www.incontinentsupport.org

I thought I would share about my new problems that started 18 months ago with bowel incontinence and the things I have tried to sort it out. As most of you know I am bladder incontinent and have been permently catherterized for some time. Suprapubic was done three years ago. I also am in a wheelchair from spinal deformity and have had many operations indeed over a dozen General anasthetics. Circumcised as an adult to help with catheterization and am also fitted with a high frequency spinal cord stimulater. In the summer of 2016 I was rushed into hospital with burning in my bottom and pins and needles in my legs and a loss of sensation up my anal passage. I spent two weeks in the Walton centre near Liverpool and when I came out the bowel accidents started. I did not post this new development on here because I was so busy trying to deal with it and come to terms with it. In March last year I had another operation to remove a stenosis from my spine and was rushed back in to the Walton centre a few weeks later in April. This is when my fight for control of my bowels started. While in hospital in the evening I would take a stool softener sena tablet then in the morning a nurse would insert a suppository and I would try to go to the toilet about half an hour later. I was always wearing a nappy 24/7. This routine was repeated every other day but I was still having bowel accidents which then involved having my nappy changed by the nurse. Anyway the amount of accidents was reduced but not eradicated. When home the hospital arranged for a lady rep to come out from coloplast to show me his to use the peristeen anal irigation system and the anal plugs. I will not talk about the plugs again but found them no use. The system involved me sitting on the toilet and pushing a tube up my bum then inflating a balloon to hold it in place. The peristeen kit has a bag you fill with water and a dial you move for air or water. Once the balloon was inflated you change the dial to water and squeeze this bulb thing and inject water up your back passage. When you reached the right amount of water you turn the dial deflate the baloon and whoosh out comes water and poo. The idea is to empty the bowel like this so you don't have accidents. I had to do this with the rep there. All very embarasing but she was cool with it so I had to be. Well I did this for several weeks but never found it easy and still was having about four unplanned bowel accidents a week. Then one time I really hurt myself. It must have been the twisting to get it up my bum and everything. I was in agony. I spent a week in bed unable to move. I have never used the system again. I went back to supositories. I had an apointment last week at Aintree hospital next door to the Walton centre and am now waiting for a date to go and have electrodes up my bum to test a few things out. It has a name but I can't rember it. If anyone on here has had this test please let me know what to expect. In the meantime I am using the supositories to some effect but still having about three or four accidents per week. Bladder incontinence is one thing but bowel is another. It's very embarasing and very smelly. I often have to have help changing after an accident and sometimes I need a shower. I have a fully kitted out wet room but it's still tough. Thanks for reading will update as and when. 4wheeldave.

Dave, I'm so sorry to read about all the adversity you have had to experience, plus bowel incontinence. I hope things become better for you.

--John

Thanks JD. I must state that it was my spine I hurt not my back passage. It was not the peristeen system that was at fault but the twisting I had to do while sat on the toilet to get the tube up. I know that many spinal cord injury people use peristeen to great success. 4wheeldave.