While Kazushige might be retired, he is showing no signs of slowing down. For one, he enjoys working as an employed senior at the local shopping centre where he waters plants. When he is not enjoying nature and taking care of his plants, Kazushige likes to travel. After the operation that resulted in him getting a urostomy, Kazushige found it increasingly difficult to visit and stay in Japanese hotels. He would not let that hold him back, however.

To avoid the problems that the low beds in Japanese hotels caused him, he developed his own urostomy bag basket. Gone are the days of experiencing problems in the hotels, and Kazushige is free to travel the country with his wife.

In a way, Kazushige feels, his sickness brought him closer to his wife. The fact that he is now able to travel with her, and to relax while doing his beloved gardening work means a lot to him, and he is always looking ahead.

Marion has always enjoyed going to concerts, dancing, and going out with her friends and family. That all became difficult to enjoy when she began experiencing urinary incontinence at the age of 30. She was confused, and thought that this was something that only happened to people older than herself, so she ended up waiting nine years before going to a doctor.

“I want to share my experience and inform young women who are experiencing urinary stress incontinence. I want to help people to enjoy life, to reconnect with their life. I felt so insecure and trapped in this condition, and today I feel free and I enjoy my life to the fullest. Solve your issue, it doesn't matter your age, you can solve it.”

When Marion decided to get the surgery, it was a lot simpler than she had envisioned. She waited for as long as possible before taking the final step, because she found it difficult to get any information.

“I thought that it would be expensive, not accessible. So that’s why I chose to hide the issue instead of looking for a solution,” she says. “Before the surgery (three years ago) I felt like I was in jail in my physical condition. I couldn't do what I wanted, like go to concerts and jump and dance to the music. I was scared to get the surgery because I was misinformed, I thought that it was for older people and that I would not be able to walk properly afterwards. I lost the freedom to go out without having to think constantly of having toilets close by. I was constantly worried and couldn't live my life fully. I felt left alone with my condition.”

Today, Marion feels free again, and she has fallen back in love with life.

Celso can still clearly remember the day the doctors wanted to amputate part of his leg.

“I remember I was hospitalised on the 3rd floor and it was 17.00. Monica came to my bed.”

The nurse, Monica, changed the whole treatment and told the management that she would take care of Celso’s foot for one month, and then they could reassess the situation.

“She showed me a light at the end of the tunnel, and because of that Monica is more than a nurse to me. She did all the possible and impossible to help me, she never left me alone and called my family when she couldn't visit me in person. Her dedication saved me.”

Four years ago, Celso returned to performing. He couldn't stand up, but he started again by sitting and talking on stage.

“I had the opportunity to perform a show in front of 2,000 nurses, and I showed the audience what happened with the infection. This is when I realised that I was not an easy patient…”

Today, Celso is 55 years old and performs as a drag queen in Brazil and the US.

Colin was in his teens when he realised he had erectile dysfunction. It took him a while to gather the 

courage to face it, but he now lives happily and confidently with a penile implant. Colin received the Titan^®
penile implant. While it is not that common to see a user of Colin’s age needing an implant, Colin was born with a vascular condition that prevented the vessels in his penis from holding blood. So essentially, he was born with erectile dysfunction.

“When I was 20 I decided to seek treatment, and was referred to the Mayo Clinic in the US. The clinic suggested that a penile implant would be the only way to correct my condition.”

Colin has had the implant for approximately five years, and it has changed the way he approaches people.

“It has changed the way I approach talking to people – to my friends and to girls. It predominantly comes from being confident.”

At the age of 19, Kevin was in a car accident that left him with a spinal cord injury. 33 years later, the spinal unit at his local hospital considered closing and moving the unit to another hospital. Kevin refused to accept the sad destiny of his local hospital and decided to fight to keep the spinal unit open to him and other patients who depended on the doctors and consultants there.

“I'm very passionate about, and committed to, people's rights, but not in a stupid way. I found that we're better working together. I know that some companies use it as a strap line, but together we really are stronger.”

Thanks to Kevin, the hospital did not close down, and, shortly after, he founded SPINE, a patient support group for patients, relatives and doctors within the spinal cord injury area. Today, the organisation has a professional setup and hosts a variety of different leisure and sports activities.

“I felt so sad, but what can I say, as long as I’m alive! It was hectic for me every day at the hospital. I didn’t even want to see myself there anymore.”

Dineo lost hope because she was always sitting on a chair and was not even walking straight.

“Then one day God sent an angel. A lady from Coloplast gave me a call and asked me how I was feeling after being out of hospital having a stoma.”

Dineo got help with getting the right products, and that was a turning point for Dineo.

“Oh my God, I didn’t believe it! I slept like a baby that night. I felt so free and alive again, my life started to change after that day. I was so shocked and happy at the same time, I started to smile again, I could walk straight, even play with my daughter again. Before I was always crying and couldn’t focus on my child. Now I was free and comfortable, maintained my stoma well, ate well, wore my clothes again, no more tears!”