Fikria Gaoui is 44 years old and lives in the Netherlands. Fikria is an avid boxer, and enjoys spending her time doing fitness, listening to podcasts, and socialising with her friends and family.
Previously, Fikria worked in an insurance call centre, though has since stopped due to her MS diagnosis.
Fikria’s bowel issues can be largely attributed to her MS. Her bowel issues did not begin immediately with her other MS symptoms but rather developed over time. However, about six or seven years ago, she began to find she no longer had control her bowel.
“If I was outside and then felt the urge to go, I’d quickly search for a toilet, but then sometimes it didn’t work when I got there. And then I became very frustrated and stressed. It drained my energy, and at some point, you don’t want to do anything anymore.”
Fikria’s bowel issues took their toll on her quality of life. She found she often stayed at home, and she lost her self-confidence.
“I didn’t dare to go to the gym anymore, so I went less. I met up with friends much less, too. That made me very emotionally low at that moment and very anxious and insecure.”
Fikria’s solution was Peristeen® Light, a low-volume transanal irrigation device that helps her to manage her faecal incontinence and constipation. With a low-volume TAI device, a catheter is inserted into your rectum and body-temperature water is instilled into the rectum to assist you in evacuating your bowel.
Peristeen Light has been designed to be a solution that fits easily into everyday life.
“When I started using Peristeen Light, at first, I was a little insecure because I didn’t know how to use it, or what it did exactly. But when I eventually used it, it was such a relief — it worked immediately.”
Since starting with low-volume transanal irrigation, Fikria has found she no longer has to constantly look for a bathroom.
“A lot of positives have returned, so I can enjoy things again and do more fun, useful activities in my life."
She is now able to exercise as she chooses and feels more confident back in the gym.
“I’m not afraid to move at the gym anymore, worrying about flatulence or needing to rush to the toilet. Fortunately, I have much more control over that now.”
“If you have problems with your bowel movements or bladder, always just look for a good solution. There’s always something. Don’t just give up.”
It is important to know you are not alone if you are living with bladder or bowel issues. If you have questions or concerns about your bladder and bowel, you can reach out to Coloplast Care for support.
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