Table 3.

Comments from Telephone Interview Participants
POSITIVE APECTS OF IRRIGATION
I irrigate every morning… We have traveled all over, even to Europe. I have had no problems with irrigating. I have suffered constipation all my life. I irrigate every morning so I will be regular. I irrigate every evening for over 30 years. It’s a pain in the butt, but it’s trained … and you live with it. I do not wear a bag. I use a patch. I irrigate every day… have less problems with odor and gas. I irrigate and function with only a band-aide® covering the stoma. I irrigate for convenience....life golfing, I irrigate the night before.
CHALLENGING ASPECTS OF IRRIGATION
I irrigate any time of the day, usually the afternoon. It limits me going places and the time I go. It takes too long to irrigate. I only irrigate when I will be away from home. I need 1½ hours to irrigate. This has disrupted my life.
USED TO IRRIGATE, BUT QUIT
I used to irrigate every day until. . I moved into an assisted living facility. I irrigated every day for about 15 years because I was working. Now I am at home all the time and do not irrigate. I irrigated at 5:30 a.m. every day before I went to work.
NEVER IRRIGATED
Never irrigated, never was shown how and never needed to. What is irrigating? Why would anyone irrigate? I would like to learn how to do this.