Living life freely again: Sharon’s story for Women’s Health Week

Sharon always loved to travel. Whether it was a weekend road trip with the girls, or her annual holiday to the coast with her daughter and grandkids, it was those moments—relaxed and carefree, sand between the toes and belly laughing around the dinner table—that made life feel rich and full.

A few years ago, she began to notice something that slowly ate away at her confidence: bladder leakage. At first, it was occasional—something she dismissed as a normal part of getting a little older. But over time, it started to impact everyday decisions.

Sharon stopped going on adventures she used to enjoy just in case there were no bathrooms nearby. She politely declined trips away and overnight stays, worried about managing leaks in someone else’s home, or “not making it in time”. Even shorter trips to the shops became a source of quiet stress.

“I found myself planning my day around where the nearest bathroom was,” Sharon says. “And when you’re doing that, you’re not really enjoying life—you’re just managing it.”

Sharon’s story is more common than we may realise. Continence issues can affect people of all ages, but for women—particularly from perimenopause onward—these issues can become more frequent, and many find this difficult to talk about.

“I didn’t tell anyone for a long time,” Sharon admits. “Not even my daughter. I felt embarrassed, like it was something I just had to put up with.”

That all changed after a candid conversation with a friend over morning tea.

“We had a laugh about recent TV adds finally talking about the ‘giggle dribble,’ and then we opened up about our own experiences,” Sharon admitted.

Sharon’s friend had recently had an amazing experience with a specialist continence nurse at BlueCare and her entire life had changed with a few phone calls to the right people – and she encouraged Sharon to seek help too.

“It was like a light switched on,” Sharon says. “I realised I didn’t have to just live with this.”

Sharon learnt she just needed to get in touch with My Aged Care to arrange the referral to continence services. Within a week, Sharon met with a highly skilled continence nurse from BlueCare in the comfort of her own home – with a simple click of a button Sharon was able to connect with her nurse via telehealth.

Most importantly for Sharon, her nurse Gemma looked after her care from start to finish, no need to explain everything to someone new each time Sharon had an appointment - making the whole process so relaxed and easy.

Gemma listened without judgement, helped her understand her body and worked together on a personalised plan that would improve Sharon’s everyday life immensely.

“We talked about everything—from bladder training techniques and pelvic floor exercises to the types of foods and drinks that can affect me.

The range and technology available in the continence aids, some might call pads is just wonderful, I couldn’t believe how well they worked, I felt free again - to do what I wanted, whenever I wanted!”

“I feel like I’m myself again,” Sharon says. “The confidence to go out, to laugh without worrying, to take that road trip—it’s all come back.”

Now, she’s planning a cruise with her sister. A full two weeks away with no fear of ‘what ifs’. She’s even booked the snorkelling tour.

“If you told me two years ago I’d be doing that, I wouldn’t have believed you,” she smiles.

Support that helps you live life your way

At BlueCare, we understand that continence concerns can be deeply personal—and they’re more common than you might think. That’s why our specialist nurses in our continence service are designed to give you practical, professional support in a safe and compassionate environment.

Whether you visit us in person or access support from home through our telehealth service, our experienced continence nurses can help you feel confident and in control again. We can also guide you in accessing funding for continence products and aids, so cost doesn’t stand in the way of comfort.

You’re not alone—and you don’t have to miss out on the moments that matter.

To find out more about BlueCare continence services, please call us on 1300 258 322.