Link October 2018 Volume 27 Issue 5 | Page 45

Continence and Personal Care Bladder Botox Botox, the paralysing drug more commonly associated with ironing out facial wrinkles, has become a ‘life-changer’ for tens of thousands of Australians who suffer from overactive bladder conditions. A fter more than a decade of embarrassing accidents, “To say I was fed up is an understatement,” she said. Michelle, a 48-year-old Her big breakthrough happened South Australian woman, said Botox four years ago, when she met with has changed her life. a friend who also has MS and had Michelle struggled with severe bladder incontinence since being similarly struggled with urinary Botox into my bladder which instantly incontinence. stopped the leaking. It was then that diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) 15 years ago. “My friend had just returned from an ocean cruise. She was looking so “I was fed up with going to the “The urologist injected 200ml of my life changed!” she said. “It was a huge relief. Now I can’t happy and well. I remember thinking go to the toilet if I tried. I must still toilet all the time and wetting my that she looked like she’d had Botox use a catheter of course, but at last pants and feeling dirty,” she said. in her face. I was partially right. I feel clean and relaxed when we go She did have Botox … but on her out. What a life changer Botox has bladder,” she said. turned out to be for me.” “I would change my heavy-duty incontinence pants five to six times per day. I needed to get up around six times during the night.” Michelle was getting a urinary tract infection two or three times a month. Michelle’s first Botox procedure *Michelle’s story is shared did not produce the result she was courtesy of the Continence hoping for. She switched urologists Foundation of Australia. and gave it a second attempt. www.continence.org.au 27TH NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INCONTINENCE THE LATEST IN INCONTINENCE RESEARCH AND PRACTICE HOTEL GRAND CHANCELLOR HOBART ncoi.org.au linkonline.com.au 24-27 OCTOBER 2018 continence and personal care 45