Summer 2022 Newsletter

Affinity News Memberofthe

Issue 8 - Summer 2022

Guess the Baby and Win a Voucher Page 5 Stoke Mandeville Spinal
Research Page 9

BABY 1 BABY 2 BABY 3 BABY 4

BABY 5 BABY 6 BABY 7 BABY 8 Product News Page 14

1 2

Seasonal Recipe Page 7 34

5 Seaside Crossword Page 8

6 78

9

10 11 12
14 18
13
15
16
17 19

A Big Hello 20 21
to our 3
Across Down
new recruits
Page 12 4) Clingy crustacean 1) Marine creature's home
5) Wind-driven craft 2) Flying saucer
6) Where the buoys are 3) Shore construction
7) Moving waters 8) Drying cloth
10) Spineless one 9) Holiday from work
12) Sandy area 11) Beach whistle-blower
13) Coney Island attraction 14) Breakers
16) Beach hill

Inside this issue

3 Welcome from our Director and General Manager Kim Taylor and Focus on our Helpline
4 Fundraising update for Bladder Health UK
5 Guess the baby
6-7 Kidney Stones/Renal Colic + Seasonal Recipe – Epic Summer Salad
8 Seaside Crossword
9 Stoke Mandeville Spinal Research
10-11 Are you well hydrated? + What our patients say
12 A big hello to three new recruits
13 Meet the team
14 Product focus – Sheaths and Leg bags
15 Feedback from the ACA Annual Conference
16 We would love to hear from you/social media

?5 7

Crossword 8 14

12
34

5

6 78

9

10 11

2 12

13 14

Kim Taylor - Dear Reader, competition on page 5 - can you guess
Director & General Manager who is who? We are thrilled to confirm
Welcome to our Summer 2022 edition of that we have raised £580.00 in total to
Affinity News. date with some sponsorship still
coming in.
I hope you have been enjoying the With the weather heating up, we would
sunshine and had a lovely time like to remind you all on how important
celebrating the Queens Platinum Jubilee it is to keep hydrated, Carol Hutchings
with your family and friends, the team at our Nursing Services Manager has
Manfred Sauer certainly did. We would written an interesting article on
love to hear how you celebrated the hydration. Dehydration can cause urine
Jubilee, send us an email or pictures to infections and kidney stones which is
[email protected] why Carolyne Tobin our Urology Lead
We would like to take this opportunity nurse has also included an interesting
to introduce you to our three new article on Kidney Stones, make sure
Employees who will be assisting Laura you all keep hydrated and well over the
and Aga in the Dispensing Department, summer months.
we would like to ask you to be patient We hope you enjoy reading this edition
while the training is being conducted. of Affinity News.
Andrew, Terri, and Janine look forward to Kind regards
talking to you soon.
Our charity fundraising for Bladder Kim Taylor
Health UK is going well with us
completing the “Walk a Marathon in May”,
you will see we have the guess the baby

An important lifeline for incontinence sufferers

Our dedicated helpline service helps support patients and healthcare
professionals with any issues that they have with their continence, stoma and
wound care products. This includes our own range of products and those of
other manufacturers too.

Laura Johnston, Dispensing Supervisor and
Helpline Advisor, said. “From troubleshooting
to offering samples, we want everyone to have
access to the right advice and the most suitable
products for their clinical needs before obtaining
them on prescription. Once the samples have been
thoroughly tried and tested, they can then be added
to the individual’s prescription and delivered via our
home delivery service, the local pharmacy, or an
alternative appliance contractor.
She continued. “The helpline allows Manfred Sauer
staff to build a relationship with people seeking support. Our main goal is to
ensure patients requiring our services, can maintain their quality of life and
dignity, even when suffering with continence issues.”
In recent months, the volume of calls received by the helpline has increased
significantly. In 2021 there was an average of 120 calls per month, whilst the
average for this year is almost double that. But regardless of the increased
number of calls, the small team of dedicated and caring individuals continue to
work tirelessly to deliver a friendly, professional and timely service.

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Fundraising Update - Charity of the Year

We have all been busy this year fundraising for our Charity of the All donations welcome
Year – Bladder Health UK. So far, we have raised £580, which is great
progress towards our £1500 target by the end of the December. You don’t have to sponsor or support a
These monies have come from the following sources: particular activity. For one-off donations,
• Patient donations £120.00 you can use our Go Fund Me page.
• Grand National Sweepstake £25.00 The link is below.
• Annual Leave Raffle £100.00 https://gofund.me/d0f99afe
• Walk a Marathon in May £335.00 – still waiting for some
further sponsorship to come in Breaking Boundaries
The Marathon in the month of May was undertaken by Laura, Craig and
Kim (and Willy) who visited Pitsford Reservoir in Northamptonshire to Bladder Health UK and ITN Productions
walk 15 miles of the 26 miles that they needed to walk during the Industry News have produced a news-style
month. programme Bladder Health: Breaking
It’s worth pointing out that they did pick a very warm day! See the next Boundaries to raise awareness and
page for our Summer Fundraising activity - Guess the Baby - and how understanding of bladder health.
you can get involved. It’s good fun and there is a prize for the winner. It addresses the stigma and challenges
for sufferers and explores research
Pitsford Reservoir and treatments in the field. It’s a highly
informative programme and we urge fellow
sufferers to watch it so that they can get the
right diagnosis and learn how to live life to
the full.
https://bladderhealthuk.org/
breaking-boundaries

Bladder Health UK offer help and
information to assist those with bladder
conditions to live positively.
Contact them on 0121 702 0820 or email
[email protected] to access
confidential and tailored support.

4

Guess the Baby

One of our summer fundraising events for Bladder Health UK is Guess the baby. We would love it if you wanted to get
involved too, so that together we could raise even more funds for our charity of the year.
Please find below baby pictures of 8 of our 15 staff. All you have to do is guess correctly who they are (the Meet the Team
on page 13 might help). All correct entries will be put into a draw for the chance to win a £20 gift voucher. To enter please
pay a £2 entrance fee via our Go Fund me link and don’t forget to give your full name. https://gofund.me/d0f99afe
Then email [email protected] using the subject title Guess the Baby and let us know who you think is who.

BABY 1 BABY 2 BABY 3
BABY 4
And to make things
easier for you,
please note that
there aren’t any
baby pictures for
Tracy, Terri, Andrew,
Tom, Jason, Alex
and Irena.

BABY 5

BABY 6 BABY 7 BABY 8

5

Kidney Stones/Renal Colic

When Carolyne worked in the Urology • Low salt = low Calcium in the urine.
Department of her local hospital, she noticed • A diet high in animal proteins can increase acid
each year during the summer holidaymaker levels. High acid levels = calcium oxalate and
season (“grockle” season as it’s known in her ureteric stones.
area) the rate of emergency admissions with Bowel conditions
renal colic would rise considerably. • Conditions that cause diarrhoea such as Crohn’s
So, as we are now in “grockle” season we Disease or Ulcerative Colitis, also gastric bypass
thought a brief piece about this subject might surgery increase the risk of forming calcium oxalate
help to reduce the incidence of sufferers. stones.
Firstly, let’s talk about the kidneys. • Diarrhoea = loss of large volume of fluid = low urine
They are fist sized organs situated either side volume = less fluid to keep salts dissolved
of your spine under your lower ribcage. Their
job is to control the bodies fluid and chemical Obesity
levels. They remove fluid and waste products
from the bloodstream to produce urine which • Obesity changes acid levels in the urine
travels down the ureters into the bladder. = stones form.
This is then excreted via the urethra.
The kidneys control the levels of sodium, calcium and potassium Medical Conditions
in the blood. Urine contains dissolved minerals and salts. Elevated
levels of these can form stones. • Parathyroid glands control calcium metabolism.
• Increased calcium levels in the blood and urine =
What are kidney stones made of? stone formation.

• Calcium stones are most common (80%). Medications
Too much calcium in the urine will produce kidney stones.
• Uric Stones (5-10%). • Calcium and Vitamin C supplements can cause
Uric acid is a waste product from chemical changes in stones.
the body. Uric Acid crystals don’t dissolve in acidic urine and
will form stones. Family History
Causes: Being overweight, Chronic diarrhoea, Type 2 Diabetes,
Gout, Diet high in animal protein and low in fruit and veg • There appears to be a family connection if a parent
• Struvite/Infection Stones (10%) or siblings suffer.
Related to chronic urinary tract infections. Common in people
with indwelling catheters. Diagnosis
Bacteria makes urine less acidic and more alkalinic. Struvite
(magnesium ammonium phosphate) stones form in alkaline urine. Often seen on an X-ray, CT scan or IVP (x-ray with
These stones tend to grow fast. dye) during investigations into blood in the urine or
renal colic pain.
Causes of Kidney stones/renal colic

Dehydration. If a person doesn’t drink enough there is less fluid to
keep salts dissolved.
This is why holiday makers are more prone to it during the warm
weather!

Diet

• Studies show restricting dietary calcium can be bad for both
bone health and increase the risk of stone formation. Instead of
lowering calcium intake the salt intake should be reduced. Salt
in the urine prevents calcium from being re-adsorbed from the
urine to the blood.

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Symptoms 3. Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL).
The stone is removed under ultrasound
• Sharp, cramping intermittent pains in the back, sides and abdomen/ guidance through an opening in the skin.
groin. Caused by the stone moving down the urinary tract Please note that with the surgical option, there
• Intense need to urinate is a 50% risk of forming another kidney stone
• Blood in the urine within 5-7 yrs.
• Nausea & vomiting
• Pain in the tip of the penis

Treatments Ways to reduce your risk of kidney
stones
Treatment depends on the size, type and position of the stone.
Consideration is also made about the symptoms and length of time of • Drink enough to make your urine a pale
the symptoms. straw colour.
• Watch and wait. Small stones are more likely to pass without • Increase the amount of fruit and veg in
intervention. If the symptoms are bearable, the kidneys are not your diet as this makes urine less acidic.
blocked and there is no infection a wait of approximately 6 weeks can • Reduce the amount of salt in your diet.
be advised. • Try to keep to a “normal” weight but
• Medication. A medication called Tamsulosin is often prescribed avoid using high protein or crash diets.
along with analgesics (pain killers) to help with the passing of the • There is insufficient published evidence
stone naturally. to support the use of herbal substances.
• Surgery. If the kidney is blocked a stent may be inserted to help the Please see the article regarding fluid
kidney drain and dilate the collapsed ureter beneath the stone. intake in this issue and be advised of the
There are three different types: recommended daily fluid intake depending
1. Ureteroscopy and stone extraction – a procedure to look up the on your weight.
ureter and remove the stone using a scope.
2. Lithotripsy (ESWL) – Shock wave treatment. Non-invasive
treatment where shock waves break the stone into passable stone
fragments.

Epic summer salad INGREDIENTS FOR THE SALAD FOR THE DRESSING

This is an assembly job of • 400g black beans, drained • Large bunch of mint
gorgeous ingredients – no • 2 large handfuls baby spinach leaves, • Large bunch of coriander
cooking required. Serve it with roughly chopped • Small bunch of basil
BBQ chicken, pork, beef or lamb, • 500g heritage tomatoes, chopped into • 1 large green chilli,
cold meats, or on its own for a large chunks deseeded and chopped
delicious and healthy summer • ½ cucumber, halved lengthways, seeds • 1 small garlic clove
feast. scooped out and sliced on an angle • 100ml extra virgin olive
• 1 mango, peeled and chopped into chunks oil or rapeseed oil
Preparation and cooking time: • 1 large red onion, halved and finely sliced • 2 limes, zested and juiced
10 mins • 6-8 radishes, sliced • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
Serves 6 • 2 avocados, peeled and sliced • 2 tsp honey
• 100g feta cheese, cubed
• Handful of herbs (reserved from the dressing).

METHOD

1. Make the dressing by blending all the ingredients in a food processor (or
very finely chop them), saving a few herb leaves for the salad. You can make
the dressing up to 24 hrs before serving and leave in the fridge.
2. Scatter the beans and spinach over a large platter. Arrange the tomatoes,
cucumber, mango, onion and radishes on top and gently toss together with
your hands. Top the salad with the avocados, feta and herbs, and serve the
dressing on the side.

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Seaside Crossword

1 2
5 34

6 78

9

10 11 12
14 18
13
15
16
17 19

20 21

Across Down

4) Clingy crustacean 1) Marine creature's home
5) Wind-driven craft 2) Flying saucer
6) Where the buoys are 3) Shore construction
7) Moving waters 8) Drying cloth
10) Spineless one 9) Holiday from work
12) Sandy area 11) Beach whistle-blower
13) Coney Island attraction 14) Breakers
15) Coral formation 16) Beach hill
17) Wave rider 18) Luxury boat
19) Two-hulled vessel
20) Saturday and Sund8ay Free Crossword Puzzle, Compliments
21) Ocean motion of © Memory-Improvement-Tips.com

8

How Stoke Mandeville Spinal Research is striving to make
a real difference to the everyday lives of people living with

Spinal Cord Injury

Today, over 50,000 people in the UK are living with spinal SMSR Trustee Chair,
cord injury (SCI), many of whom will experience health Richard Tolkien, said,
complications from their injuries. “We’re delighted to be
Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) can be extremely funding this project and
debilitating for people living with SCI, with typical treatment hope it will make a big
and oral antibiotics posing a real risk of resistance developing. difference to improving
Stoke Mandeville Spinal Research (SMSR), a charity based at the everyday lives of
the world-renowned National Spinal Injuries Centre (NSIC), people living with SCI
knows only too well the importance of cutting-edge research by preventing these
into conditions such as UTI, to ensure people living with SCI debilitating infections.”
can continue to lead fulfilling lives. Find out more:
Currently, the charity is funding a two-year study aiming to https://www.
help prevent recurrent UTIs: lifeafterparalysis.com/

1. FIGS: Feasibility Study of “Life in a wheelchair can be as fulfilling
Intra-vesical Gentamicin in the a life as everybody else’s. It’s the little
Prevention of Recurrent UTIs in things that people don’t see that really
People with SCI. affect us. It’s the pain, pressure sores,
The study, led by researchers bladder infections. The things we don’t
at Stanmore SCI Centre, is want you to know about. It’s those
investigating the feasibility of SCI things that make life difficult, not really
patients using bladder instillations the fact that we are in chairs.”
of gentamicin (a common antibiotic) Jamie Polk, Stoke Mandeville Spinal Research Ambassador
at home as a prevention against
recurrent UTIs. Their aim is to 9
restore greater independence in
SCI patients that will enable them
to continue to work, study, and
maintain a good quality of life. By introducing antibiotics
directly into the bladder, rather than taking them orally or
intravenously, side-effects (including development of antibiotic
resistance) may be reduced and UTIs may be prevented from
developing in the first place.
If the results of the study are positive, further funding will be
sought for a larger scale, multi-centre, randomised controlled
trial of instillations of gentamicin in prevention of UTIs in SCI
people.
Commenting, lead researcher Dr Sarah Knight, said, “Urinary
tract infections are a major factor in reducing the quality of
life for people with Spinal Cord Injury. We hope that bladder
instillation of the antibiotic gentamicin will prevent recurrent
infections without the need for oral antibiotics and their
associated side effects.”

Are you well hydrated?

It is always vital to maintain good hydration, but with the summer Signs that you may be dehydrated:
months now upon us it is even more so.
Drinking enough water every day is essential for many reasons. • Less frequent urination
It will help to regulate your body temperature, it will help to prevent • Darker urine
or minimise infections (especially urinary tract infections), it will help • Altered bowel habits/Constipation
lubricate your joints, nourish the cells of your body and maintain • Dizziness & Light headedness
properly functioning organs. • Dry lips and mouth
It is so easy to become dehydrated either by not drinking enough or by • Headaches
losing bodily fluids e.g. sickness & diarrhoea, and not replacing those • Muscle cramps
fluids. • Poor concentration
This can lead to a number of complications such as: • Tiredness/Drowsiness
• Headaches • Possible confusion
• Confusion or brain fog • Weak/rapid pulse
Urinary tract infections (UTI)
• Constipation If someone you know is not
• Dizziness/Light headedness drinking enough and is
• Kidney stones (please see our article on
stones & renal colic) experiencing the symptoms in
• Skin conditions (dry skin, broken areas etc.) bold, they need to be seen
If you have a bladder or kidney condition or you use a catheter, urgently by a medical
whether it be a permanent one or an intermittent one, it is particularly practitioner
important to drink adequate volumes every day. This will help to reduce
your risk of infection and other associated problems.

Target Range - correct volumes of fluid When we wake up in the morning, most of
Dehydrated - increase your fluid intake us will notice that our urine is slightly darker.
Severely dehydrated - MUST drink more However, throughout the remainder of the
day our urine should be a light, straw colour.
Please note other medical conditions or medications can impact the colour of your urine. (See target range in the diagram to the left).
If you have any concerns, please contact your Healthcare Professional. If your urine is darker as the day progresses,
think about your fluid intake and aim to
drink more.

So, what should you drink? Patient’s weight Suggested intake over 24 hours

Drink plenty of fluids at regular intervals Stones Kg mls Fluid oz Pints Mugs
throughout the day. Try to drink plenty of water/
clear fluids and aim to keep your caffeine intake 6 38 1190 42 2.1 4
to a minimum as caffeine is a known bladder 7 45 1275 49 2.5 5
irritant. On average, try to drink 2 litres/3½ - 4 8 51 1446 56 2.75 5-6
pints of fluid a day. 9 57 1786 63 3.1 6
10 64 1981 70 3.5 7
This is a GUIDE to what you 11 70 2179 77 3.75 7-8
should drink according to 12 76 2377 84 4.2 8
body weight. 13 83 2575 91 4.5 9
NOTE: Suggested Intake 14 89 2773 98 4.9 10
15 95 2971 105 5.25 10-11
16 102 3136 112 5.5 11

*This matrix is to be used as a guidance and it is broadly suggested that patients fall within a margin of

10 error of about 10 per cent

Certain foods are also more hydrating than others due to their water
content: melon, apples, berries, cucumber, cauliflower. If drinking is an
issue you may wish to consider making ice lollies or jellies as well.
Please note: There are some medical conditions such as Heart Failure or
Renal Failure, where a fluid restriction is necessary. Always follow the
advice of your medical practitioner.
Enjoy the summer and remember –
Drink well every day to remain healthy.

Food & Drink that can irritate Food & Drink that are less
the Bladder bothersome to the Bladder

Tea, Coffee, Green Tea & Hot Chocolate Water
Carbonated drinks such as Cola Milk
Bananas, Blueberries, Honeydew &
Alcohol Watermelon
Leafy green vegetables
Grapefruit, Orange, Lemon and Pineapple Mushrooms, Peas, Squash, Potatoes
Fruit Juices Poultry
Tomatoes & Tomato Products
Flavour Enhancers – Hot peppers, Red meat
Spicy food, Chilli,
Artificial Sweeteners Sea Food
Mexican, Thai & Indian Food Grains – Oats & Rice
Snacks such as pretzels and popcorn

What our patients say

“I just wanted to say thank you for “I am really impressed “I emailed a prescription for
your dedication in helping deliver with the service offered, some catheters to my GP
my discreet catheter bags within you have a vast range yesterday at 10.20am. They
24 hours of ordering. It gives of products, and your arrived this morning to my
patients like me, peace of mind customer service staff are address in London before
that something so important to us extremely knowledgeable 9am this morning, less than
is going to arrive without us ever and helpful. I now order all 24 hours. Service doesn’t
running out. So, thank you, and a my catheter care products get any better than that!”
big shout out to your drivers too.” from them.”
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A big hello to three new recruits

It gives us great pleasure to say a big hello and welcome to three new recruits to the Manfred Sauer team. We hope you
will join us in making them feel appreciated and at home in our wonderful community.

Janine Starkey Andrew Harrison Terri Dolbey

Janine joined the Manfred Sauer Care Although not a full-time member of Terri joined the Manfred Sauer Care
DAC team in May. Before that, she Manfred Sauer’s staff, Andrew pops DAC team in May. Before that she
worked as a compliance administrator in on the odd occasion to help us worked in administration for many
for 5 years. This involved making sure out and we really appreciate it when years in a variety of industries, including
that the drivers and vehicles were he does. hospitality, the HSE in Ireland and
compliant and safe to be on the road. as a clerical assistant to forensic
He has spent many years working psychiatrists at a mental health hospital.
Janine enjoys listening to a variety of in the brewing industry, involved in
music genres, including pop, rock and purchasing, distribution, customer She has no previous experience of
even some dance music. She is also support, IT systems and data urology, continence or wound care, but
known to sing along sometimes - when analytics. As you can imagine, has quickly found her feet and is proving
no one is watching that is! working in healthcare is a bit of a to be an invaluable member of our team.
change of pace for him, but he has
Although it’s only been a few months, adapted really well. When not working, Terri enjoys good
Janine has found the team to be very food and a glass of wine. When it comes
friendly, helpful, and supportive. He has a fine eye for detail and a to relaxing, she loves to paint and listen
She has also learnt a lot with regards passion for finding out how things to music.
to continence, stoma and wound care work. His hobbies are sailing,
and has already developed a great naval history, flight simulators and
rapport with patients. brussels sprouts.

12

The Team at Manfred Sauer

Craig Smith Irena Kirveleviciute Aga Leskiewicz Tom Rust

Laura Johnston Jason Tate Adrian Serkowski Alex Cioaca

Tracy Reed Carol Hutchings Carolyne Tobin

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Our Sheath Range Our Leg Bag Range

l Available in 11 sizes from 18mm-40mm Bendi Bags

l Longer length 130mm n Specifically designed
for wheelchair users
l Large buffer/ comfort zone STANDARD 50 mm n 1300ml & 700ml sizes
to prevent backflow ADHESIVE 130 mm n Shaped to the contours
& sheaths blowing off of the bended knee
AREA
Comfort Bags
l Latex FREE
n Traditionally
l Customise/remove shaped leg bag
length (scissors provided) n 1000ml (go that bit
longer) & 600ml
l Perfect fit/ size for all n 7cm shorter in length
than many 750ml
Available in bags - no unsightly
taps dangling!
11
Discreet Bags
sizes
n Ideal for sun, sports,
Short & Strong swimming & short
clothing
l Available in 9 sizes from STRONG n 500ml & 210ml
18mm - 35mm ADHESIVE n Ideal for people with
l Shorter length 75mm small stature & kids
AREA n Dress as YOU want,
not to cover the
l Stronger adhesive leg bag!

l Buffer/ comfort zone to prevent
backflow & sheaths blowing off

l Latex FREE

Available in

9

sizes

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Feedback from the ACA Annual Conference - May 2022

The last face-to-face conference and exhibition
that we attended was in 2019, so we were
delighted to be able to make the journey to Bristol
for the ACA Annual Conference in May.
Our nursing team and General Manger Kim enjoyed
the two-day event which was remarkably busy with
the Manfred Sauer stand very much the place to
be. I mean who wouldn’t want to be there to collect
their very own Willy and a bag of other information
and sample delights?!
The Manfred Sauer team met and chatted to
hundreds of continence advisors, continence
nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists,
urology nurses, and specialist nurses, as well
as doctors and allied healthcare professionals
who were working within, or had an interest in,
continence care.
We also clocked up over 30 sample requests
and spread the word far and wide, about the
exceptional range of products and other services
that we can provide, which ensures that people
affected by urinary incontinence can go onto lead
happy and fulfilled lives.

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loWfrvoeemwtoYohoueulda!r We value each and every one of our customers,
therefore, any suggestions for our next edition
of Affinity News would be welcome.
You can send them via email:

[email protected]

or pop them in the post to the address below.

Follow us on social media!

Whether you are a fellow healthcare
professional, a patient or customer,
you can find additional information and
support on our range of products and
services via our social media pages.
Alternatively, you can contact us on our
dedicated helpline on 01604 595 696.

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