When parents raise a child with a disability, we rethink every milestone through the lenses of “What’s the maximum my child can achieve?” and “What kind of modifications will they need?” Together, we make it happen with support from healthcare providers, family, and other parents.
If you are new to using intermittent catheters, you may have been told by your healthcare provider to empty your bladder completely every time you cath. In today’s article, we will discuss why complete bladder emptying is important, and some techniques you can use to help empty your bladder when self-cathing.
There are many effective treatments for prostate cancer, but their side effects can be uncomfortable to handle. If you’ve received treatment but are having a hard time with any side effects, it’s important to know these can be managed, and they often improve over time.
Children who manage an ostomy have a lot on their plate, on top of the regular stressors of navigating school and growing up. About 1 out of every 500 people in the U.S. go through life with an ostomy, so chances are your child is neither the first nor the only one at their school to have one.
Individuals with disorders of the nervous system or urinary tract may experience urinary retention. Urinary retention means the bladder does not empty completely, or at all, without assistance. Urinary retention can cause serious complications if left untreated. For many individuals, intermittent catheterization is a successful way to manage urinary retention.
Giving diet advice for people with a stoma can be tricky because there are different types of stomas, and diet needs can vary after bowel surgery. Some people may need to change their diet temporarily, while others might need long-term adjustments.
Adjusting to life with a catheter often means significant lifestyle changes—but it doesn’t have to mean giving up physical fitness. Choosing the right catheter supplies and customizing your exercise regimen can get you back on the road to a fit and active life.
When you started using catheters, you may have been asked to complete a bladder diary—a simple chart used to track symptoms of urinary incontinence, as well as fluid intake, urine production, and leakage.
If you have urinary incontinence, you’ve probably got a lot on your mind. Staying ahead of urges, accidents, and when to self-cath can be a lot. You might be tempted to drink less water to help cut down your to-do list, but that approach can cause more problems than it solves.
Meet Hannah, a 17-year-old wheelchair basketball athlete from Henrico, Virginia who aspires to become a Special Education teacher. She is the recipient of the Fall 2020 Adaptive Sports Scholarship award from ABCmedical.
