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A Special Story About a Patient...6Congratulations to our contest winner Suzanne M. Fortuna, CNS, FNP! Suzanne works as theSpina Bifida Coordinator in the Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery department at Rainbow Babiesand Children’s Hospital, Cleveland, OH. From 9/15/08 - 11/15/08, LoFric held a contest forall Urology healthcare professionals titled “Tell us your LoFric comfort story”. Healthcare professionalswere asked to write about how they have helped make a patient more comfortable using the LoFriccatheters. Below is Suzanne’s winning comfort story, and because her story was chosen, she has wona free trip to the SUNA Annual Symposium in San Francisco, March 12-14, including full conferenceregistration, airline transportation, local transportation, and hotel accommodations. We hope you enjoy a‘ort little comfort on us Suzanne!I recall an 18 year old male with spina bifida and a renal transplant who continued to get horrible UTI’s. I was asked to reviewtechnique andcare to protect his kidneys and his recent transplant (he had rejected 2 previous kidneys). He was a quiet andshy young manbut I asked him to actually show me how he performed his cath program. He further demonstrated: no handwashing, pulledhis ?clean catheter out of his jeans pocket, no lube of any kind to be seen. I quietly let him finish...we discussedhand hygiene and then I asked him a question? Does it hurt to insert your catheter? He claimed often it did in fact...that ‘s whyhe did it less frequently than he knew he should. We tried several tips to keep the catheter ’but lubed our best result was withthe lofric catheter...He didn’t have to find a sink to wet the cath or remember to bring a tube or package of surgilube...so he wentfrom 1-2 times a day cath program to the recommended 3-4 times a day with better ease and more compliance. I think if hehadn’t been given this particular catheter and if someone hadn’t taken the time out to trouble shoot his personal issues, he mayhave lost this new kidney too. He happily catheterizes and we presently are working on getting him to remember to irrigateeverytime too...but his UTI incidences have decreased...Thank you for the opportunity to share with you a success story.A Caregiver’s Perspective...Seventeen years ago, I fell in love with the funniest man. typical day starts at 3:50 a.m. with range of motion inWe dated throughout college and eventually married.bed. Then after getting fully dressed, off to work fiftyFour years ago, he was in an almost fatal car accident miles away to sit at his desk at 6:00 a.m. Meanwhile, Iwhich tried to take his life. After 25 days in ICU andhave a full-time career as well. He works a nine-hour daytwo months at inpatientwhile continuing to managerehabilitation, he was homehis bladder and then driveswith me. Steven has alwaysback home. In the evening, Ibeen a very independenthelp him with bathing fromperson for as long as I’vea shower chair and performknown him. He takes care ofour bowel care every threethe bills and keeps the housedays. To bed around 9:00 p.m.afloat. All this changed injust to start all over again.the blink of an eye. Now “Because I love HIM!I know this is not a lot forhe needs my assistance”some other people, but itfor bathing, dressing fromtakes a lot out of us. I amthe waist down, and mostgrateful for all the prayersimportantly bowel care. Iand blessings we haveam his only caregiver and hereceived through the years.depends upon me for manyGod has been good to us andthings. One thing I can sayalways will. We both stillabout him is that he is stillhave our “pity parties” everystrong willed. After staying home for one year from the once in a while, but who doesn’t? As long as Steven keepshospital, he returned to full-time work. His previoushis sense of humor, I will laugh........ Because I Love HIM!employer held his job for him so he could return. He is avery hard worker and I know they appreciate him. Our By Kami, from Louisiana