Warning: Completely Unmentionables.

[jamodu]

Some 2 years after experiencing my last UTI, I was examined by the Doctor at the time - who advised me that I had an enlarged Prostate, but there was no cause for concern as the condition typically affects older men such as myself. I got on with life as usual.

Even so, in late March of this year, one day I couldn’t urinate as usual. A day later I visited my Doctor, who said that I had bladder retention. I required Hospital admission to have it drained. I was admitted within the hour. The cause of my problem was the enlarged/benign Prostate.

Via a Catheter, they drained 2.2 Litres from my bladder (what a relief). After 3 days of observation I was sent home with an attached ‘in-dwelling’ (self-draining bag) Catheter. This was then changed to a Catheter with a ‘flip-flop’ tap (no bag) that I would simply open/close when I wanted to use the bathroom.

On returning home, I had also contracted Covid resulting from my Hospital confinement - and had to recover from that, too.

At home, the key problem, even when wearing loose-fitting Joggers, was that the catheter tap would regularly/inadvertently open from the mere action of walking, causing ‘spillage’. Plus, getting my Joggers caught around the toilet bowl (because of the very short-length tap) was unhygienic. Shorts were not an option, as they interfered with opening/closing the tap.

My Daughter’s forthright observation was that “You’ll have to wear a Skirt” - which was the completely practical solution to my predicament. All I had to do was raise my below-the-knee length Skirt above my waist to successfully to visit the bathroom, with zero ‘spillage’. My chosen length Skirt masked the flip-flop to others when I sat down or when walking around the house.

On such cool Spring days, to ward-off the chill on my legs, I took to wearing a sheer stocking on one leg and a matching sheer knee-high on the other leg (that didn’t impede the tap). On wearing such a below-the-knee length Skirt it looked as though I was wearing sheer stockings on both legs.

I took the opportunity to advise other family members that I had little choice but to buy some Skirts for the sake of hygiene/practically (with no negative response received).

I’ve since had the in-dwelling Catheter removed, with daily medication to ease any tension between Bladder and Prostate during bathroom visits. I’ve now been prescribed with ‘self-catheterisation’ - that is self-implemented thrice daily to ensure that my Bladder is empty. It sounds far worse than it is in reality. Early on, in-between each use I resorted to wearing pads for security, but have since dispensed with them as natural flow when standing-up has returned.

I now have to wait up to 6 months before I can get an appointment with the Urology Consultant to ascertain what further action, if any, is required. Meanwhile, regular outpatients appointments ensure regular contact between myself and the Hospital.

[FLbreezy]

Skirts can definitely be more practical for things like that. I'm having a medical issue now where it's uncomfortable to wear tighter fitting things around my groin and skirts are a blessing, while I await being able to have surgery.

FWIW, I'm "at that age" where we start getting prostate enlargement and my doctor had me try a pygeum supplement vs a prescription and it works quite well for relieving the symptoms.