On 2/4/04 6:01 PM, "Lady Di" <fotobykr@...> wrote:

>So from what I see posted here lately - I'm in these darn elastic clothes
>forever eh? I love long skirts, long dresses in the summer
>but all winter it's been either gray or black sweats! UGH! For some
>reason I miss wearing jeans but how on earth would I get an IC done
>in my chair wearing those?

Wecome, Lady Di. I wear stretch jeans, easy to pull on with elastic waists.
I have a little trick about cathing. I hope I can explain it so you can
visualize it. Since I am a low level para, I can do the alterations myself,
so if you don't have use of your hands, you'll need to enlist someone's
help. This may or may not work for you, but it definitely works for me.

I open the seam in the crotch of my pants about three or four inches wide
(from leg to leg, not front to back). Then I carefully hem the seam edges
back so they won't fray and install two or three snaps so the seam can be
opened and closed. This way, when I need to cath, all I have to do is roll
up to the toilet, scoot myself a little ways forward in the chair, then
sling one leg up and lay it on the toilet seat. Then, I unsnap the opening
and use a long catheter (16 inch) with a piece of extension tubing attached
(I get it from my medical supply place) so it will reach into the toilet.
When I'm done I just snap the seam closed again and no one is the wiser.
This little trick has saved me countless transfers and struggles with
clothing.

The extension tubing can be washed with hot soapy water and reused again and
again. I hope I've explained this in enough detail. Feel free to ask
questions if you're not clear about it.

>Does anyone else have experience letting go of an entire wardrobe of
>fitted business attire? There is no way this gut is going to make
>it's way back into those waistbands in a year or so is there? I've
>yet to tackle one closet of clothes I can no longer wear.

It's true. I ended up giving away a lot of clothing to friends and
donations. Some of it was difficult, but I realized I needed to have
clothing that was comfortable and easy to get on and off. Paralysis is
definitely a call to simplify your life. Everything you do takes twice the
time it did before (or longer). It's frustrating. You cut corners, lower
expectations, but in the end you adjust. You have to let go of a lot of
things like having a spotless house or always being on time.

Anne

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anne@...
http://fey.cc