www.incontinentsupport.org

Hey all,

As is my normal routine, I paid a visit to Goodwill to see if there were any incontinence items that I could use; I really never know what I might find on any given day.. and I actually saw some stuff I had donated on the shelves.. and no, I'm not going to buy what I donated! Hah, that would be funny. However, i did see 3 packages of prevail per fit in size medium. Those were the other option that J and B Medical presented me besideds the attends 8. When i was testing them at camp, I thought they didnt measure up. But, I figured, id buy a package and give them another shot. I mean, it was only 4 dollars.

Something else that I saw that suprised and concerned me, and the reason that I'm writing this post, is that there was also on the shelf a box of straight catheters! Yes, i said catheters, the kind that go into a person's bladder and drain urine. On the box it says quite clearly, Federal law restircts the sale or use of this device by order of physician. As soon as I saw that, I thought "Oh boy. If those get sold, and someone gets hurt, the store is gonna be in a lot of trouble." So, I left the store, went to Walmart, got what I needed there, and then came back and got the attention of a store employee. He was suprised, and said "Thank you." I told him it was my pleasure. Yeah, you'd think that only a person in need of a catheter and already has a script would buy them, but you really do never know. Without going into detail, there are those who would misuse cathters, and jump at the chance to buy them even if they weren't technically supposed to.

Has anyone else seen anything like this at a Goodwill or similar thrift shop?

Peace out!

Rob

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"We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love" Mother Teresa

"THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!" - Captain Picard from Chain of Command, Part II

Forgive my ignorance, but how and why would someone misuse a catheter? Like torturing some poor homeless guy they kidnapped off the street? I am trying to wrap my head around this question!!

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When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.

Marcus Aurelius

They are not available over in the uk to buy you need a prescription so I think it was a dangerous thing to just have them for sale. I still have a box of speedi caths left over from when I used to self cath and also two size 12fr Foley catheters that I used to use before I got the suprapubic and went up to size 16. I definitely will not try to sell them or give them away. The speedi caths could come in use one day if my SP ever blocked.
It is amazing what you keep I have 1 Tena maxi left which is plastic backed and 2 other plastic backed Tena diapers the green ones. They are almost like collectors items now that Tena are all paper backed. I think I will just keep hold of them.

4wheeldave.

Porkchop, I'll answer this question in a pm..because in order to answer it..i have to talk about things we wouldnt normally talk about on this board..

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"We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love" Mother Teresa

"THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!" - Captain Picard from Chain of Command, Part II

Thanks SG.

_________________
When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.

Marcus Aurelius

I have came across caths too at a thrift store. Foley's even.

I have an inventory of unused, still-in-their-wrappers, urological supplies. I doubt that I'm alone. My guess is that somebody else had a similar accumulation of urological supplies and foisted them off on the shop. However, if a customer misused them, the shop could be held liable in a court of law.

There are plenty of ways one could "misuse" a catheter. Just use your imagination - they make for some flimsy whips and could be used as straws.... Or maybe narcs or maybe... To drain urine.... Or someone could try to eat one . Lol.

My question is, since it says on the box that sale of this device must be ordered by a physican by federal law, wouldnt it stand to reason that only medical supply stores could legally sell them, thus a thrift shop should be prohibited from accepting them?

_________________
"We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love" Mother Teresa

"THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!" - Captain Picard from Chain of Command, Part II

For the life of me I cant understand why anyone would miss use a catheter. I need them and I don't like them, but its a part of my life.