Andrea’s experience living with bladder and bowel issues

Andrea Pasquali is 45 years old and lives in Italy. He married his wife, Roberta, in 2012 and they have a young daughter, Rachele. He lives in the countryside, about 10 minutes away from the city centre. It’s where he grew up, and it’s always been a place where he could recharge. While it took some convincing to get Roberta to move there, once she experienced the simplicity and peace of country living, she was hooked. Andrea loves to spend time with friends and family, and prior to his diagnosis of MS, he spent time working out and going to the gym.

“My MS wasn’t something that happened gradually. It hit me immediately and full on.”

Andrea’s journey with MS began quite abruptly. Four months before the onset of MS, he began having short episodes of discomfort when he would urinate. Soon after, the bowel issues started, leaving him constipated and unable to have a bowel movement. After becoming paralysed from the waist down, he was immediately hospitalised and diagnosed with progressive remitting multiple sclerosis.

“From the time I was diagnosed, my family has been fundamental. They are everything. They gave me strength, and the desire to push, bounce back and walk again.”

In the beginning, Andrea’s bladder problems were mild. It began with a feeling of discomfort in his bladder. After the onset of his MS however, he found his bladder was totally blocked, and he was unable to void himself at all.

“I realised I had a bladder problem because I had serious pain in my lower abdomen. I couldn’t pee. I’d strain to pee, but I couldn’t.”

Andrea’s solution to his bladder problems was intermittent catheterisation.

 “Using the ready-to-use, intermittent catheters was like being reborn. I could go to the bathroom normally again.”

Catheterisation allowed him to regain control over his bladder and provided him with the freedom to return to many of the activities he used to do before.

There is naturally a learning process when starting out with self-catheterisation. For Andrea, he was initially concerned about how often he should catheterise and if he would be able to feel that it is was time to do so. He had a lot of questions, and found the hardest thing was to get into a good routine.

“It took a little while to find the right routine with intermittent self-catheterisation, so I could go out with my family again and do the same things I did before.”

Over time, he learned how to catheterise whilst on the go and started to develop his own catheterisation routine which was right for him.

Soon after the onset of his bladder issues, Andrea also began to notice he was having bowel issues. There were times when he would find himself constipated for ten days. Initially, he tried to solve his problems with laxatives but soon discovered that transanal irrigation (TAI) would help him to manage his bowel.

“After I realised my bowels were not functioning, I worked with my neurologist to find a solution. I was later proposed to start using transanal irrigation.”

Peristeen® Plus has been a big help for Andrea’ bowel issues. He performs his irrigations every two days, coupled with laxatives. Just like his catheterisations, Andrea had to get used to his new Peristeen Plus routine.

When starting with transanal irrigation, it is always important to be mindful that it can take a while for your bowel to get used to this form of bowel management. Remaining consistent in your routine is the best way to set yourself up to see success.¹ For Andrea, transanal irrigation, coupled with changes in his diet, helped him to keep his bowels functioning and best manage his constipation.

“My advice to others in my situation would be to accept that these techniques – intermittent self-catheterisation and transanal irrigation – are a help. It’s a help you give yourself. They give you a better life.”

If you have questions or concerns about your bladder and bowel. You are not alone. You can reach out to Coloplast Care for support.

“Everyone in Coloplast Care is very patient and understanding. You may have a ton of questions, and they patiently answer you and help you satisfy your curiosity.”

Friends and family have been Andrea’s lifeline and support since his diagnosis. They have given him the strength and desire to push himself, to recover and walk again. Andrea and his family can now once again go out for dinner in their town together. They can go for walks along the lake, and his bladder and bowel management routines have helped to free him from his fear of leaving the house.

Now, Andrea volunteers for the Italian MS Association, where he offers his help to other individuals living with MS, providing transportation and support where he can.

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