Barbie’s Story
AGE
56
FINANCIAL
TECHNOLOGY
When Barbie was no longer able to safely use her garden tub due to an autoimmune deficiency, she wanted a safer bathing solution. With features that soothe her skin and sore muscles, the KOHLER® Walk-In Bath provides safety and relief for the active 56-year-old.
When Barbie was 54, she was taking a bath at home when a strange sensation overcame her muscles as she tried to stand up.
“I had a garden tub, and I wanted to relax with the bubbles and all that… and I could not get out of it,” she says. “I didn’t have the strength to lift myself out of that tub. I got scared. I almost panicked because I live by myself, and I couldn’t get to my cell phone.”
After taking some time to rest, she managed to pull herself out of the tub, using the nearby sink to stand up.
She didn’t understand why she was having so much difficulty steadying herself. She had never had an issue with her bathing routine before. She loves going to the gym and considers herself very athletic, and works full-time in application support and risk technology for a bank. She’s even a master in the kitchen, creating tasty plant-based meals in her free time.
In January 2016, she went to the doctor and learned she had CREST syndrome, a connective tissue disorder with symptoms including hardened skin and weakened muscles. She decided to take measures to ensure that she could bathe safely again. “When I saw the walk-in tub I said, ‘That’s what I need,’” she says.
Barbie called Kohler and scheduled her in-home quote appointment. Her Kohler specialist worked with her to determine eligibility for discounts and financing opportunities. “I don’t know a lot of people that would have asked me those questions to help me get a discount. That was really helpful. That’s why I went with Kohler,” she says.
“Installation was really easy,” she explains. The installers removed her garden tub and kept her updated at every step. “They cleaned up and then they showed me how it works,” she added.
“It’s almost like you have your own spa, your own getaway, in your own home.”
Now when she takes a bath, Barbie loves to use the heated seat and the interior grab bar. The handshower is great, she adds, not only for rinsing but also for cleaning the bath. To soften her skin and ease the symptoms of CREST, she soaks in warm water and Epsom salt with a combination of hydrotherapy whirlpool jets and BubbleMassage™ air jets, “which is really good for deep tissue,” she says.
"I love the tub because not only does it help with any kind of ailment... I get in there and I’m relaxed.”
When she’s done with her bath, Barbie says the fast drain technology makes exiting comfortable. “The drain is really fast,” she says. “It’s not like you’re sitting there freezing cold, waiting for it to drain.”
“I love the tub because not only does it help with any kind of ailment, or if I have a sore anything, I get in there and I’m relaxed. Relaxing and relieving stress is what helps me to live with this autoimmune deficiency. It really works.”
She knew that installing the Walk-In Bath now would be an investment in her home and her wellbeing as she got older. “If something happens to you where your mobility goes away, and you want to stay in your home, and you want to be able to take a good bath, you have it,” she says.
“It’s almost like you have your own spa, your own getaway, in your own home,” she says of her new bathing routine. “I don’t need to pay to go to the spa.”
