Catheter

Elainel thank you for your interesting post I have a doctors appointment tomorrow so will ask about the packages for care. I wash my hands and use anti-bac too. Just so afraid it of it happening again. x

It sounds like a catheter associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) which is caused by bacteria travelling up the tube either inside or outside into the bladder and developing into infection. It also sounds like you have had sepsis if you were so ill. Most nurses community/hospital will have CAUTI packages of care to prevent this happening and you could ask your nurse that changes the catheter about it. As long as you wash your hands and touch the catheter as little as possible there is not much more you can do. You should drink 1/1/2 to 2 litres a day avoiding citrus juices and caffeine as much as possible.
Ask the nurse which bacteria was isolated when you were hospitalised. E coli is a common one affecting the bladder and is usually found in the bowel which can easily be transferred to the bladder especially in women.
It is great that you have managed this for so long without problems x

hildajenniJ thank you for your reply on both discharge papers they have put the cause as infection but that is no use to me when they can not tell me the cause. I have the catheter changed every 10 weeks and am so careful to keep everything clean when changing bags. I can not remember anything about them struggling to get me down the stairs as we have a stair lift or the ride to hospital.

I was going to suggest a maintenance dose of antibiotics, but if they've ruled that out then I don't know what to suggest. Keep your fluid intake up, but you'll know that already. Are you sure that the collapses were due to the catheter, or were they unrelated. I would be inclined to wonder if something else was the cause as I've never known anyone lose consciousness due to bladder infections. I was a nurse specialising in care of the elderly until I retired.