Mattia, 32, lives in Italy with his partner, Teresa. In 2013, Mattia had a motorcycle accident whilst racing, which drastically altered the course of his future. Suddenly, he was a paraplegic, and he had to come to terms with his new living situation.
At the start, the challenges were extreme. Mattia had to relearn how to do basic things, whilst also accepting he would no longer be able to live as independently as he once had. Bowel issues were present from the first day after his accident and were a significant psychological burden for Mattia. For him, it was really the amount of time it took to go to the toilet that presented a challenge. After 2 years of trying alternative methods, he was finally prescribed with Peristeen1 to help him manage his bowel.
Discovering Peristeen and getting to grips with irrigation
Peristeen was initially recommended to Mattia by other young, disabled users who were living with similar problems. For Mattia, it provided a newfound stability in his life. He admits, an unexpected bowel accident is embarrassing, and he uses Peristeen Plus as it allows him to avoid these problems and be more relaxed.
Even though it can be challenging to get into the routine, Mattia urges those who need Peristeen Plus not to give up.
Mattias sees his wheelchair as the wings that allow him to move. Similarly, Peristeen Plus is the tool that allows him to manage his bowels.
“I would say to other people who are not yet convinced about using Peristeen Plus, try to persist until you find your own way, your own balance, your own timing, because going to the bathroom is an inevitable thing, so do it in the best possible way for your body and make your daily routine as fast as possible. This is the right solution for your wellbeing.” – Mattia
Life with transanal irrigation
Since Mattia has been performing transanal irrigations, he has had more time to do other things. It has sped up the time he needs to spend in the bathroom, and he has more time to follow his passions, helping others, putting himself out there, and doing good.
Despite the severity of his accident, Mattia also saw opportunity: he wanted to create something that gave meaning to what happened to him. This is how he started CROSSabili, a non-profit association that works in the world of disability by creating activities aimed at inclusion, sharing, fun, autonomy and sports.
Mattia has now been able to return to working life, thanks to Peristeen Plus. He works six hours a day, and Peristeen Plus allows him to spend more time at work and find a suitable balance between his work, his bowel management, and living his life. Mattia uses Peristeen Plus before heading to work, or after he comes home, every other day. It allows him to be more relaxed and reduces the risk of soling himself while working.
Mattia’s tips for managing a life with transanal irrigation
Don’t give up - The key message Mattia shares is to keep trying. He admits that in the beginning, he found it a little difficult to incorporate Peristeen Plus into his family routine. But, once he began to perform transanal irrigation regularly and began to see he was better off, he came to accept it as a part of his daily life.
“I really recommend not giving up, but to go on finding the best way of using it, because Peristeen Plus changes your life. It has really given me stability over the years.” – Mattia
Nutrition also helps – Mattia noticed that with sports and good nutrition, you can have better evacuations. For him, they are softer, faster, and more regular. He admits that with his active life and frequent travels, he often he eats badly, and he notices the effect this has on his bowels. If he has some beer or alcoholic drinks, this can begin to compromise his evacuations.
Use Coloplast Care when you need it.
“I realised the value of Coloplast Care, because in the end you have a person who knows the product and who is available. It has improved my life with Peristeen Plus” – Mattia
Throughout his journey with Peristeen Plus, Coloplast Care has offered their support. Mattia has also reached out to his Care Advisor when it was necessary. The advice of the medical team was reinforced by Coloplast Care, and Mattia was able to use this service as a complementary source of information.
Teresa’s experience as a primary caregiver
Teresa’s who is a huge support in Mattia’s care, echo’s Mattia’s advice. She urges people living with a neurogenic bowel and who use Peristeen Plus to keep going, as she has seen how much it has improved Mattia’s life and their life together.
“It must become everyday life and normality. If every time we have to go to the toilet it’s a burden, we certainly can't accept it, it would mean that we can't accept our disability, our new life.” – Teresa
For Teresa, helping Mattia in his daily life was a bit of a struggle at the start. She had to face new challenges, and coming from a place where she did not know anything about this disability, it took a while for her to fully understand what Mattia needed and how she could help. But now, with time, it has become normal for her, and she is able to offer her support.
“If we, as family, as caregivers stay close to these people and help them, they live better with their disability.” – Teresa
It takes time for the body to adjust to a new transanal irrigation routine and results are commonly seen between 1-3 months. During this time, you may need to go through a process of trial and error to find out what works best for your bowels. Teresa and Mattia both urge new Peristeen Plus users not to be discouraged and keep trying.
“My advice for people who have bowel dysfunction is not to give up, to try again and again until they find their balance. On the other hand, my advice to those accompanying these people is to always stay by them and to face the situation together.” – Teresa
