
Hi everyone,
I am just writing to give you an update. I started the rescue instillations at home last week, after much fighting with TriCare to pay for them (which they finally did). Anyway, it has made a wonderful difference. I have taken much less pain medication...and believe it or not, I am back at work...just for today. I substitute teach through a temporary agency, so this job has worked out perfectly with my doctors' appts. and when I don't feel so well.
So, the instillations I am using are: Heparin & Lidocaine. I DID however end up with a UTI last week that had to be treated because when the medical assistant at the urology office taught me to self-cath, she told me I could use the same catheter over again as long as I washed it with anti-bacterial soap and hot water. However, I did this and I *think* it might have caused my current UTI. I am taking Levaquin, 500mg for 10 days, once per day.
Anyway, when my husband and I went to the pharmacy to learn how to mix the medications, the nurse who worked at the compound pharmacy told me to boil the catheter if I wished to re-use it. However, I did this once and I have decided that reusing the catheters more than once might be the culprit. After all, this nurse at the pharmacy used to work with urological surgeons and he said he has seen people actually fold the in and out catheters up and put them (without the plastic) in their wallets (esp. men, he said).

Anyway, so I guess in a short time I learned my lesson. Actually the instills are helping my burning and the symptoms that come with the urinary tract infection. The GREAT thing is that I was able to get in to see my off-base provider in time enough to get antibiotics before the infection progressed into pyelonephritis and ended up in my kidneys, causing nausea/vomiting/dehydration (which, so many times has happened when waiting for an appointment on base with family practice).
Another blessing is that I have a great Primary Care provider for the moment off the military base and she listens so well. It's so nice to be treated with respect and listened to well. On base, it was completely different. I saw a different provider each time and they only had 15 minutes with me, if that. Also, a sign was on the back of the door that stated, "You may only address ONE issue at a time..." Well, as we know us ICer's have so many more issues than just one at a time. And, if you waited five to seven days just to get that first appt. to address one issue, you'd need about five to six more appts...if say you weren't sleeping, needed RX refills, needed referrals to specialists, etc. This is what we went through trying to use the base facilities.
Anyway, this message was went to be positive...so I won't rant anymore about the military docs. At least for a year (as long as my husband and I are here), things should be better.
I am so thankful for that and this board!
April
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