|
If you would like to help others by providing your own story about your MS and how ISC and LoFric has helped you, please email select@astratech.com These may be published in our Select magazine as well as appearing in this section of our website, your identity will remain confidential if you prefer.
Testimonial on ISC with MS by Sue Kent
I have MS and I started using catheters when I was 36. Yes, I did feel weird at first about it – mostly that I was alone and had no-one with whom I could share my initial worries and fears, but trust me, you are not alone.
Through the MS Society I did find a friend who does the same and gave me a lot of support. There are many of us whose bodies don’t quite work properly. You can overcome the difficulties and using catheters has indeed helped me and improved my quality of life. They can change things for you too.
What is ISC?
ISC is a shortened term for ‘Intermittent Self Catheterisation’
So, you have been told you need to start ISC. Are you in the position of needing to use catheters to help you drain your bladder? Does your bladder retain urine? Or do you need help due to bladder frequency?
As you start out in this new part of your life, it is natural to feel a little frightened of what you need to do, I know, I have been there, facing it as part of the future. Try to see it as a challenge, because unfortunately stagnant urine allowed to build up can quite easily lead to infection. So this is a way to help yourself and you will slowly learn to master the procedure.
I grant you, learning the process will take time, but each day set aside some time to learn and take all the time you need. Keep going and I promise you, you will find it gets easier as time goes on and you will find the strength to achieve this. Yes, it’s embarrassing, let’s face it – we’re talking private bits of the body here aren’t we? But you will eventually become accustomed, I assure you!
When I started out I was looking for help and advice, which I did get through support from my various continence nurses, but there wasn’t a lot to read for myself and keep by me as I learned, so I decided to write this – I hope it helps you, as you face and cope with ISC.
My first continence nurse told me that the catheter looks like a mini – drainpipe, and that is the job it is designed to do – to be used as a drain for your unwanted urine, that will otherwise sit in your bladder and might then become infected.
Procedure and Hygiene Points
1. Take your catheter – open it at the top and fill it up with cold water from the tap. There is a sticky pad at the top (I remember opening the first one or two upside-down!). Once full of water, stick it to a bathroom tile or somewhere secure near to where you will carry out the procedure – you need to reach it easily. Leave it for at least 30 seconds – it doesn’t matter if it’s a bit longer.
2. Undress from the waist down and carefully wash ‘down below’ (try to concentrate on the front area). Please Note: It may not be necessary to wash every time you catheterise, as a through daily wash should be sufficient. General procedures are shown in all LoFric user guides and instruction sheets which are available on request. Always follow instructions from your healthcare professional.
3. Wash your hands thoroughly and only wipe on a totally clean towel. Don’t touch anything now but your catheter.
4. Take the catheter, holding it at the ‘drainage’ (funnel) end and use the other hand to feel for the opening of your urethra. Your will eventually find it will feed in gently here. Make sure the ‘drainage’ end is over a large bowl or the toilet bowl. Once it reaches the right area, the urine will flow freely and needs to drain off. I release the catheter by a slight gentle twist and several coughs to allow it to free up from inside. Carefully draw it out this way. This again comes with practice.
5. I found that when I first began it was helpful to note the above procedure points onto paper as a checklist to have by you for reference as you learn and most important – to give yourself time!
When I first started
When I began it was suggested that I set up in this way: I put a large towel folded in two on the ground to protect the floor if necessary. I put a chair near to the sink. Beneath the chair I put a large plastic bowl. On the edge of the chair I put a small mirror (a shaving mirror would do). Then I got my catheter packet and carefully stuck it with its sticky pad to the back of the chair in easy reach, I was then ready to begin as per the ‘Hygiene Points’ above.
Note: Special ISC mirrors and many other useful accessories are available free form Select – all you have to do is register with the Select Home Delivery Service – please see the Select section of this website for more information and contact details.
At first I just spent time locating the opening of my urethra. Again this will come with practice. To start with I found that locating was easiest when I put the mirror into the bottom of the bath and just pee’d over it. I could then watch where the urine flowed from. That gave me clues as to where to aim for! It feels as if the opening is fairly near to the front of you. Eventually you will know by the feeling that you’re in the right spot, but be patient, it could be a while before this happens.
However, it starts to become easier to feel your way – believe me! Of course it is pretty hard to ‘see’ this area but you should become familiar by ‘feeling your way’ , it takes practice but I promise you that you will eventually know what I mean.
Helpful Hints – The Things That Helped Me
1. Try to do this in a relaxed situation – maybe put some music on to help you stay calm
2. You might initially be helped by being completely alone in the house, out of people’s way, again to help you relax about things. If you can’t be alone, put a note on the bathroom door ‘I’m Busy – Go Away!’ This system works well with my two children.
3. Give yourself rewards. I bought a box of chocolates and had one after my first few attempts – however things had gone, they really helped.
4. I also kept a diary to encourage myself. A friend told me to think of it as steps on a ladder – you are taking steps up to be able to control your own symptoms.
5. I often had a bath afterwards to soften myself up and as a little reward too.
I can go out for an hour or so now after draining my bladder and I won’t need to ‘go’ which is a big bonus – as I used to have problems with frequency and leaking. ISC has mostly helped in fending off urine infections. I also recommend here the importance of drinking lots of fluids and two glasses of cranberry juice daily.
After a while these items (which can seem at first such strange, unfamiliar medical appliances) will become familiar to you as something that is usual in your cupboard. Both my children (aged 8 and 10) eventually asked ‘what are you doing upstairs mum? And I did get my head around just showing them the catheter in its packet. It settled their natural curiosity. I do still lock and double lock the door however! They are also trained that if the doorbell does ring – mummy is busy!
Good Luck
I promise you with time you will achieve ISC and feel very proud of yourself. You will be pleased that you persevered. Obviously the best advice and encouragement will come from your continence nurse, but I hope this helps too. My apologies that this is written from a female viewpoint – I wonder if there is anyone out there that could write from a male point of view to compliment this advice?
I have found ‘InContact’ a very useful organisation for advice and support. If you have MS the following link may also be helpful to you: www.mssociety.org.uk I suggest entering ‘catheters’ into their search box. The MS Society also publishes several booklets such as ‘Coping and Continence’, ‘More About Catheters’ and ‘More About Managing Bowel Problems’. For these booklets, write to the The MS Society, MS National Centre, 372 Edgeware Road, London, NW2 6ND or call 0800 800 8000
Our readers consider personal stories as ‘extremely valuable, important and useful’. Why not write to us about your experiences and help others with your knowledge. We respect your confidentiality and leave your name unpublished if you prefer.
|
|