25 replies to this topic

[Trisha]

As most with SCI would say, sooner or later no mattter how good your bowel and bladder routines are accidents are a reality.

Recently my husband and I were out shopping in a local mall when for no reason my bladder emptied (it should have been 2 hours until my next cathing). Luck was on my side as I did decide to wear a diaper that morning as I sometimes do when going out. Once I realized what happened, I decided to go and change. Problem - the mall had no disabled/family washroom, only seperate male and female washrooms. Without a bench or bed I can't change myself and I was not going into the men's room with my husband and I wouldn't dream of asking him to come into the woman's room with me. So what did I do? I ended up sitting in a wet diaper until we got home. Had it been a bowel accident, it would have been really bad.

The question is, when away from home, how do you deal with accidents?

[Hapahowlee]

Trisha, I understand your dilemma. I am AB, but Mr. Hapa is C5,6,7 and he uses a urinal and doesn't have to cath, but when he has to take a dump, sometimes it's a challenge b/c most places, even where he works only makes the minimum ADA changes. Most toilets are too low for him to get off.

If we go anywhere there isn't a family restroom, I stand by the door and there are times I go into the restroom. If anyone gets offended, then they can go bitch to the store manager. I've done this at the very least a dozen times. Nobody complains b/c they see what's happening. Sometimes we are on a time limit and can't risk waiting.

In your case, what you could've done was just ask the manager to place an out of order sign by the door like they do when it's being cleaned and you and your husband can go in either ladies' or men's room so he can help you change. You don't have to get into detail as to what happened, just let them know you need your husband's help in the restroom and since they don't have a family restroom, they need to accommodate you. You have to be really agressive with managers of these establishments at times, but there is no reason for you to have to sit in a wet diaper the entire time. It's not good for your skin.

Hope this helps.

Hapa

Edited by Hapahowlee, 12 September 2008 - 02:13 AM.

[Unbreakable]

If it's a bladder accident and I am wearing a disposable brief (I prefer that term instead of diaper. makes me feel like less of a big baby), I just tough it out because I, like you, am unable to change without a bed or a mat like they have in a rehab hospital. If it's a bowel accident, well then it's time to head back to the house. One thing that may be of interest to you is, I am going back up to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta in January. They are going to do a test on my bladder called a "video urodynamic study", from the results of that test, my doc said he should be able to prescribe meds that would cut down/virtually eliminate bladder accidents. Maybe you could look into having that test or a similar one performed?

[StellaLAtella]

"Accidents" are the worst! No matter which kind they are. I try to never be too far from home. And carry a spare of clothing at all times in my vehicle. But either way, it's so embarassing and inconvenient.




I always worry that everyone is aware of my accident when in reality, most people have no clue. But my own anxiety and stress over the situation don't help. I guess that goes with the territory.

The worst accident I can have is by not having a catheter with me at all times. Without them, I cannot empty my bladder and it will just overflow and leak on it's own. It's also painful. You'd think I'd have a plan. But no, of course not. That's too easy.

I just keep trudging along.
Take Care!
~Stella

[Ches]

First off.. I hate low toilets.. They are a pain Hapa. Thats one of the few things I CANT DO.. title floors, low toilets, short arms.. what a pain. Ive done it, but I always come out sweating..lol

Ok Trisha, on to you..
Im guessing you are either farely new at this or a major princess! I would suggest you learn how to handle ur business on the potty. Even if the stall is inaccessible, you can always have someone help set you on the potty. Once there you should be able to undress and clean ur self up without any help.
Sounds easy, I know its difficult to learn.

I learned the hard way, 10 days in a foreign country. I dont wear the diapers or anything but getting ur blue jeans on and off alone is some tough work. I've used restrooms that had NO assistance whats so ever.. not even a wall to lean on. Can get scary. Its alot of strength, but its a nice pay off when you dont have to worry about the alternatives.

If your toilet is proper height at home, start practicing there. It will get easier, spare you some depressing moments, and definitly benefit you the REST OF YOUR LIFE.

[lune14]

I have to agree with Ches here... just work at it. As she said, it's not easy at first but you WILL find your niche in it. I used to do the transferring to a bed thing to cath and timed my outings accordingly. In high school I used the nurse's room to cath from a bed with a urinal bottle. When I started college that wasn't an option and had to learn how to do so from my chair. I always wore jeans then and it was indeed a challenge at first but I found a way I was comfortable with. Now I can be in and out of any bathroom in less than 4 mins, less if I wear a skirt.

[Trinity]

Definitely the key is to practice dressing, changing etc from your chair. It is tricky but it makes life SO much easier in the long run. I can transfer on and off lower toilets with not too much problem, unlike ches i don't have stubby little short arms, but it did take a lot of practice. Just like everything post sci really!

[Ches]

Not Stubby,, just T-Rex style

[Unbreakable]

I guess I should also state that I try to stay out of public bathrooms if POSSIBLE. Anyone here with a manual chair knows that whatever you roll through eventually ends up on your hands no matter if you've got gloves on, etc. The floor of most public bathrooms aren't exactly clean.

Edited by Unbreakable, 12 September 2008 - 07:01 PM.

[Hapahowlee]

Oh you two behave!

My husband has long everything . . . well I won't get into too much detail on that, but his arms are pretty long, it's like you wrote Ches, about the tile floor. He has pretty good upper body strength, but when his feet slip out from underneath him, he falls back down and public shitters are gross. He tries to use the bars, but he still has to place his hand on the toilet to lift up and when the toilet is too low, there is just no way.

This is why I stand close to the men's room door and even open it and holler in, "Ya aight?" There are times I just have to go in and lift his hips to help him back on his chair. I actually called the EEOC and got a form to fill in if his workplace doesn't change the restroom setup. The door is way too heavy, the entire restroom is filty and the toilet is way too low. Oh and of course when he needs to use it some asshole who is AB is using the handicap shitter. My husband is sometimes way too nice. If it were me, I'd tell that person to get the hell out 'cause I need to take a shit and that's the only stall I can use and I really don't care if they are finished or not. They can just pinch it and move on to a regular stall. That's my rant for today!

BTW, the gals have a good idea to practice. My husband's level of injury is much higher so he does have issues with the dexterity of his hands. Since you are newly injured, you might still need some help. But I'm sure with plenty of practice, you should be independent if this problem should arise.

Edited by Hapahowlee, 12 September 2008 - 07:10 PM.

[qbounce]

Easy for all you 'T' levels to say, "change on the toilet." Sheesh! Must be nice to have a solution for everything!-jk
I can't even change in the chair, and I've tried alot. Getting the clothes off isn't a problem. So, I guess the next time it ever happens to me, I've got HALF my problem solved. I guess that's really the important part anyway, right? naked!!

[eleanorigby]

qbounce, on Sep 12 2008, 04:23 PM, said:

Easy for all you 'T' levels to say, "change on the toilet." Sheesh! Must be nice to have a solution for everything!-jk
I can't even change in the chair, and I've tried alot. Getting the clothes off isn't a problem. So, I guess the next time it ever happens to me, I've got HALF my problem solved. I guess that's really the important part anyway, right? naked!!

So funny you said that as I was just thinking the same thing to myself. I was changing in my office to go to the gym, but I just wear my gym clothes underneath my regular work clothes. However, if I want to change into regular clothes afterwards, I gotta find me a bed to change in. It's easy getting clothes off in the chair, but back on is slightly problematic when your grip isn't great. But that's why I workout, right? So that when I can't get my clothes back on, it's okay cause I look great!

[Ches]

Its a matter of getting your hips towards the edge of your chair.. its hard to pull up pants in the sitting position. I know that is a problem for some quads to do. But its the starting point for learning to dress in the chair.

[qbounce]

Again, easy for you to say. I even put straps on my jeans in the beginning. They were sewed just wide enough to wrap my wrist inside and pull them up. Even that wasn't doing it, no matter how far forward I leaned in the chair . . . which got to be a danger in itself when the spasms kicked me a little further off the edge.-lol

Hey, I have a plan though . . . get a van with a bench. Tinted windows, pppffffff! I'll charge peep show rates and make some extra $$$!!!

[Ches]

"Easy for you to say" Actually it wasnt. I hesitated to post it.

Why were you leaning forward? You need to be pulling them up side to side. Leaning back.. letting your legs spaz out straight forward and using that to pull the pants up.. Usually the rock will trigger the legs and abs to stiffen up. Not sure what it is about pulling up pants but my legs seem to know the drill.. Anyways.. Why are you leaning forward? I dont even lean forward..lol Brave ass

Edited by Ches, 13 September 2008 - 12:52 PM.

[Trinity]

Hey Q,

You're right it is easier for us T levels (after a helluva lot of practise) , but as the OP is a T level the advice is fairly relevent to her!

Plus I am clueless when it comes to the C's

Tx

[Hapahowlee]

Yeah Bouncer, why do you lean forward? Mr. Hapa wears shorts most of the time, but he lifts one leg and lays it across the other. He then puts his crossed foot and leg through the pant/short leg and repeats for the other foot/leg. Then he pulls the pants/shorts up as far as he can and he leans on the backrest and lifts his hips up and he hikes up his drawers. Sometimes his foot will slip off the footrest, but he just stops and lifts his under his leg to place his foot back on. As long as I've known him, he could do this, but he had to practice, practice, practice after he got home from the hospital.

[Kristy]

You know I admire all of you for cathing. Am I the only one that uses a foley and a leg bag. I don't have any sensation below the injury. Am I so far behind the times or what. I really don't know and I would really like to be enlightened. I am 23 years post injury and have used a foley and leg bag for 20 of those years.

[Unbreakable]

Everything I have read on the subject and been told by nurses and doctors said that indwelling catheters increases your chances for UTIs. I don't know if this is true or not. I'm not a doctor and I am only just over a year post-injury. I think we all have our own methods that work for us, but if you think that switching to IC over a Foley would improve your quality of life, go for it.

[disjointed]

Unbreakable, on Sep 13 2008, 02:22 PM, said:

Everything I have read on the subject and been told by nurses and doctors said that indwelling catheters increases your chances for UTIs.

Indwelling catheters not only increase the frequency of UTIs but also present a high risk for developing bladder cancer.
Not too familiar with how ISC and the related meds affect bladder pressure, but I have read and heard that using the natural reflex with condom caths for bladder management can increase the pressure enough to present a risk for vesicoureteral reflux (valve in the ureters, causes backing up of urine into the kidneys -- I was born with this condition). What I have also read, though, is that if you want to use the condom caths and allow the reflex to empty the bladder, what you can do to reduce the risk of reflux is to have the sphincter stretched or cut surgically. I guess the pressure problem is when certain muscles are contracting to empty the bladder but the sphincter is keeping the urine from being able to flow out the urethra. Seems like having the sphincter altered is a great answer to prevent reflux, and the condom cath system (since it is not invasive) prevents UTIs and bladder cancer.

Once again, women's bodies are more complex -- condom cath not being an option. Oh yeah, and women -- regardless of their bladder management technique -- also have to deal with managing menstruation!

Edited by disjointed, 13 September 2008 - 08:30 PM.

[qbounce]

Ches, on Sep 13 2008, 05:52 AM, said:

"Easy for you to say" Actually it wasnt. I hesitated to post it.

Why were you leaning forward? You need to be pulling them up side to side. Leaning back.. letting your legs spaz out straight forward and using that to pull the pants up.. Usually the rock will trigger the legs and abs to stiffen up. Not sure what it is about pulling up pants but my legs seem to know the drill.. Anyways.. Why are you leaning forward? I dont even lean forward..lol Brave ass

Sorry, I meant my "HIPS" leaning forward, not my TRUNK.-lol
I'm not that BRAVE, for lack of using the proper word!!

Trin,
Thought She Was Reffering To Me? Isn't it all about Mr. Qbounce!

[eleanorigby]

trinity, on Sep 13 2008, 05:56 AM, said:

Hey Q,

You're right it is easier for us T levels (after a helluva lot of practise) , but as the OP is a T level the advice is fairly relevent to her!

Plus I am clueless when it comes to the C's

Tx

I think the main issues for C's when it comes to dressing in the chair is hands and trunk. Many C's struggle with grip in at least one hands. For myself, my right hand is utterly useless (unless I feel the need to slap someone, but that's something else entirely), so it's hard for me to pull up the right side of my pants. Thank god for belt loops, right? Otherwise I'd be truly stuck. The other thing is balance. I think most quads struggle with balance. It's one thing to not have control of your legs, and a completely other not to have control of your entire trunk. I slide my hips forward and things can get a little scary. I can do it, but it's a risky business at times. My stomach spasms and I slide right out of the chair. Or everytime I let go of my wheels or whatever I was holding onto, I lose my balance and will tip over. It's all super annoying, expecially during transfers. Personally, I work hard at strengthing my stomach and back, but there's only so much you can do at a certain point.

I have actually dressed my lower half in the chair (upper is no prob) by myself, but it's such a process and requires flat surfaces for me to lean over on, that I just don't bother for the most part. Like you said, it's completely different for T's and C's and even for the individual person. Although, as a quad, when you hear a para talk about how easy something is, sometimes you do get a little "well, that's easy for you to say..." Sort of like when the really smart kid in class starts talking about how easy thetest you just struggled on for an hour was.

[eleanorigby]

Kristy, on Sep 13 2008, 10:49 AM, said:

You know I admire all of you for cathing. Am I the only one that uses a foley and a leg bag. I don't have any sensation below the injury. Am I so far behind the times or what. I really don't know and I would really like to be enlightened. I am 23 years post injury and have used a foley and leg bag for 20 of those years.

I think if you can cath yourself, you probably should. It's a lot healthier, although I had a lot more UTI's when I was using IC instead of indwelling, but that was due to my own issues. I use an indwelling with a plug instead of a bag (I can tell when I need to pee) because I can't cath myself due to hand issues. Again, one of those para vs quad things. I use the indwelling because without it, I would have no life. My indwelling cath gives me freedom in a way that I could never have if I only used intermittent (spelling?) caths.

[jules]

I'm with you girls about the practicing, as quite a few of you know I work out 5/6 times a week. I was always quite self conscious about changing so I would go in to one of the curtained cubicles (which actually gives you less space) but now I just go in the communal area and can manage quite quickly (sometimes I even beat my hubby out of the changing rooms). I know it is much harder for quads, I am struggling a bit at the moment because I have quite badly hurt one of my hands and it is difficult to get out of tight fitting tops and shorts!

I know this is going slightly off topic but I do struggle more when I go swimming, especially when I am changing out of jeans and without realising it am still slightly wet.
x

[qbounce]

Unbreakable, on Sep 13 2008, 11:22 AM, said:

Everything I have read on the subject and been told by nurses and doctors said that indwelling catheters increases your chances for UTIs. I don't know if this is true or not. I'm not a doctor and I am only just over a year post-injury. I think we all have our own methods that work for us, but if you think that switching to IC over a Foley would improve your quality of life, go for it.

Hi unbreakable,
I've heard that foley's are better also from uninformed and illtrained doctors/ nurses NOT in the SCI specialist field. Those that are say you have fewer chances of getting stones, your cath won't clog up or need flushing, and as long as you use new cath's every time AND wash your hands before cathing, (and after, of course--gross if you don't-hehe) you'll actually be ahead of the game UTI wise.

It works, and no bag required. But as you also said, use what works for you. I'm a true believer in individual efficiency. And that may be the key to preventing UTI's overall.

[Unbreakable]

Quote

It works, and no bag required.

Well, my leg bags also come with a length of silicone tubing which I can attach to the catheter instead of a bag and then cath straight into the toilet. Comes in handy sometimes.