We left home and headed east for a weekend in Bridlington.
This was my first trip away since starting intermittent self-catheterisation and it required considerably more planning than previous holidays. Supplies had to be packed, drainage bags organised and equipment split between the car and the holiday pod.
The journey highlighted some of the practical realities of travelling with bladder problems. After missing Birchwood Services I became increasingly uncomfortable and eventually stopped at Brighouse Services to empty my bladder into a 500ml leg bag before continuing.
After arriving at the pod I emptied another 500ml. Later, after visiting relatives, I needed to empty again.
One of the early lessons of the trip was that managing bladder drainage was going to dictate more of the day than fuel stops or comfort breaks.
The first evening brought an unexpected problem. While emptying a 3 litre drainage bag into the porta-potty, I discovered the toilet setup had not been assembled correctly. Approximately 1.5 litres of urine ended up on the floor rather than where it was intended to go.
The cleanup took time and was frustrating, but Andrea was incredibly helpful and simply got on with sorting the problem alongside me.
The following day I changed strategy and placed a 3 litre single-use drainage bag under the driver’s seat. This proved to be one of the best decisions of the weekend.
Travelling became much easier. There was no need to constantly look for toilets or suitable places to stop. I could connect when required and continue the journey comfortably.
We spent time in Filey, visited Skirlington Boot Sale and saw relatives. For much of the day I was able to get on with things without worrying about where the next toilet would be.
There were still the occasional mishaps. At one point I forgot to close a valve properly and spent a few hours with damp shorts before realising my mistake. Another lesson learned.
The trip also highlighted how important accessibility and proximity to a vehicle can be when travelling with medical equipment. Sometimes being close to the car is not about convenience; it is about being able to manage a medical condition safely and discreetly.
The final night was poor. Sleep was interrupted by pain, bladder sensations and general discomfort. By the morning I felt exhausted.
Packing to come home seemed harder than usual. There was more equipment to organise and more things to remember.
Before setting off I fitted another 3 litre drainage bag under the seat. Once on the road it became clear that I was too tired to drive safely.
That was a difficult admission.
There is a certain pride attached to being the driver, particularly when it is your car and your trip. However, being responsible had to come before pride. Andrea took over the driving and we continued home safely.
The return journey was straightforward. The drainage bag worked well and there were no unplanned stops.
By the time we arrived home I was completely exhausted and went straight to lie down.
The weekend showed that travel is still very much possible, but it now requires more planning, more equipment and more organisation than it once did.
The biggest lesson was simple: the catheter was not the holiday. It was just something that had to come with us.
