Weak bladder..any suggetions.

[magpienja]

I'm 62 now and fly a slow type 50knts cruise...over the last year a prob has developed that's becoming a nuisance to me.

Most of my flying is to airfields at around 1 hours flying time away from my base...but part way into a flight I sometimes I feel the need to have a pee....it can become quite urgent.

Upto now I have managed to make it to my destination but once parked there is a very very urgent rush to the gents..sometimes only just making it.

I have spoken to the GP...him saying there is medication but if you can manage without ect ect.

Anybody else have or have had this prob and can give me any suggestions of how to deal with it.

In the summer I home to partake in a much longer flight than normal, I need to wear a flying suit in my open cockpit so those devices that can be used in flight will prob not work for me.

[S-Works]

I don't share your problem! However.....

When I was diving commercially and technical deep diving we used to use a product called Convene. They are an external catheter that rolls on like a condom with an easy release adhesive that can then be collected into off board collection. In our case for diving they were just connected to a valve on the leg of the suit and vented to the water.

There is no reason why you could not use one of these hooked up to a bottle. It would be discreet and leave no mess.

I would suggest you are brutally honest when choosing your size. Most men are small or medium!!!!

[2high2fastagain]

Know the feeling. It's a function of age they tell me. Here's what I do.

1. My before-flight checklist includes a 'PILOT - Drain excess fluid' item immediately after the Check A is complete (whether I want to go or not).
2. No tea or coffee before flight or at lunch stop. Take a bottle of water and sip in flight if thirsty.
3 I have a couple of 'Little John's on board and to hand, though thanks to 1 and 2 above they've never been used.

I seem to be seriously affected by tea. When I only drink water, things are so much better. I recently managed a 14.5 hour flight with two refuelling (and loo) stops without drama consuming only water and Pringles (not to mention 800 litres of avgas).

[soay]

How glider pilots do it (http://www.glidingclub.org.au/fly/tasks/urinating-in-flight/)

[cumulusrider]

Glider pilots often have this problem as cross country flight often last 5+ hrs.
The BGA shop has a page of products. If you can wear it in a glider you can wear it in an open cockpit.
BGA - British Gliding Association - Online Shop - (Powered by CubeCart) (http://www.bgashop.co.uk/index.php?_a=viewCat&catId=5)

[BackPacker]

I was going to suggest the same thing - look at the glider fraternity.

The glider fraternity have an additional problem. Gliders need to have a very small cross-section to be aerodynamically efficient. This results in a near-flat pilot position, with the pilots knees typically well above his/her butt. In fact, your butt will rest into a - for lack of a better word - butt-well. This means that any open system, that relies on gravity (like peeing in a bottle) will not work. Because there's simply no space below your butt to put the bottle.

Various solutions have been tried with more or less success, and sometimes hilarious results (but you'd have to go to a gliding bar to hear those stories). By far the easiest, cheapest and least risky solution seems to be adult diapers. Available from your local pharmacy under the "incontinence" section.

[FlyingOfficerKite]

Personally I never:

Forget to go to the toilet immediately before flight (last nervous pee);
Drink anything other than water before flying;
Drink more than I absolutely need before flight (not much);
Drink within an hour of flying.

Good luck with whichever remedy proves successful !

:)

[magpienja]

Mmmm lot of interesting ideas.

Bose was your device like this one...I cant find anything under the Convene name.

25 male external catheter small 25mm PRIVATE LISTING | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/25-male-external-catheter-small-25mm-PRIVATE-LISTING-/281549633301?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item418daa7715)

[S-Works]

Yep, those are the type of thing.

Its actually Conveen and they are manufactured by Coloplast in Peterborough.

The Conveen is a lot thinner and comfortable to wear.

[magpienja]

Bose...apart from the picture on the ebay page is there anything else that goes with that...tubing bags ect???

[ShyTorque]

Just wear waders.

[Molemot]

Have you had a PSA test? Urination at an hourly frequency can well indicate prostate problems...and at 62 you are at an age for prostate cancer to manifest itself. Do not delay...get tested...it may save your life, as it did mine, 8 years ago when I was 60....and it was just barely in time.

[Heston]

Yes its an age thing.
Unfortunately you'll just have to work out how to cope - suggestions already made are all worth looking into.
Two further bits of advice (both from the gliding community):
- don't be tempted to restrict how much you drink before the flight or during it; dehydration is a real risk and it can seriously impair your mental function, not a good idea
- similarly the need to pee can be very distracting, so its better to accept it and get it over with before it gets too urgent (unfortunately I'm not sure that any of the equipment based solutions are 100% reliable)


As an aside I recall reading in a biography of a wartime fighter pilot how he managed to pee all over his compass which then iced over so he couldn't see it to navigate - moral for today being to keep the iPad well clear, I suppose.

[soay]

apart from the picture on the ebay page is there anything else that goes with that...tubing bags ect???
Just to state the obvious, it's important to get the correct size, as well as the extra plumbing that's needed. See here (http://www.elitemedical.com/urologicals1.html) for more details.

[S-Works]

Bose...apart from the picture on the ebay page is there anything else that goes with that...tubing bags ect???

No, thats it, we used to then connect a length of rubber tube to the off board dump valve and use an inline connector to join them so it could be quick released. Nothing quite as bad as pulling a dry suit off while still attached..... :p:p

[kestrel539]

Tesco large freezer bags.

[Geriaviator]

My flying days are long over and three times a night when you're 70+ acquires a quite different meaning to that which it had when you were 20+. The nice thing is that you'll forget what was different about it.

These days -- years -- my problem is long drives rather than long flights. I find the one-litre Coppella apple juice bottle works well, with screw cap closing a wide enough neck to accommodate the average gentleman :ooh:

[RatherBeFlying]

Have all the products at hand.

As for size, they have disposable gauges and will direct you to a private room where you can make the measurement.

The Coloplasts are excellent quality, but come with glue that goes on much easier than they come off:eek:

They are made for paraplegics with no sensation.

Unroll the things and remove the glue with laquer thinner. Dust with talcum powder and roll up until required.

Use a bit of electric tape to secure behind the corona - not too tight. Run plastic tubing to a freezer bag.

[Miserlou]

I found sports drinks helped.
And eat. As soon as I get hungry I need to pee more often.

[ChrisJ800]

I think some empty sports drinks bottles have a large enough hole to use in an emergency! I was caught short once in a 6 hour glider flight and had to pee into a winter glove and chuck it out the DV window.

[magpienja]

Molemot...had one just before xmas well the probing finger...all ok...going for a blood test this week,

Bose...how on earth do you decide what size to order...cant believe I'm asking this....

[S-Works]

Ahem......

Can I suggest you ask for a sample pack of small medium and large. :p

[mary meagher]

As the little girl said to the little boy, that's a handy thing to have on a picnic...

NO MORNING COFFEE OR TEA. Diuretics both, but coffee is the worst.

I used to sit on a large bath towel, and land in a discrete corner of the airfield. Once, when I was tending to business behind the glider, the CFI spotted me and came over to discuss my landing....quite impossible to stop in midstream, I had to listen while he discussed at length the finer points, as though there was nothing unusual about the situation. A man of dedication.

Dont overhydrate. Just carry a small bottle of water in the aircraft, drink a bit if you feel thirsty; your body will ask for water if you need it. Dress warmly if it will be cold...if I was strapped into a glider I would keep handy a small baby blanket, and cover up if cold and tuck it behind me but in reach if not needed. Wear a hat (without a visor that would obstruct your vision) if sunlight may be a problem.

My longest flight in the UK in a glider was a 511 kilometer task, took me 8 hours and 53 minutes. After landing and putting things away, a beer tasted very good indeed.

When I fly anywhere in power, I stop and refresh me and the airplane every couple of hours. That way neither of us ever ran out of fuel....

[obgraham]

I never relished the idea of sitting around in my own pee. Gave that up around 2, IIRC. Likewise those tubular shaped doodads never seemed designed for my johnson (you decide!).

So I elected to go with the inelegant method -- a wide mouth Nalgene bottle. Others aboard were instructed to look out their side windows for the Air Police.

[worrab]

Avoid caffeine (both tea & coffee) which is known to be an irritant to some over-50 folk's bladders.

[astir 8]

Do not drink out of a ring pull soft drink can and then try to reinsert the resulting output into the can. Those edges are very sharp!:uhoh:

[cats_five]

Unfortunately you can't rely on drinking when thirsty to avoid dehydration and being dehydrated has a significant adverse effect on pilot performance. As we get older thirst or the realisation of being thirsty diminishes so we dehydrate more easily. If one flies several bright sunny warm days in a row it's easy to get into a downward spiral without some dedicated fluid intake. Pee should be very pale.


Finally found the URL I was looking for: http://www.danlj.org/~danlj/Soaring/Thirst.SoaringMag.html

[Andy H]

Molemot's advice is very good. I had the same problems and am very glad I visited my GP. I no longer have a prostate and don't miss it. But I do have my life.

Not having to visit the loo for reasonably long periods is a bonus.

A

[ChickenHouse]

In the Airforce we had diapers for long sensible flights.

[thing]

Just wear waders.

LOL!

I'd go along with the prostate check biz for anyone else peeing a lot at that age. I found out I had an enlarged prostate and had the old biopsy which fortunately turned out to be negative, but don't ignore it. Funnily enough I never want to pee when I'm flying. I've done some 5 hr plus glider flights and not noticed I want to go until I land.

[londonblue]

I've got into a really bad/good habit (depending on your perspective) of having a number 1 just before getting in the plane (after having done the pre-flight checks), and then going again pretty much as soon as I get out after landing.

The funny thing is I never seem to need to go during the flight regardless of how long it is.

I always have a bottle of water to hand during a flight as well, and am careful to have a sip regularly.

[chevvron]

Funny I thought it was just me had these problems.
Yes I do the same as londonblue. On the other hand, I've been taking Saw Palmetto from my local Holland and Barrett. It helps to a certain extent - last night I slept for 5. 5 hours without having to get up for a pee; normally it's only 2 - 3 hours. When I'm awake, I can sometimes go 4 hours, other times it's only an hour.
I'd like to go for a check with my GP, but every time I try to book (except for my FISO medical which was private) I'm told something like 'no appointments until next month'. My surgery only opens 3 full days and 2 mornings per week and my GP only does one full day and 2 half days and no, it's not a tiny village.

[Shoestring Flyer]

As someone who had a radical prostatectomy (prostate removal) 10years ago I say that any male over 50years old should without question have a yearly PSA test.
I caught my cancer early but my brother who wasn't diagnosed with prostate cancer early enough is sadly no longer with us. Medical statistics say that one in two males will get prostate cancer.

Apologies for being morbid but I feel very strongly about this!

[JW411]

I long for the days when I was a young whippersnapper and could drink six pints of real ale without looking for a loo. I could also last for 6 hours in a glider without a problem.

Those days are long gone. Just before I gave up flying I found that my trips in my PA-28 were getting shorter and shorter until Shoreham to Compton Abbas was becoming a bit of a challenge.

I had regular PSA checks but one day blood raised its ugly head. I had a boroscope inspection which told me that I didn't have bladder cancer (good) followed by the news that I didn't have prostate cancer (even better).

However, my prostate was enlarged which is quite normal in ancients like me. This causes pressure on the bladder and the urethra which means that the bladder does not empty completely. This, in turn, provides a perfect breeding ground for stones (that probably started in the kidney) and your bladder then starts to try and get rid of them which causes extreme incontinence (you have no idea how debilitating this can be).

So, after the removal of two stones (around 2 cms across) I am completely back to normal. I can get through the night again but I doubt I shall ever manage to do a 500 kms triangle in a glider before I pop my clogs.

So, my advice to anyone who is finding trouble staying on the bladder ladder, go and see a good urologist sharpish.

[magpienja]

chevvron...take what ever they offer...even if you need to wait a month.

I must be lucky with my GPs surgery...phone at 8.30am and you will be seen that day.

[creweite]

I bought a couple of pee bottles from aviation suppliers in the USA, a tad awkward to use, but a lot better than sitting in agony! There is also a version called Jill's John for the ladies, but I have no experience with that!

[magpienja]

Unfortunately with my laid back position when flying I dont think that type would work for me...gravity would conspire against me.

[Jim59]

As an older glider pilot with less capacity than when younger I find the solution for me is the external male catheter coonected via a tube to a large, reusable, collection bag intended for strapping to a leg. I have a leakproof,quick-release, connector a few inches from the catheter. This allows me to get 'dressed' well before entering the glider and to connect to the bag when necessary. I can disconnect from the bag before landing. I put the bag on the floor - not strapped to my leg.

Easy to use from a reclining position, discreet, removes all worries about attempting long flights, I can drink as much as I want on a hot day to avoid dehydration without any concerns. No risk of bladder damage in a 'firm' landing. Only once have I filled the bag- but plugging into a spare took only a few moments.

Don't let pee worries spoil or restrict your flying.

[magpienja]

Jim are those you describe anything like this one...

25 male external catheter small 25mm PRIVATE LISTING | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/25-male-external-catheter-small-25mm-PRIVATE-LISTING-/281549633301?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item418daa7715)

Nick.

[BEagle]

Have you tried this:

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a341/nw969/untitled_zps25b4bfa7.jpg (http://s14.photobucket.com/user/nw969/media/untitled_zps25b4bfa7.jpg.html)

:eek:

[Russell Gulch]

Get an airplane with less than 1 hours fuel on board

Get an airplane where you dont lie on your back.

Get an airplane with a piss tube (buy an AT6)

[Pirke]

I can understand how a male could use a roll on catheter, but what is there for the females? Except the wet towel off course... I don't think the owner would like my wife peeing on the nice cushioned seats :)

Currently there is no issue as were both young enough, but who knows what the future will hold...

[mary meagher]

There is no shame in being prepared. Can the fancy seat cushions be covered or removed? And wearing a nappy is customary for all astronauts who may have to wait overtime for the launch....The only problem, if you are flying with strangers, is overcoming all those well taught inhibitions and letting it go!

What IS a shame is flying badly because you need to pee, or crashing and rupturing your bladder if you impact with a full tank....

[BEagle]

In the mighty Tin Triangle, 'relief facilities' consisted of a football bladder connected to a metal top with a hinged flap to prevent what had gone in coming out before landing.

Not much use for the ladies though.

One day we took a visiting WRAF officer flying and explained that the facilities hadn't been designed with ladies in mind. However, we told her that a 'WRAF adaptor' was available - this was one of those huge funnels normally used for adding oil to a Chipmunk engine, which would be inserted into the metal top of the pee tube. Fortunately she realised that this was a leg pull and that the message was 'go before you go', so that the problems of getting out of an immersion suit before taking aim were averted! And she enjoyed her Vulcan flight without any discomfort.

[Martin_123]

caffeine doesn't just cause pressure in older people, it's used in medicine to increase the flow even for newborns, so as others have suggested, definitely stay off the caffeine

[JW411]

I once had a share in a PZL Cobra glider which came complete with a black rubber elongated receptacle attached to the pee tube which the manufacturer assured us was suitable for use by either sex.

Incidentally, one of the female members on the club who was also a nursing sister told me that she relied on grown-up nappies (just like the astronauts).

[Heady1977]

I can understand how a male could use a roll on catheter, but what is there for the females?I'm not in a position to take female friends / girlfriend(s) on any long distance X-countries so I've never worried about it.

But in case you have to:

From a well respected Woman's Gliding Champion personal website:
http://www.freeflight.org.uk/plumbing/

or the bottom of the page:
DG Flugzeugbau: To Pee Or Not To Pee (http://www.dg-flugzeugbau.de/pinkeln-e.html)