I’ve never had a strong bladder. One of the most agonising experiences of my
childhood was trying to hold back an urgent wee on a trip to Ikea with my dad. And
the time I pissed in his construction site helmet on a motorway has become a family
legend.

But in the last few months my bladder’s ramped up the action further and I’m weeing
an awful lot as a result. During the day this isn’t a big problem but at night it’s
become really disruptive – and not just for me. The help I need to transfer to and
from the toilet has meant disturbed nights for my overnight support workers just as
much as for me.

A few weeks ago my occupational therapist provided me with a commode shower
chair. It’s a waterproof chair with a hole in the middle of the seat so you can be
wheeled over the toilet to wee. This has been great and means I don’t have to
transfer on and off the loo as much.

But until the start of this week I was still being wheeled to the toilet to wee because I
wasn’t sure about using it in my bedroom.

Then, the other night we set it up fully, sliding the giant jug-like container into position
under the hole in the seat. I’ve no idea now what I’d been worrying about – the
commode is brilliant and means I can go to the loo in a way that’s quick and simple
and therefore disrupts everyone’s sleep much less.

I’m a convert to commodes – weeing on wheels is the way forward.