Betty

Age at interview: 93

Brief Outline: When Betty was in her 60’s she had surgery to remove a bladder diverticulum. In spite of this her bladder failed to empty completely and she had some incontinence. She was taught her how to use intermittent self-catheterisation and now leads a normal life.

Background: Betty was a school secretary before she retired. She is a widow. She has three grown up children. Ethnic background/nationality: White British

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When Betty was in her early 60’s she had surgery to repair a bladder diverticulum. After she left hospital she was out in the street and was knocked over and landed on her front.  In spite of the surgery her bladder failed to empty completely and she had some incontinence.  A kind nurse taught her how to use intermittent self-catheterisation so that she could empty her bladder completely.  At first Betty found this difficult but after two weeks she felt confident enough to pass the catheter without any help from the nurse. 

Now Betty manages self-catheterisation without any difficulty and leads a normal life. Betty uses a catheter called EasiCath®. She uses a new one every time she needs to pass urine.  She usually uses five catheters each day.  She drinks six jugs of water a day and rarely gets a urinary infection. 

Betty had to have an indwelling catheter for about a week at one time when she was ill and had to stay in bed.  As soon as she felt better she asked a nurse to remove it. She thinks that it is much better to use intermittent self-catheterisation than to have an indwelling catheter.  With self-catheterisation she feels in control and ‘normal’.

Betty recalls how she learnt ISC. The nurse was kind and very understanding.

Would you mind telling me a little bit about how she [the continence advisor] taught you?

Well we spent quite a bit of time on the bed and she showed me how to insert it [the catheter] into the right place, and she also told me to do lots of drinking.

Did she help you? Did she use a mirror to show you where to put it?

Yes she did. Yes, that was one of the things that was a bit horrifying. But I got used to that. And gradually I, it didn’t take me very long, I think it was two weeks she came, and then I was able to do it myself. And first of all it seemed to intrude upon my life, but then I got so used to it, it didn’t. I just planned the hours out myself.

So right from the beginning she came two or three times a day did you say?

Yes.

And you said to start with you found it a bit horrifying.

Yes, because I had never looked at myself there.

No.

One doesn’t really.

No.

And then to have a mirror and see one’s self like that is not easy.

No.

But I got used to, I got used to it and well I didn’t need to do it [use a mirror] anymore after a fortnight. I was able to, she said I was able now, then to carry on myself, and I found that I did very well. I didn’t have any mishaps of any kind.

For any nurses who might be watching this, what would, what was the important thing about her, the way she taught you?

She was a very kind nurse, very understanding. And gentle. And she didn’t, how I can I put it? She didn’t tell me what to do, she suggested that I did so and so.

Oh that’s good.

And I liked that. I don’t like being told what to do. And I was in touch with her for some time but I lost touch afterwards. Too many years have gone by. But I, I’ve never forgotten her. She was a very special nurse, very.

Betty, aged 93, finds ISC quite easy. She describes how she does it and says it is just part of everyday life. She likes feeling that she is ‘in control’.

Do you find it quite easy to pass the catheter now?

Yes, yes.

Is it uncomfortable or not?

No, no it’s quite easy. No trouble at all.

And you can tell how far to push the catheter in?

Yes, yes. Yes I know how far it will go. And when I realise it’s got to the right spot [in the bladder] then I press it and it [the urine] comes out.

How do you know exactly when you’ve got to the right spot?

It’s just a feeling in my body.

And the end of it is shut and then you open it?

No the end, the end of it is open. It’s open at both ends.

So you have to be over the toilet, quite close to it.

Yes, yes, yes you do. You have to stand right over it.

And now how would you describe doing it now? Is it part of everyday life?

Yes it’s just part of my life and the family know about it, and we just take it for granted as part of living. They think I’m marvellous that I do what I do at my age.

How would you say it’s changed your life?

I had to think more about where I was going, whether there would be a toilet, at least, of course this was in the early years when I was young, and I had to make sure that there would be a toilet wherever I was going in case I wanted to use one. I think I’ve been able to live a pretty full life in spite of this catheterisation, once one gets used to the idea of doing it, which is hard at the start.

What was the hardest thing, just the idea of it?

The idea of it and standing up. I stand at the toilet and I use that.

Do you stand over the toilet? Or just beside the toilet.

Straight in front of the toilet.

Yes mm.

Like a man really, I don’t like to say that but it is.

So how would you sum up the advantages and disadvantages of having to pass a catheter yourself?

The advantages are that you feel ‘yourself’, you know you’re in control. I can’t think of any disadvantages. I wouldn’t change my way of life now because it’s a thing that happened unfortunately to me, but it’s not as bad as a lot of things.