Friday, February 20, 2015

I Am Grateful to......

.......the innovative idea of a woman, that I have never met: Nurse Elise Sørensen.


She was a Danish nurse that invented the ostomy bag in 1953 as she wanted a solution for her sister, that after cancer surgery had problems with her stoma. The sister became scared and somewhat anti-social because of the fear that the stoma would leak - Elise's invention gave her life quality back when reducing the fear when aided by the new invention.

The invention became the foundation of the Danish company COLOPLAST. I have known since age 8 or  that the company produced items for people that had some problems with their bowels and bladder  and never really knew what diseases that might cause these problems - reason I knew about the company was because that parents of some of the kids in my class worked there. The company has added several products to their portfolio.

Since October I started using one of the company's many products caused by a condition inflicted by my MS adding a second product in January. Makes my everyday manageable again and started participating in social events again. A specialist at the hospital told me that MSers embrace these products and the use of same faster than most needing them - most of us are determined to do what it takes to make broken things work somewhat normal.

Can not help thinking - what if Elise had not been innovative? Would we even have the aids/products we have today? I feel like I have been given a second chance and I am seizing it. For that I am grateful.

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