The cath-user’s life is generally manageable... until others come along and complicate things. We can’t live like hermits, but in-comers do make things trickier.

Friends – check (do you tell them the truth, or pretend you got lost on the way back from the bathroom?).

Partner – check (getting one is half the battle; living together is the next half).

Kids – double check (try rocking a baby when your bladder’s flashing a warning light).

So just when life was crazy enough, we’ve added a dog to the mix. It’s a good job she’s cute, because every day comes with that moment of ‘What have we done... just when things were getting easier...’ It’s like the new-born days again, only with no potty-training in sight. And once again, my own toilet needs are pushed back in the queue.

For example: If the dog needs her paws wiped, but I need the toilet, the toilet waits – or the floor gets wet (and I’m sorry for the image, but sometimes the floor gets wet anyway). The other day, the dog was running riot, one child needed help with their homework, the other needed help on the toilet – and my bladder decided that was the time to put its metaphorical hand up (my bladder doesn’t have a hand) and ask to be excused. Much as I tried, I sorted the dog and at least one child before going to the toilet myself (and then, admittedly, staying there for ten minutes just for a bit of peace).

Still, everything’s easier than puppy’s first few nights with us. Night after night of disturbed sleep, then that 6 am dilemma. Do I rush to let the dog out when she whines (preserving the floor where she slept), or attend to my urological needs first?

Let’s say I tend to myself first. Tried that. One morning I thought I’d fit in a toilet trip before greeting the howling hound but was rewarded with (sorry) a mess-in-progress. Curse my lengthy bladder-voiding! So, the next day, I prioritized the dog – which meant standing in a nearby field, my dog sniffing the ground but doing nothing, as my bladder quietly wept (sorry again).

Yes, it seems to be the dog’s bladder versus mine – and so far she’s winning. I’ll claim a victory when she starts to clear up what I’ve done...

The opinions expressed here are of a personal and anecdotal nature, and are in no way a substitute for professional medical advice. You should always consult your doctor or nurse if you have any questions.