Chloe received compensation from Coloplast to provide this information. Each person’s situation is unique so your experience may not be the same.
My name is Chloe, and I was born prematurely and with a condition that affects my bladder and my bowels.
At two days old, I had emergency surgery to put a temporary colostomy in place. Because my stoma was temporary, it was not the typical round shape - it looked more like an infinity symbol. My mom told me that my colostomy was very hard to manage, and my bag needed to be changed every 12 hours.
I was on a liquid diet as a newborn and I had liquid stool which would melt the colostomy bag adhesive. My skin would get irritated, and I would cry a lot. My mom was really stressed, and she called everyone looking for a solution.
When she discovered the stretchy Coloplast Brava® Protective Ring, she said it changed our lives!
She was able to cut it to my 'infinity' stoma shape, stretch it over my two stomas and then it would snap back into place to protect my skin. She was so happy that my skin never got irritated after that! At age 2, my colostomy was reversed, and I had more surgery, which resulted in me having a neurogenic bladder.
At age 3, about a year after my colostomy closure, my bowel stopped working properly so I had to start doing daily enemas. I remember hating them because they were so long and messy. I had to put plastic bags over my feet because I didn’t want to step in any mess. I would cry a lot, so my mom had to bribe me with lollipops every day just to make it bearable.
At age 7, my parents were able to get me the Coloplast Peristeen® system (which was new in Canada at the time). This was a game changer for me. I thought the system looked really cool and it was fun to use the water pump.
Using the Coloplast Peristeen® system meant that I didn’t have to rush to the toilet or wear plastic bags on my feet anymore.
I could stay on the toilet for my enema the whole time! It was also easy to use and way more private. I learned how to do my enemas with the Peristeen® system by myself and I was so happy with my newfound independence!
At age 10, I had to get an appendicostomy, which makes it possible to do antegrade enemas through a channel made with my appendix and connected to a stoma in my belly button. Antegrade enemas allow me to customize my enema solution, which seems to change every time I grow.
I can’t remember a time when I didn’t have to use a catheter for my bladder. When I was in preschool and Kindergarten, I had helpers at school who would come to my classroom and take me to a special bathroom. I started learning how to catheterize by myself at age 5. At age 11, I developed chronic pelvic pain because of all my surgeries, and my health team suggested that I try different kinds of catheters to see if it would help with the pain.
I tried ALL the brands and settled on Coloplast SpeediCath® Eve because they are the most comfortable and the easiest to use. I really like how they are so small, and the triangle shape stops them from rolling off the counter.
Now that I am 14 years old and in high school, I keep the catheters in my pocket, which gives me the freedom to use any bathroom I want.
SpeediCath® Eve catheters don’t make a crinkly sound when opening them, so they’re more discreet to use. I also like that they don’t look like a medical device.
Some of my friends think they are tampons and one thought it was a vape pen! I like this because I don’t have to explain anything about my medical condition to people at school.
I have used Coloplast products my entire life and I feel like they are part of my trusted medical support team. This year, I was able to go to a sleep away camp for 2 weeks for the second time in a row. Growing up, I heard so many stories about camp from my friends and I never thought I would be able to go myself. I had the greatest time ever at camp this year and I would never have been comfortable enough to go if I was not so independent with my medical care! Using Coloplast products helps me to live my life to the fullest.
