Mothers Story
Solihull, age 52
Now all I was waiting for was to see good results, which I can honestly say amazed me. It was a jubilant moment when I realised after a few weeks that I ceased to have incontinence. I was fixed, I was free to enjoy my life without incident and I was able to go swimming, which always frightened me.
I’ve been a sufferer of a chronic illness called transverse myelitis for 32 years which in its initial stage caused paralysis from the neck down. This condition, like many other spinal injuries, caused my bladder and bowel incontinence.
The first few years of my bladder incontinence I didn’t have any help, this was due to me being a 16 year old with no parents. I had been brought up in a child care home from the age of 18 months so when I came out of hospital I was basically on my own with no knowledge of after care.
After three years though, I was lucky to be introduced to a top urologist. Due to my lack of after care, my bladder and bowel incontinence had been left unchecked, but I somehow managed to get on with life whilst dealing with the condition.
Firstly they gave me hope as far as my bladder condition was concerned and after three major surgeries my incontinence was fixed. I now have to use disposable catheters and have done for the last 28 years. This still left me with bowel incontinence.
Over the years I would be fobbed off with “it appears you have IBS” so I, not really knowing any different, would just take what they said and continued my next 32 years of taking the medication loperamide.
I’m a mother of two grown up children who would, on times see the distress my incontinence caused me, and although I had my bowel issues, I was still able to work. I can’t say my working day was pleasurable because on times my incontinence got in the way, Yes, even taking the medication!
The embarrassment this caused me was awful but still I plodded along with my “IBS” still going to the doctor’s, asking if it could be something other than IBS..
Back in January of 2013 I’d gone to visit my neurologist with complaints of spasms and yes, my so called “IBS” but he said that after 32 years he couldn’t really help me but would write to the spinal unit. Of course I was a little surprised by this as I thought, what on earth can they do for me?
Well I soon found out exactly what they could do for me and what a huge surprise it was.
I’d first met the spinal consultant in June of that year. He was asking about every issue from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. My mind was going into overdrive at everything he was talking about. After our meeting he said “I’ll fix you”.
I was booked in but felt a little wary because after 32 months of bowel incontinence I didn’t think anyone would ever be able to help.
The staff on the unit were amazing and they were talking about all sorts treatments and my head was buzzing, but I was still sceptical.
I didn’t realise I was about to get everything I thought impossible through a simple procedure called “bowel management”
My first experience had been suppositories but they didn’t do the job, then another solution was introduced, but after two days of trying, this didn’t work either, I was starting to think I’d made a mistake of coming to the unit for the month.
Then on the following day of the last treatment not working one of the sister’s on the ward decided I could try “Qufora” so I said I’d try it. At first I struggled with the concept and how the system worked but after a while I got used to it.
Now all I was waiting for was to see good results, which I can honestly say amazed me. It was a jubilant moment when I realised after a few weeks that I ceased to have incontinence. I was fixed, I was free to enjoy my life without incident and I was able to go swimming, which always frightened me.
I have found dealing with the company to have been an easy and comfortable experience, not once have I felt embarrassed about taking with a customer advisor about the product.
