From Catheters to Confidence: How One Spinal Cord Injury Survivor Found a Better Way Thanks to NorthShore Adult Diapers

When I was 21 I got into a bad car accident returning to college and broke my neck. I had to relearn how to live after that. Every task in life we take for granted had to be done differently. That's primarily what they work on in rehab. Among the many new things I had to contend with was how to go to the bathroom. Spinal cord injuries typically leave you incontinent, and there are a few ways to manage it.

The standard is to use a catheter and take medication like oxybutynin to mitigate "voiding," whether you use one intermittently or have one constantly draining. Of all the inconveniences I had from becoming disabled, this was by far the most debilitating. Because I have limited hand function, every time I had to go I needed family or a caregiver to help me.

After a year or so I got pretty good at doing it myself despite my limited hand function. But imagine you go to your friend's house to hang out, you feel the urge to pee coming and you have maybe a minute before you start to pee everywhere. Their bathroom isn't wheelchair accessible, so your girlfriend kindly keeps everyone occupied while you struggle to insert a catheter in the corner. I struggled like this for many years. I went back to college and had countless stressful experiences, either in the dorms or holding up the line at the bar bathroom, or waking up every night at 4 a.m. to make sure I don't wet the bed. In addition to the social malaise, using a catheter often dramatically increases your risk of UTI, which I've had many times.

One of the friends I made in college had a similar injury to me, but he managed his incontinence with an external catheter. I was familiar with them from years ago when I would wear them to bed in case I didn't wake up to use a catheter. I was intrigued that he didn't need to use a catheter, but I was far too busy with school to think much more about it. When I graduated I finally had some time, and I made an appointment to speak to a urologist about taking an alternative approach. They were not much help, insisting catheters have been the gold standard in my case for 40 years. However, the office did write me a referral to a more specialized urology center. There we considered some experimental treatments, but after measuring my bladder's retention and pressure, I was assured voiding was perfectly safe.

I knew I didn't want to use the external catheters from my past experience with them leaking, managing the attached bag, and the painful removal process. I was already familiar with NorthShore when I used their GoSupreme during my internship for leaks. After trialing a few products, I landed on their MegaMax, which is practically military grade in durability and absorbency, and the reusable landing strip is fantastic for caregivers. I only need to change in the morning and evening. I never have to deal with UTIs. I never have to worry about needing to pee in public or with friends. I can sleep soundly through the night without worrying. I wish I had just done this years ago, life is so much easier this way.

 

Thank you for reading our customer stories. NorthShore works to remove the confusion and isolation surrounding incontinence, helping individuals better understand that “incontinence is very common, often treatable, and regardless, very manageable.” — Adam Greenberg, President & Founder of NorthShore We are grateful for the opportunity to share these journeys and provide products that help people live life to the fullest. Learn more about sharing your story through the NorthShore Hero Club. Have a story to share? Submit it below to help others feel less alone.

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