Christa and Jordan received compensation from Coloplast to provide this information. Each person’s situation is unique so your experience may not be the same.
I'm Christa, a proud mother to three amazing kids: two boys and my daughter Jordan. We live in Alberta in the Edmonton area on a small acreage with a couple of pets.
Our medical journey began in 2014 when Jordan was diagnosed with a rare terminal genetic condition called Giant Axonal Neuropathy (GAN) at the age of four. This condition, progressive in nature, worsens as she ages and grows taller. Jordan, once a typical toddler, now navigates life as a full-time wheelchair user. GAN will over time impact every aspect of her life, and by her late teens, she will have the limited ability of a quadriplegic.
In 2019, Jordan underwent spinal surgery to correct her scoliosis, marking a significant turning point for us.
She entered the surgery walking with assistance and using the toilet independently, but emerged unable to walk and incontinent. There was no explanation as to why, we just had to accept that it had brought new challenges that we believed we still had years to plan for.
As we adjusted to this new reality and discussed a plan with our medical team, it became evident that Jordan's future care would include a wheelchair and the use of catheters. I initially resisted this evolution in Jordan's care - the prospect of catheterizing my daughter felt like an overwhelming burden. However, with no alternative, I stumbled through this transition with minimal assistance and resources. Our only supplies consisted of the catheters provided by the hospital and a three-page printout of instructions.
I continued to order the same hospital catheters, and dreaded the daily toileting routine. One day, a substitute teacher at Jordan's school, who happened to be a wheelchair user, reached out, we became fast friends and I quickly realized she would be a source of invaluable support and guidance. She had this gift of openly discussing her experiences without embarrassment, she became a mentor to us. Through her, we discovered Coloplast catheters and reached out to the company for samples. Promptly, a Care Advisor from Coloplast contacted us, inquiring about Jordan's needs and offering suggestions tailored to our situation. They kindly sent us a variety of catheters to try.
After experimenting with different products, we quickly found our favourite in the SpeediCath® Compact Set.
This all-in-one solution, consisting of a pre-lubricated catheter attached to a urine collection bag, has simplified our routine. No more searching for additional supplies!
We love to travel and adventure as a family and out of all the things we stress about and plan, catheters are no longer one of them. We now just throw a box of the SpeediCath® Compact Set catheters in the suitcase, a couple in the carry on and my purse, and away we go!
Catheterizing is such an intimate thing and, in our experience, Coloplast does a great job of treating everyone with dignity. Over the last 2 years of using Coloplast products, I’ve learned that with the right supplies and community around you, this inconvenient task can become a little easier.
