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Highlights
About self-cathing
Creating a profile for the IPA Women’s
Forum
1. Question of the Season
How many of you know how to or practice
self-cathing? What advice might you have for others? (see my response
below) Also, please read following section, in which I ask for your
help.
2. New "News"
(a) Much to my regret, I am not going to be able to attend the
IPA Convention in Las Vegas on October 18th due to a scheduling
conflict -- I have to be in Boston to participate in another conference
-- BUT...
I understand from IPA President Dr. Steve Soifer that a few of
you from the Women's Forum (3? 4?) will be there. Please know I
will be present in spirit and wish you well.
For those of you still on the fence, I wholeheartedly recommend
that you attend as a way of beginning or continuing to work on the
problem. You will receive wonderful support, I assure you.
I believe the deadline for signing up is on August 10th. Please
check the main board for further details.
(b) I need your help. There are now 34 women
on this Forum, with 5 new additions in a brief period of time. Since
I lack comprehensive information about each of you, I think it would
be helpful for all to have a brief "profile" so we can
get to know each other better. Who knows, we could be living in
the same town?!
What I'm suggesting is a 1-2 sentence description, indicating:
* your city or nearby metropolitan area
* approximate or actual age
* how long you've had paruresis
* (your perception of) your level of AP, e.g., mild to severe, followed
by a few comments
* status of your "recovery" from AP
For example,
My profile: Carol, San Francisco east bay suburb, aged 55, 42 years
of paruresis, am just about in full recovery, still have some difficulty
on moving vehicles, untested in "outdoor situations'"
and eastern-style toilets where I'm required to squat. Tried many
kinds of therapies over the years, began to make active progress
once I started taking an SSRI, followed by learning and practicing
desensitization, attending Steve's workshop.
* your city or nearby metropolitan area
* approximate or actual age
* how long you've had paruresis
* (your perception of) your level of AP, e.g., mild to severe, followed
by a few comments
* status of your "recovery" from AP
My response to How many of you know how to or practice self-cathing?
What advice might you have for others?
I learned to self-catheterization in the late 1980s, when I felt
desperate. I had a great deal of trouble finding someone who could
teach me - doctors were fearful for liability reasons. I ended up
at a feminist health clinic, where a patient nurse practitioner
instructed me. However, she did so in a lying down position, as
opposed to sitting on a toilet. Later, I taught myself to squat,
locating the right opening with the help of a flashlight. This allowed
me to self-cath in the confines of a airplane facility, which, to
me, felt like a miracle. I have never catheterized myself on a regular
basis, only for emergency situations. If I were starting over, I
would advise someone to learn by sitting on a toilet - that would
make life a little easier.
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