Adapting to change together
How a simple routine made a big impact for Kim and Steve
Managing bowel dysfunction following a spinal cord injury became more challenging when Kim was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Discover how Kim and Steve found relief.
Kim has been living with the impact of a spinal cord injury she sustained 19 years ago. In addition to that, she also received the life-altering diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer´s disease five years ago.
Dealing with Kim’s bowel dysfunction due to her spinal cord injury got even more complicated after she was diagnosed with early onset-Alzheimer’s disease. Kim and Steve found a solution for spinal cord injury bowel management and bowel management with Alzheimer’s disease: bowel irrigation procedure with Qufora IrriSedo MiniGo Flex.
Watch Kim and Steve's story
Routine made an impact
Nineteen years ago, Kim’s life took an unexpected turn when a spinal cord injury left her reliant on a wheelchair and facing the challenges of bowel dysfunction in spinal cord injury as a result of bowel incontinence, also known as faecal incontinence, as well as bladder (urinary) incontinence.
This marked the beginning of a journey filled with adaptation and resilience, for example dealing with spinal cord injury bowel management.
Fourteen years later, Kim received another life-altering diagnosis: early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. This new hurdle brought with it another set of challenges once again, including to Kim’s bowel management routine. Due to the nature of her Alzheimer’s, she began to become fixated on her bowels, which resulted in visiting the toilet up to 20 times a day.
Recognising the strain it placed on their lives, Kim and Steve knew they needed a solution for bowel management. That was when Kim was introduced to Qufora IrriSedo MiniGo Flex and the bowel irrigation procedure by her healthcare professional.
When Kim’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s came through – Steve began to reposition their journey together. They created a bucket list, including getting tattoos and attending burlesque shows. Through both the change and adventure, one constant remained: Kim’s love for music and dancing, a cherished outlet that stayed with her throughout life and brought joy to her no matter where she was on her journey.
Kim and Steve realised that their routine played an integral part in Kim’s Alzheimer’s; for example, they still go out in their van every Sunday and have an adventure together.
When Kim’s nurse introduced Qufora IrriSedo MiniGo Flex, she told them about the importance of routine regarding the bowel irrigation procedure – which made a huge difference for both Kim and Steve. Like most people who first come across the bowel irrigation for bowel management, also known as transanal irrigation (TAI) for bowel management, Kim was a little apprehensive if this would work for her, but she found it simple to use and was amazed by how much bowel irrigation has impacted her and her husband’s life.
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