right through. Last time I had a catheter for 48 hours I was drinking four litres a day and three at night and had the best sleeps I had had since before my injury.

I'm just wondering if you use a condom or a foley catheter? I never really found the condom catheters worked that well for me either.

[adam_downunder]

Slowlegs, on May 26 2009, 05:16 PM, said:

adam_downunder, on May 26 2009, 06:51 AM, said:

I use to have terrible trouble getting through the night dry. I get a bit of a sweat up on the left side of my head and left shoulder if I need to go urgently, and that would wake me up sometimes, but often I slept through it until it was too late. Sick and tired of having to hope I would wake up 3-4 times a night to pee I decided I needed to change something.

Now what I do is very simple. I use a 2L bag that has a tap at the bottom also and a regular intermittent catheter. I just attch the catheter to the hose for the bag, thread the catheter and leave it in all night. To help it stay in I then have a folded up towel across it and the clip that is on the hose gets clipped to the towel making it hard for the cath to eject on it's own. If I semi-wake during the night I just reach down and check that the cath is still right in, if not, just poke it back in again.

In the morning I pull it out, take the cath off the hose and re-cap the hose. Once I am up, empty the bag into the toilet and clean it and the cath out with hot water, ready to be used again that night. Once a week I'll soak the bag in milton water to give it a more thorough clean.

Being at home and everything being clean I have had no issues with UTI's (which I had awful trouble with in hospital) and I get a good dry nights sleep every night.

May or may not work for you, but hope it helps.

Adam

Thanks heaps Adam,
because my urethra was severed and re joined and also my bladder is now in a different position as my pubis bone was removed because it was too badly damaged, I can't self cath and my specialist has to put them in. I get so much bleeding when a catheter is in
that the clots block up the catheter. I tried self cathing and the damage it used to do to my urethra on the way in made infections worse as my urethra has a kink in it. I did have a catheter when my reconstructions were happening and I do remember those blissful nights where I could drink what I wanted and sleep right through. Last time I had a catheter for 48 hours I was drinking four litres a day and three at night and had the best sleeps I had had since before my injury.

I'm just wondering if you use a condom or a foley catheter? I never really found the condom catheters worked that well for me either.

I use neither of those. I just use one of my regular intermittent catheters.

[silone74]

Hi i have always used a sheath that is self adhesive that my leg bag fits onto and at night my bladder just emptys into a larger night bag i very very rairly have a problem with wetting the bed only if the sheath comes off which is very very very rair.


Si

[Slowlegs]

silone74, on Jun 3 2009, 02:49 PM, said:

Hi i have always used a sheath that is self adhesive that my leg bag fits onto and at night my bladder just emptys into a larger night bag i very very rairly have a problem with wetting the bed only if the sheath comes off which is very very very rair.


Si

Bugger, can't use them either. They keep dropping off as they put me back together differently the second time.

[Slowlegs]

Well it has been three months already. I am changing some drugs for my UTI's so hopefully I will be able to travel again soon once my pressure sore is gone. This thing has opened up my world. A friend of mine asked me to visit her and stay over - now it is not a problem. I can wear pyjamas and even sleep on a couch. I really am impressed with my new gadget and wish I had bought one years ago. I was thinking of making one up from a water sensor in an electronics kit until I spotted it. Obviously for some it won't work and some just wouldn't want it but from personal experience I give it 9.5 out of ten for the way it has improved my life.