Washington DC Self Catheters please help.

BeeBee · 05-14-2009, 03:56 PM

My son was visiting and will now have to stay for longer than expected. He has his script for his self caths, but we're having a problem finding a local supplier. He uses Mentor 14fr straight caths, these are the clear, rigid plastic with an aqua connector at one end. (all the suppliers the hospital found for us only have the soft latex and they just don't work). We're in Northern Virginia - Alexandria. Any recommendations? PLEASE??

DeadEye · 05-14-2009, 04:20 PM

I'm 95 miles south in Charlottesville and could ship you a few if you don't have any luck locally. How many would he need and how soon? I could ship them out from work next Monday and you'd have them Tuesday. I have the exact ones you need.

Let me know what you find out.

SCI-Nurse · 05-14-2009, 05:36 PM

I would call the outpatient clinic at National Rehab Hospital in DC and ask them to recommend a local vendor. You need a PVC catheter (would not need to be Mentor brand).

I am moving this to Equipment.

(KLD)

-scott- · 05-14-2009, 09:28 PM

FYI: Mentor was bought out by Coloplast, which could be the source of the problem. You're looking for Coloplast stock # 414 (I use the same).

Push come to shove, you can order them from qualitymedicalsupplies.com for $.88/ea & they'll arrive in 2 days.

I've recently been talking with UTI Medical & I'm sure they can help out if his insurance covers caths and/or he has Medicare. 877.STOP.UTI. Ask for Phil. He's awesome.

BeeBee · 05-14-2009, 11:11 PM

Insurance pays for all his supplies (if you have to have a catastrophic injury, do it in a car with Michigan No-fault), so that isn't the problem, but we just couldn't find a supplier that carries the rigid caths. It seams that more people must favor the soft latex ones. They couldn't even put a foley in at the hospital. He had to in and out cath the entire time. Sometimes not a wise choice.

stephen212 · 05-15-2009, 07:46 AM

Finding stiff caths should not be a challenge and there's lots to choose from. Like your husband, I cannot pass a "loose spaghetti" soft rubber catheter like a Foley.

Coloplast's SpeediCath is the stiffest catheter I've tried, a bit too stiff for my needs. I mostly use Coloplast's SureCath closed system.

Regardless, as Scott suggested, call Phil at UTI Medical (877.STOP.UTI) and he'll send you a bunch of samples for your husband to try out. If he doesn't have what he needs, chances are it doesn't exist (except that it does). Tell him you you were referred from CareCure! and tell us how you made out.

BeeBee · 05-15-2009, 02:05 PM

Stephan, I agree, I just think we had the wrong sources. Anyway, I called our case manager from Detroit and she fixed the whole thing. His (son, btw, not husband) regular supplier will ship them to us here, instead. Guess we just talked to either an unknowledgable or lazy employee yesterday.
So problem solved and thank you all for the help, especially Deadeye for your very generous offer.

DeadEye · 05-15-2009, 04:08 PM

No problem BeeBee, glad you got it worked out.

05-14-2009, 03:56 PM	#1
BeeBee Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Washington, D.C. Posts: 991	Washington DC Self Catheters please help. My son was visiting and will now have to stay for longer than expected. He has his script for his self caths, but we're having a problem finding a local supplier. He uses Mentor 14fr straight caths, these are the clear, rigid plastic with an aqua connector at one end. (all the suppliers the hospital found for us only have the soft latex and they just don't work). We're in Northern Virginia - Alexandria. Any recommendations? PLEASE?? __________________ BeeBee

05-14-2009, 04:20 PM	#2
DeadEye Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Hoo-ville, VA Posts: 2,491	I'm 95 miles south in Charlottesville and could ship you a few if you don't have any luck locally. How many would he need and how soon? I could ship them out from work next Monday and you'd have them Tuesday. I have the exact ones you need. Let me know what you find out. __________________ "It is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it. Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value." - Albert Einstein

05-14-2009, 11:11 PM	#5
BeeBee Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Washington, D.C. Posts: 991	Insurance pays for all his supplies (if you have to have a catastrophic injury, do it in a car with Michigan No-fault), so that isn't the problem, but we just couldn't find a supplier that carries the rigid caths. It seams that more people must favor the soft latex ones. They couldn't even put a foley in at the hospital. He had to in and out cath the entire time. Sometimes not a wise choice. __________________ BeeBee

05-15-2009, 07:46 AM	#6
stephen212 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: New York City Posts: 5,291	Finding stiff caths should not be a challenge and there's lots to choose from. Like your husband, I cannot pass a "loose spaghetti" soft rubber catheter like a Foley. Coloplast's SpeediCath is the stiffest catheter I've tried, a bit too stiff for my needs. I mostly use Coloplast's SureCath closed system. Regardless, as Scott suggested, call Phil at UTI Medical (877.STOP.UTI) and he'll send you a bunch of samples for your husband to try out. If he doesn't have what he needs, chances are it doesn't exist (except that it does). Tell him you you were referred from CareCure! and tell us how you made out. Last edited by stephen212; 05-15-2009 at 07:53 AM.

05-15-2009, 02:05 PM	#7
BeeBee Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Washington, D.C. Posts: 991	Stephan, I agree, I just think we had the wrong sources. Anyway, I called our case manager from Detroit and she fixed the whole thing. His (son, btw, not husband) regular supplier will ship them to us here, instead. Guess we just talked to either an unknowledgable or lazy employee yesterday. So problem solved and thank you all for the help, especially Deadeye for your very generous offer. __________________ BeeBee

05-14-2009, 05:36 PM	#3
SCI-Nurse Moderator Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: USA Posts: 41,333	I would call the outpatient clinic at National Rehab Hospital in DC and ask them to recommend a local vendor. You need a PVC catheter (would not need to be Mentor brand). I am moving this to Equipment. (KLD)

05-14-2009, 09:28 PM	#4
-scott- Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Harrisonburg, VA Posts: 9,529	FYI: Mentor was bought out by Coloplast, which could be the source of the problem. You're looking for Coloplast stock # 414 (I use the same). Push come to shove, you can order them from qualitymedicalsupplies.com for $.88/ea & they'll arrive in 2 days. I've recently been talking with UTI Medical & I'm sure they can help out if his insurance covers caths and/or he has Medicare. 877.STOP.UTI. Ask for Phil. He's awesome.

05-15-2009, 04:08 PM	#8
DeadEye Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Hoo-ville, VA Posts: 2,491	No problem BeeBee, glad you got it worked out. __________________ "It is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it. Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value." - Albert Einstein

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