Leo Eppink comes from the northeast of the Netherlands and underwent a total laryngectomy 10 years ago. Today he is an enthusiastic patient educator, who has been committed to helping fellow laryngectomised people for many years. Leo’s ambition is to help these people achieve the highest possible quality of life.
The benefits to your lung health from wearing an HME 24 hours a day as opposed to not having a routine are substantial. We met with Leo to learn more about his experience of living with a laryngectomy. Ever since he underwent a total laryngectomy 10 years ago, Leo chose to wear an HME 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
“If your stoma is open then it is exposed to dust, dirt, pollution, etc.” Leo explains. “But when you wear an HME your stoma and lungs are better protected. And I experienced less mucus from wearing it continuously.”
“In the beginning, I did not use a particular HME at night,” Leo says. “Now it is a part of my regular routine. Once I started using an HME at night I found it to be difficult at first but now I find it to be very comfortable.”
With the arrival of Provox Life, Leo made the switch from Provox Luna to Provox Life Night HME. He found this transition to be easy because the products are similar to him.
The Provox Life Night Adhesive was also a contributing factor to Leo’s smooth transition. Provox Life Night Adhesive is a hydrogel adhesive that helps the skin recover as you sleep.
In the morning, Leo removes his HME and the Night Adhesive. He then cleans the skin around his stoma and attaches a new adhesive and HME. These remain in place securely during the day. In the evening, before going to bed, Leo removes the HME and adhesive with Provox Adhesive remover, cleans the skin well, and attaches the Provox Life Night adhesive and Provox Life Night HME.
On the occasions that Leo exercises in the morning, he leaves Provox Life Night Adhesive on a little longer and attaches Provox Life Energy HME. After exercising, he removes Energy HME and Night Adhesive and switches to his ‘daytime equipment’.
Getting into a routine of wearing an HME 24 hours a day can seem daunting but as Leo suggests, it can take some effort but he thinks it’s worth the reward: “It can be challenging to get into a routine and as you adjust to wearing an HME 24 hours a day you may feel outside your comfort zone. But if you can, it helps to be active. Adjusting to a routine of wearing an HME 24 hours a day can help improve your quality of life.”
Improving quality of life is paramount for Leo, as a patient educator, he wants to help fellow laryngectomised people achieve this. “Using a good HME helps in this regard,” Leo says and his motto is, “A good night means a good day.”
Leo achieves that good night through a good rhythm with a fixed routine. That is what he wants to pass on to as many people as possible.
Disclaimer: This testimonial relates to how one individual has experienced the use of Provox Life products and not every person will get the same results. Atos Medical AB does not suggest, imply or make any claims other than those detailed in the product manual.
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