Category: Health and Wellness
Hi there,
i'm totally incontinent, both bladder and bowel and must wear diapers twenty-four/seven to manage the condition and am not afraid to say so, since i'm not going to allow the stigma of being incontinent to get me down. Because i'm tired of the stigma and feel that more enlightenment is necessary, I've become an incontinence advocate and have started my own support group online. So, i'm reaching out to any of you who have incontinence to any degree to offer support, strength, and healing and to answer any questions that you are too embarrassed to ask those who are not going through the same thing. If you wish to remain private, just send me a message. If you want to be bold and not give a crap what others think, like me, then post right here. If you don't want to make yourself known at all, here is my blog at www.takeastandforincontinence.blogspot.com May you find it helpful.
I look forward to hearing from you guys, and if anyone who is not incontinent wants to ask questions right in this thread, feel free to ask away. I will answer them to the best of my ability, as i feel it is important to properly educate everyone on the condition. This way, all walls will come down, and the misconceptions will be something of the past.
i think it's great you've set up a group for this, and hopefully people will join and show an interest.
as for me, i have never heard of this before so pretty curious. what causes it? (if there is an actual anser), how often does it happen?. i mean, is it constant?, once a day?. how (is possible) can you cure it
There are many causes to incontinence. Incontinence is not a condition in itself, it is a symptom of an underlying medical problem. This is the reason it is so important to get checked out if you notice yourself losing control of either--bladder or bowels. Sometimes, the problems are simple and can be cured, and the incontinence goes away. Other times, there is no cure but only treatment and management.
For urinary incontinence, the most common causes are:
Overactive bladder.
Nerve dammage.
Multiple Sclerosis and any other neurological disorders.
Diabetes.
Undeveloped urinary tract.
Childbirth.
Kidney infections.
Bladder infections.
Urinary tract infections.
paralysis.
Certain Foods, Drinks, or medications.
Hysterectomy.
Constipation
Painful bladder syndrome.
Enlarged prostate
Prostate cancer
Of course, bladder infections, urinary tract infections, and kidney infections can be cured with antibiotics, and the incontinence will cease. Also, if abstaining from trigger foods and drinks, such as those containing caffeine, may stop the issue, especially if your body does not respond well to caffeine. Also if on a medication that causes this as a side effect, and this is typical for diaretics, stopping them will stop the incontinence, if this is your problem. Other conditions, such as overactive bladder, are more permanent and can only be treated. A wonderful article that has a lot of information about urinary incontinence can be found at http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/urinary-incontinence/DS00404
Bowel incontinence also has some temporary causes, as well as permanent and more severe ones. Some of the most common causes of bowel incontinence are:
Inflamitory Bowel Disease.
Nerve Dammage.
Chronic constipation.
weakened anal sphincter due to aging or injury or a neurological disorder.
Loss of storage capacity in the rectum
Rectal cancer
Chronic laxative abuse
A really good article on the subject of Fecal iNcontinence is at http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fecal-incontinence/DS00477
The severity of bladder or bowel incontinence depends on what is causing it or how severe the underlying medical problem is. For instance, a woman who has given birth to a child may just leak a bit when she laughs or sneezes, while someone with overactive bladder has no control at all. If all control is lost, you will need diapers. It's either diapers or embarrassing yourself and not having a life. Personally, I choose diapers. While I do not like to wear diapers and wish things were different, I'm thankful they are around, so I can still do the things I want to do. Diapers allow me to work, have a social life, and live in comfort. Without diapers, I'd either be confined to a bed soiling and wetting myself onto a bedpad or towels and trash bags: or, I'd be tethered to a toilet. Neither circumstance is desirable. There is no reason to be ashamed if one needs to use diapers to manage the condition. Lor knows I'm not. A cast is for a broken limb, so diapers are for broken bladders or bowels. That's how I look at it.
As far as the prevalence of incontinence goes, there is approximately 32 million sufferers in the United States, though, the number may be higher. The exact figures are not totally known, since there are a great number of people who never go to the doctor and report the condition because they are too embarrassed.
I hope that this answers your questions. Feel free to ask more if you'd like.
hey.
prostate cancer?. while i have heard of most cancers, what's prostate?
hmmm, sounds like you ansered my questions well. as much as you are the only person i have come across with this, it's facinating to learn what you have to go through.
so, what about you. how many times do you have to change diapers per day?. are there any situations you get embarrased?. like in public social events, or maybe just when you are with someone that does not understand. how do sited people react?
personally, if i was to aproach someone wearing diapers i'd bee embarrased at first, mainly because i've not experienced anyone over the age of like 4 wearing them. then it would kind of sink in, and i'd get used to it.
i don't think i could take up your position, as i would be too embarrased. not so much home life, but when i'm out somewhere, the town, the movie theater, something like that.
i don't know what's so bad about it, but i suppose you've got used to it after so many years.
i can't even start to think what you have to go through daily. it's probably not as bad as it seems, but i don't know about it, that's why i am asking
My hats off to you Geek Woman.
It doesn't take courage to adapt to a situation, but it does take courage to speak out about it in the hope of helping others.
Bob
Prostate cancer is a cancer that only effects men. All men have a prostate, which is a sort of organ that is part of their urinary tract. It is not necessary to have it there, as men can survive after it is removed; however, sometimes the removal of the prostate can cause urinary incontinence. When the prostitute becomes cancerous, or when it even becomes enlarged, problems with the urinary tract can ensue, hence the result can be urinary incontinence. A good site that provides a lot of good information in regards to prostate cancer can be found at www.prostatecancerfoundation.org
Now, about my embarrassing situations. There were some, but not too many, by the grace of God. Here are two of them.
One embarrassing situation that I remember in particular is when I soiled my diaper on the bus. Oh, God, I could smell it. Nobody said anything, but I just knew that they knew. I mean, how did they not? I dreaded every moment that I was on that bus, and I was so excited when I got off.
Another embarrassing situation occurred when I was working. I was working on a computer in one of the college labs, and I was with a friend and fellow tech. I knew I had to change my diaper because it became full, and if I had wet in it one more time, it would have leaked. So, I went to the bathroom to take care of business. After taking the diaper off, I started peeing everywhere. Thank God I had tights and a dress on and not pants because I was able to get rid of the tights and put them into my diaper bag, which is a bookbag by the way. I cleaned up my shoes, cleaned up my feet, put on another diaper, and just let my dress down. I walked out the bathroom and just resumed my activities. I always wonder if my friend knew and just did not say anything. He was sighted, and I’m sure he knew I was missing the tights.
As far as diaper changing goes, I”d say that I change on average five times a day. While I’d love to change every single time I wet, it is not practical. I like to wait until the diapers are full because I know I’m not wasting them and getting the most use out of them. Of course, when I soil myself, I change it straight away.
For more about how I cope with incontinence, you should check out my blog. This blog is devoted to the subject. It talks about resources for the incontinent population, give answers to questions that people would find embarrassing, and also tells my personal story—my journey if you will. It is found at www.takeastandforincontinence.blogspot.com I’m always adding more to it, so check back often.
Again, I hope I’ve answered all your questions
Totally agreed with Bob. This is interesting though Geek Woman. I wonder about a colostomy and iliostomy for you? I have both and find it far more manageable than I would pads and the like. I had my eurostomy done when I was 15 and the colostomy done when I was in my early 20's. Prior to this it was pads for me too and I hated it. There are still times when things are somewhat of a challenge to manage of course--life is like that in general after all--but on the whole I am rather fond of the fellas, as I call them.
O if curious my incontinence was caused at birth, by a slight case of spina bifida. Not enough to stick me in a chair--except for long distances--but enough to compell me to walk with a stick and wear a eurostomy and colostomy pouch.
On the group and blog and such, I would be very interested in looking at those, so hopefully talk to you soon.
Walk in beauty,
Simon
Albanac, I'd not want to go that route, as I feel it would limit me in many ways. With the diapers, I can still swim and go to the water parks for instance. If I had gone the other route, i'd not be able to. Not to mention, I do not want them cutting me to insert the colostomy bag. I find diapers much more practical and manageable and much easier to deal with for the type of lifestyle that I lead.
Thanks for being brave and sharing your story. I truly hope that you find my blog to be of help to you, as well as the support group. We are always looking forward to having new members. So, if you want to join, you will be warmly and cordially welcomed.
Wow. What an awesome way to look at something so personal. I have suffered some with urinary incontinence,but I have learned ways to manage it. I know that with some however, that's not a possibility and they therefore must find ways to deal with it on a more invasive level by using diapers and surgery. I love the fact that you refuse to be shy and scared of your disability; you just deal with it the same way I deal with my cerebral palsy or my depression by speaking out about it and reaching out to others. I think you are very brave for this and I commend you for your courage and wisdom. Keep it up!
Thanks so much. Glad that you are brave also. Confidence is key!
lol reina, confidence... something i don't, and probably will never have
I beg to differ. You have a degree of confidence if you are willing to speak out and be open about your condition. i must say that I feel you are confident. keep on being brave and continue what you are doing. You are great!
Well, first and foremost, I'd also like to comment you Reina for being so brave. It takes a lot of courage and self-confidence to speak about that.
I am incontinent as well, well it doesn't happen to me every day and I don't need diapers either, however, I've been in quite a few embarrassing situations...
Judith