Catheter vs. Cone - Seeking Info for Irrigation

Who's here in this beautiful gang uses the catheter instead of a cone? I read somebody who used the catheter but I do not remember who it is? I need info for my irrigation with this product instead of the cone please?

Hello Shit Happens. 'Tis me! who uses an anal catheta. However, I will pass on the warnings from the medics about this approach because they are very relevant.  There is little or no 'feeling' inside the colon so you have to know what you are doing to avoid damaging the walls. In my case, I used to anally irrigate by this method before my stoma so I was well practiced. Also, I found the standard anal cathetas are not suitable because they have a blow-up balloon which is superfluous and gets in the way. I simply utilised the tip of the anal catheta and made my own version. Antother point, is that because there is no wide cone to help prevent the water from splashing back out, I slide a small rubber washer over the tube at a suitable distance, which prevents the water from splashing back violently and out of the sleeve. There is a picture of this device on my profile. 

The advantages of this type of irrigation is that I can push the tube down by about 9 inches, which passes my hernia; pushes out the hard stools and allows the water to get to where it really needs to be. There is a lot of splashback so I have a 3 litre container and a pumping system.

I would recommend people try the cone method first as it is much more convenient and probably safer that the catheta method. There is no point in complicating what you do if the simpler method will work for you.

Best wishes

Bill

Hi Bill,
Your comments are still relevant. Thank you for his good advice. I will continue to use the cone.

And I have another advice to ask you: someone wrote to me:
AVOID: bread, pasta, bulky veggies, fibrous fruits
Note: Men tend to do well on Atkins goal. Women not so good .... oufffff

I thought it was favorable to eat bread and pasta to have more consistent poop. What do you think? I'm still too mixed now ... lolllll

Hello Shit Happens.

I am perhaps not the most appropriate person to be answering your question relating to diet as I eat whatever I like, when I like, without much concern for the concequences. I am a firm believer in experimenting to see what happens and I have not yet come amiss with what I eat. We all react in different ways to different foodstuff and I am alergic to certain foods, which I avoid for the most part. However,  my philosophy is: If you don't try stuff, you will never know what effect it has.

Best wishes

Bill  

Hi Danielle,

I think I sent you John's name (in the UK), and he said that a French Gal from Canada contacted him. I hope you found him helpful. I know he irrigates daily and uses the "cone". If Bill says that the cone is safer than a "catheter", then I'd go with what he says. I have an ileostomy (no colon) so I don't deal with "solid" sh-t or the need for irrigation. It just flows the way it does... usually a lot after meals and less so as time goes on. As for the do's and don'ts of what to eat or not eat, that's entirely up to you. Some people try to control output by limiting what they eat or what time they eat. I don't bother with that. When I was younger, I could eat pretty much anything but needed to be cognizant of chewing foods like corn or nuts very well. These days, I have trouble digesting raw veggies, like carrots or celery, so I avoid them by choice. Finding a "balance" is probably the best... but trial and error will tell you what you need to know. If you continue to have problems, write to John or post questions... so people know what you need. Best of luck. Marsha

Staying Hydrated with an Ostomy with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

Hi, I use a catheter but I am not at all familiar with cones, so we are likely talking about completely different topics. The catheter I use goes into a hole in my belly. The catheter is clear and flexible and about 10 inches long and maybe 3/8th of an inch in diameter.

Hello Shit Happens! The cone is definitely the safer method for irrigating your bowels. It prevents bowel perforation as well as the mess of the water coming back at you as it goes in. As for what foods to eat/avoid, try keeping a food journal to track your input and output. If you get constipated, you'll know what you ate that caused it. There will be a lot of trial and error as you really pay attention to how various foods affect your stool output. Personally, my stoma is too small for irrigating with the cone and the risk of perforating my bowel with a catheter is too great for it to be an option. I take laxatives regularly so that 90% of my stooling happens during the night and early morning.

I hope this helps you and if I can possibly help more, please contact me.

Thank you all of you for your comment, it helps a lot for my irrigation :)

You're welcome, feel free to message me anytime. :)

Madelynn,

Oh, laxative? I do not need that... lollll... I do my watering after my work around 17:15 and 17:45. Everything is almost finished... maybe 2 other small gifts... lolll and nothing for 23 hours. I am very happy to have discovered irrigation because I do not know how I would have managed a 1-piece or 2-piece apparatus the rest of my life :)