The Catheter Saga - A Synopsis

After watching, reading and digesting all the rec.aviation.soaring
threads on this topic, which seemed to have sprung from my recent post
entitled "Painless Removal of External Male Catheter? (ouch)", I
thought that I would write a synopsis of what I learned.

I am going to be quite frank and honest here. When I first starting
using a catheter, helpful information was almost nowhere to be found.
Thus I see this as a service to the community. You may copy this into
newsletters, etc, to your heart's content.

=====================

To Use or Not? - There seemed to be a 50/50 split between the
responders that do/don't use a catheter. I am going to ignore the
debate here and assume that you are going to use a catheter. In my
honest opinion (IMHO) I believe that catheters should be used as they
reduce the amount of fiddle around in flight, which is always the
safest way to fly.

What an External Male Catheter looks like - An external male catheter
looks like a condom with a hole in the end. It goes on more-or-less
like a condom (details later) with a few important differences.

Brand/Model - The brand/model which seemed to be the most recommended
is the Mentor brand "Clear Advantage with Aloe". It seems to be the
best for staying on and, more importantly, coming off without removing
important body parts in the bargain (more later). This, and most
catheters, have an adhesive inside to keep it attached to your penis.
Some others do not use any adhesive, using instead a strap around the
outside. I will only discuss the adhesive type which I prefer. Cost
is about $3 each. See the "Sources" section below.

Sizing - This is a bit of a sensitive subject but an important one.
Too small and you will not be very comfortable after a few hours. Too
large and you may end up with a wet spot, which is also not very
comfortable after a few hours. To help out, there is a handy sizing
guide on the Internet (I am not kidding about this). It may be
embarrassing but just shut the door to the bathroom (loo, WC) and get
the job done. See
http://www.mentorcorp.com/pdf/dm_mal...ment_guide.pdf

Application - First and foremost, and no mincing of words, trim back
the hairs at the base of your penis. The catheter's adhesive is
sticky on purpose - and not getting hairs caught is 90% of the way to a
"painless" removal. Review the pictorial guide printed on the Mentor
packaging (quite humorous scale wise). This next part I will describe
is somewhat tricky and isn't on the packaging. The adhesive of the
catheter starts mid way down the inside of the tube of the catheter and
stops before the tail end. The adhesive belongs on the shaft of your
penis, not the head which is quite sensitive and not at the base where
hairs can get caught. As you roll on the catheter, the adhesive begins
to appear on the OUTSIDE of the catheter (you will understand this when
you roll one on). You need to roll the catheter all the way out until
all of the adhesive is against your penis and the non-adhesive tail is
visible. Leaving some of the adhesive on the outside is an invitation
to getting hairs caught. This means that depending on your length you
may need to start with a 1/2" (12mm) or more of a "reservoir" at the
head so that the tail is fully deployed against the shaft. Finally,
press the catheter's adhesive firmly onto the shaft of your penis.
You will not want to do this (worrying about removal) but you need to
do it to prevent accidents.

Use in Flight - There are three general ways to gather your urine
each with pros and cons. They all begin with the catheter and a piece
of surgical hose about 6"-12" (15-30cm) long. The hose then leads
to...

....a "container" - The idea is to use a bag or bottle of some
sort (not a standard urine leg bag - see below) to capture the urine.
Sometimes the bag or bottle is filled with an absorbent material to
help prevent spilling. A sanitary napkin or small diaper is perfect.
Pros: Simple and inexpensive. Cons: Can spill and smell as there
isn't a permanent connection between the tube and the container. You
have to fiddle with something before urination. Disposal of the urine
after the flight.

....a "hose over the side" - Many gliders have rigged up a pipe to
connect the catheter's tubing to the outside world. Placement of the
outlet pipe is critical as urine (basically salt water) can get into
bad places within your glider. The "best" placement of the exit
tube may be on the gear door so that the outlet is away from the
glider. The trick is finding a spot with enough negative pressure so
that the urine is sucked out of the tubing but not too much so that the
urine might not leave the glider. Pros: Nothing to dispose of after
the flight or store during the flight. Cons: Corrosion risk. For
experimental gliders only unless a certified mechanic will sign off on
your modification (unlikely). You may have to fiddle with something
before urination (gear doors). You have to flush the system out
afterwards.

....a "urine leg bag" - This is a standard medial supply item
which was designed precisely for this application. It has a one way
valve at the inlet and a on/off valve at the outlet. Pros: No
fiddling, just go whenever you need to. Reduced risk of leakage. You
can hide the bag in the leg of your pants. Cons: The bags are $4-$5
each but one or two will last a season. Disposal of the urine after
the flight. Depending on your glider, you may have to urinate a bit up
hill into the bag (this has not been a problem for me).

Going - Once you have all the plumbing in place (do this before
takeoff) then you just go, hopefully with as little fiddling as
possible. As you go, you may feel some back pressure on your penis
which will make you worry about leaking. I have never leaked from my
first use of a catheter so after your first worried moments, you will
relax. Practice on the ground so that you know what to expect. You
may find that some urine remains in the catheter and against your
penis. My doctor says that this is not an issue for the length of time
we are talking about.

Back on Terra Firma - So, you're back on the ground and you have a
bag full of urine. Now, what do you do with it? There is the
embarrassment factor to deal with - just get over it and act like it
is the most natural thing in the world. Trust me, the newbies will
begin to ask for your advice. Because I use a urine leg bag, I am not
concerned with spillage as I exit the glider. To prevent any
bio-hazard risk (is there one?), flush the urine down the toilet. Wash
out the urine bag with clean water and allow to dry.

Catheter Removal - Now comes the part we all dread. I have had the
best luck with simply reversing the application procedure and rolling
off the catheter. Others recommend a warm shower which is not a bad
idea after a long flight. Another recommendation is a product called
Detachol(R) (www.detachol.com). This is an adhesive removal product
which is "...a gentle, non-irritating, adhesive remover used to
remove dressings, wound closure strips, tapes, tubes...".

Bottom line - Use a catheter. Practice. It is not as difficult as
you think. And it will help your cross country flying by removing that
fear of "I've got to land because I've got to go." Finally,
you will be a safer pilot.

Sources - I suggest that you visit a local medical supply house in
your community. Don't worry about being embarrassed, they handle
this type of thing for a living. In fact, I will bet that you are the
first pilot that they have dealt with and, being out of the ordinary,
may find interesting. They can set you up with everything that you
will need (bag, catheter, tubing, etc). There are also started kits
available. All of these products are also available on the Internet at
one of the many medical supply locations.

I appreciate any comments. Please let me know how things worked out
for you.

Another ready made product is the "Stadium Pal" its made for sporting
events or anyplace you happen to be when you need to go but can't.

http://www.biorelief.com/store/stadiumpal.html

Keep it safe!


ContestID67 wrote:
After watching, reading and digesting all the rec.aviation.soaring
threads on this topic, which seemed to have sprung from my recent post
entitled "Painless Removal of External Male Catheter? (ouch)", I
thought that I would write a synopsis of what I learned.

I am going to be quite frank and honest here. When I first starting
using a catheter, helpful information was almost nowhere to be found.
Thus I see this as a service to the community. You may copy this into
newsletters, etc, to your heart's content.

=====================

To Use or Not? - There seemed to be a 50/50 split between the
responders that do/don't use a catheter. I am going to ignore the
debate here and assume that you are going to use a catheter. In my
honest opinion (IMHO) I believe that catheters should be used as they
reduce the amount of fiddle around in flight, which is always the
safest way to fly.

What an External Male Catheter looks like - An external male catheter
looks like a condom with a hole in the end. It goes on more-or-less
like a condom (details later) with a few important differences.

Brand/Model - The brand/model which seemed to be the most recommended
is the Mentor brand "Clear Advantage with Aloe". It seems to be the
best for staying on and, more importantly, coming off without removing
important body parts in the bargain (more later). This, and most
catheters, have an adhesive inside to keep it attached to your penis.
Some others do not use any adhesive, using instead a strap around the
outside. I will only discuss the adhesive type which I prefer. Cost
is about $3 each. See the "Sources" section below.

Sizing - This is a bit of a sensitive subject but an important one.
Too small and you will not be very comfortable after a few hours. Too
large and you may end up with a wet spot, which is also not very
comfortable after a few hours. To help out, there is a handy sizing
guide on the Internet (I am not kidding about this). It may be
embarrassing but just shut the door to the bathroom (loo, WC) and get
the job done. See
http://www.mentorcorp.com/pdf/dm_mal...ment_guide.pdf

Application - First and foremost, and no mincing of words, trim back
the hairs at the base of your penis. The catheter's adhesive is
sticky on purpose - and not getting hairs caught is 90% of the way to a
"painless" removal. Review the pictorial guide printed on the Mentor
packaging (quite humorous scale wise). This next part I will describe
is somewhat tricky and isn't on the packaging. The adhesive of the
catheter starts mid way down the inside of the tube of the catheter and
stops before the tail end. The adhesive belongs on the shaft of your
penis, not the head which is quite sensitive and not at the base where
hairs can get caught. As you roll on the catheter, the adhesive begins
to appear on the OUTSIDE of the catheter (you will understand this when
you roll one on). You need to roll the catheter all the way out until
all of the adhesive is against your penis and the non-adhesive tail is
visible. Leaving some of the adhesive on the outside is an invitation
to getting hairs caught. This means that depending on your length you
may need to start with a 1/2" (12mm) or more of a "reservoir" at the
head so that the tail is fully deployed against the shaft. Finally,
press the catheter's adhesive firmly onto the shaft of your penis.
You will not want to do this (worrying about removal) but you need to
do it to prevent accidents.

Use in Flight - There are three general ways to gather your urine
each with pros and cons. They all begin with the catheter and a piece
of surgical hose about 6"-12" (15-30cm) long. The hose then leads
to...

...a "container" - The idea is to use a bag or bottle of some
sort (not a standard urine leg bag - see below) to capture the urine.
Sometimes the bag or bottle is filled with an absorbent material to
help prevent spilling. A sanitary napkin or small diaper is perfect.
Pros: Simple and inexpensive. Cons: Can spill and smell as there
isn't a permanent connection between the tube and the container. You
have to fiddle with something before urination. Disposal of the urine
after the flight.

...a "hose over the side" - Many gliders have rigged up a pipe to
connect the catheter's tubing to the outside world. Placement of the
outlet pipe is critical as urine (basically salt water) can get into
bad places within your glider. The "best" placement of the exit
tube may be on the gear door so that the outlet is away from the
glider. The trick is finding a spot with enough negative pressure so
that the urine is sucked out of the tubing but not too much so that the
urine might not leave the glider. Pros: Nothing to dispose of after
the flight or store during the flight. Cons: Corrosion risk. For
experimental gliders only unless a certified mechanic will sign off on
your modification (unlikely). You may have to fiddle with something
before urination (gear doors). You have to flush the system out
afterwards.

...a "urine leg bag" - This is a standard medial supply item
which was designed precisely for this application. It has a one way
valve at the inlet and a on/off valve at the outlet. Pros: No
fiddling, just go whenever you need to. Reduced risk of leakage. You
can hide the bag in the leg of your pants. Cons: The bags are $4-$5
each but one or two will last a season. Disposal of the urine after
the flight. Depending on your glider, you may have to urinate a bit up
hill into the bag (this has not been a problem for me).

Going - Once you have all the plumbing in place (do this before
takeoff) then you just go, hopefully with as little fiddling as
possible. As you go, you may feel some back pressure on your penis
which will make you worry about leaking. I have never leaked from my
first use of a catheter so after your first worried moments, you will
relax. Practice on the ground so that you know what to expect. You
may find that some urine remains in the catheter and against your
penis. My doctor says that this is not an issue for the length of time
we are talking about.

Back on Terra Firma - So, you're back on the ground and you have a
bag full of urine. Now, what do you do with it? There is the
embarrassment factor to deal with - just get over it and act like it
is the most natural thing in the world. Trust me, the newbies will
begin to ask for your advice. Because I use a urine leg bag, I am not
concerned with spillage as I exit the glider. To prevent any
bio-hazard risk (is there one?), flush the urine down the toilet. Wash
out the urine bag with clean water and allow to dry.

Catheter Removal - Now comes the part we all dread. I have had the
best luck with simply reversing the application procedure and rolling
off the catheter. Others recommend a warm shower which is not a bad
idea after a long flight. Another recommendation is a product called
Detachol(R) (www.detachol.com). This is an adhesive removal product
which is "...a gentle, non-irritating, adhesive remover used to
remove dressings, wound closure strips, tapes, tubes...".

Bottom line - Use a catheter. Practice. It is not as difficult as
you think. And it will help your cross country flying by removing that
fear of "I've got to land because I've got to go." Finally,
you will be a safer pilot.

Sources - I suggest that you visit a local medical supply house in
your community. Don't worry about being embarrassed, they handle
this type of thing for a living. In fact, I will bet that you are the
first pilot that they have dealt with and, being out of the ordinary,
may find interesting. They can set you up with everything that you
will need (bag, catheter, tubing, etc). There are also started kits
available. All of these products are also available on the Internet at
one of the many medical supply locations.

I appreciate any comments. Please let me know how things worked out
for you.

"Stadium Pal" is a kit consisting of an external male catheter and a
medical urine leg bag. This is exactly what I have proposed above.

However the web site http://www.biorelief.com is a good resource for
this type of thing and has two interesting products.

Leg Straps -
http://www.biorelief.com/store/Comfo...Straps.html#19 - As I
prefer a urine bag and usually strap it to my calf, the leg straps that
come with the bags are pretty whimpy. These straps however are much
nicer.

Removal Wipes -
http://www.biorelief.com/store/Adhes...ver-Wipes.html - This is to
help remove the catheter similar to the Detachol product mentioned
above except in towlette form.