Julie received compensation from Coloplast to provide this information. Each person’s situation is unique so your experience may not be the same.
Hello from my 10-acre farm in Southwestern Ontario, where I live with my kids, husband, and six cats. My name is Julie, I’m a former high school teacher who, after being injured, turned to teaching about accessibility to literally anyone who would listen. I now run a successful accessibility consulting and education firm (Sawchuk Accessible Solutions) delivering keynotes and workshops, providing feedback on projects, and making spaces of all kinds more accessible across Canada.
Ten years ago (I was 41 at the time), I sustained a traumatic T4 incomplete spinal cord injury. I was hit by a car while I was riding my road bike — sent 30 feet headfirst into the ditch. Saved by my helmet and the fast response of emergency responders, I went from being able to do whatever I wanted, whenever, to not even being able to sit up. I spent three months at Parkwood Rehabilitation Institute in London, ON, learning how to deal with this new body of mine, and of course, bowel and bladder management was the biggest challenge. For the duration of that stay, nursing staff were excited (genuinely) for me to learn how to self-cath, and it took me a while (like months) to come around to the fact that I was going to have to learn how to do it myself, which, eventually, I did.
Towards the end of my stay, one of the nurses showed me some different catheters, ones that were pre-lubricated and way smaller than what I had been taught how to use.
Of course, those were Coloplast, and once I learned the benefits of using them, I have not turned back.
When I first returned home, I was still laying in bed to do an intermittent catheter, but when I decided that I wanted bed to be for sleeping and sex only, I forced myself (again, it took months) to learn to transfer to and from a toilet. Not an easy feat, but the more I did it the more confident I became — grab bars on either side of the toilet certainly helped with that!
My favourite catheters are the Coloplast SpeediCath Compact (which I use every time I pee) but the lifesaver is the SpeediCath Compact Set.
Why life saving? Because with it, I can empty my bladder no matter where I happen to be at that time. Keep in mind that this is not a skill that I learned immediately, but necessity led to innovation and skill development. As I started to get out and about again in the community, I was continuously finding myself in places with inaccessible washrooms. Sometimes you can’t get into the building, other times the stall is too small to accommodate my wheelchair and more often than not, the toilet and grab bar set up does not work for me (think low toilets and angled bars on the wall).
That’s when I learned how to use a catheter while staying in my chair, sitting in the car, on my hand bike, in a tent, and even on an airplane. The self-contained nature of the Compact Set means you can empty your bladder using the catheter that is attached to the bag and then SEAL IT ALL UP to be dealt with and disposed of later. No toilet necessary.
How is a catheter a lifesaver? Well, aside from the obvious fact that we all need to pee, now I can do so anywhere. I can go anywhere and do anything without needing to know (in advance) what the bathroom situation is. I always carry a dozen SpeediCath Compact catheters (they are that small) and TWO Compact Sets in my purse on the back of my chair. I learned that having two SpeediCath Compact Set at all times was key because if I need one while I’m out there’s a good chance that I might need two. You just never know when you’ll decide to stay out longer, sit in a plane on a runway for more time than you thought or go one more kilometre than you had expected. Another coffee? Sure!
Of course, the added bonuses of the SpeediCath Compact and the Compact Set is how little space they take up in my purse and the fact that they are pre-lubricated.
Being sterile and ready to use means no mucking about with lube and a way lower likelihood of introducing infection into the bladder.
I have also developed some shortcuts to help make the whole self-cath process easier. I often wear dresses that are easier to get out of the way, and I sew zippers into the inseam of my pants, which means I don’t even have to pull my pants down and up again.
Unfortunately, we still live in a world where people with disabilities are not thought of in the design and construction of spaces (especially washrooms), and we need to find workarounds so that we can still go out and be a part of life. My workarounds have evolved over the years, and now I can pee just about anywhere.
