Another Embarassing Q...

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Mike27

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Apr 19, 2005
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280
Diagnosis
10/1993
Country
CA
State
Alberta
City
Edmonton
Hi folks,

Here's another one of those questions that are difficult to put into words but here goes;

When you are out somewhere (restaurant, concert etc) and need the bathroom, how do you and your caregiver get you on and off the toilet?
How do you position the chair, do you lift under the arms...that kind of thing. I guess I'm looking for some tips and tricks that CALS have learned along the way.

Thanks all!
 
Good question. I've been avoiding going out because of that issue. I don't have the strength to pull up or push down on the bars. Lee grabs my belt or pants behind to get me off chairs (wedgie city) but on the toilet that won't work.
AL.
 
hopefully this will help

Hi Mike27

This would only work for male PALS. When you're going out for the evening, have your caregiver put an external catheter and legbag on. Then when you gotta go just go and the leg bag will capture the urine. When the legbag gets full the caregiver jus puts your foot over the toilette, releases the clamp to alow the legbag to empty. I hope this helps.
Jon
 
Thanks for that Jon!:cool:
I was thinking more of umm...#2?
Cheers!
 
Do you know about pivot disks? That was a god-send for me getting my husband on/off commode and all other transfers during the period when he could still support his own weight and before we became dependent on the Hoyer lift. Below is a link to one that we have, you could put in wheelchair backpack.....but basically: you manuevere the chair close to the commode or wherever PALS has to go (bed, etc), place the rotating disk on the floor under the PALS feet, place your own feet on the outside of the disk, place yourselves kind of knee to knee and then rock PALS up to standing. Then hold the PALS shoulders and torso, and pivot the disk so PALS is over commode and set them down....Viola! It works very slick--my description is poor but if you are at this stage these are great!
Try http://www.dynamic-living.com/transfer_disk.htm
or here is a review of the one we have:
http://living-with-als.org/mobility.html#Pivot Disk

We got from Allegro Medical online.
Cheers, Beth (CALS to husband Shannon, diagnoseded 8/04 at age 40)
 
Hello,
This is a good question. When Daniel and I went out we did the following:
He always try go to the bathroom before we left the house :mrgreen: If the need to use the bathroom came we use the Female toilet room (normally cleaner :-D ) I went in first and waited until it was empty, then we left the wheelchair right at the door and he walked the few steeps to the toilet with my help. It was a little more difficult if the issue was number 2 because the toilets are very low. I would need all my strength to get him up from the toilet, but with his arms around my neck and me using my legs and not my back, it was not too hard! We also had with us in the bathroom a stroller with a little boy in it – so it was a real production :-D This only happen a few times and people were ok waiting until we finished!
Best wishes to you in your outings!
Sunny
 
What about if your legs dont work?

Hello everyone,

Thanks for asking this question Mike, but what if your legs dont work well enough to get out of the wheelchair? I am going to the airport (to the Mayo clinic on Saturday) and this issue bothers me. In my house, I wheel up to my transfer bench then onto the toilet. I have got the home toilet down but I am nervous about public restrooms.

FYI, I am 230 lbs and my fiance is only 118 lbs. She cannot pick me up if I fall. It really sucks not having use of your legs.

Please someone give us some advice.

thanks

Chad
 
Here's another variation on the suggestions already given. It works for getting someone out of a chair/off a toilet when they are stuck but it depends how much standing balance the PALS has and doesn't account for any big discrepancy between heights/weights.

What you need:
A towel or a transfer belt or anything else that comes to hand (e.g jacket in an emergency).

Before leaving home make sure the area around the anus is well covered with vaseline or handcream. This is makes clean-up easier.

(Assume that this is a wheelchair accessible toilet with higher seat.)

1. Arrange the wheelchair at right angles to the toilet. Remove the arm nearest toilet if possible, swing away or remove footrest on same side.
2. Place the transfer belt (or towel) as low as possible around the hips
3. Move as far to the front of the chair as possible
4. Stabilize outide of PALS feet and knees with your own feet and knees.
4. Assist into standing (while keeping your back straight & with PALS hands on your shoulders or waist if that is possible), stablize and then (allowing PALS feet to move) pivot over to toilet.
5. Lower pants (unless wearing bottomless pants). This process is easier with a transfer belt as you don't have to drop the towel from one hand.
6. Lower onto toilet by means of transfer belt.
7. Reverse process to stand and pivot back to chair.

Portable sliding board is another option.
 
GREAT thread, Chad! Thanks for asking the question that has been on everyone's mind at one time or another.

We haven't reached this stage at my house yet but I have a friend who, when her hubby was alive, learned all manner of transfer tips from the visiting nurses and other professional caregivers. If my time comes I think Lee will need someone to demonstrate these techniques.

BTW, my friend found that most airports and quite a few other public spaces, like the mall, have a "family" handicap restroom that is not assigned to either sex. But in the event none was available, the handicap stall in the women's room used to work. They usually are cleaner and the ladies more understanding.

I actually have a tip for the ladies. Comes from my experience with the flu bug that has been going around. Certain muscles in my body are weak and giving out, if you catch my drift, so a bout of diarrhea is much more complicated these days. Long lines at a restroom will cause the same difficulties. So last weekend, when the flu bug hit and I couldn't "make" it to the bathroom in time, I wore an adult diaper. I'll wear one on my next long flight as well. Extra insurance in case the bathroom is unavailable or too far away. Cindy
 
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