If I May Ask...
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I had little day control until the time I was 10 due to having autism, and didn't stop bedwetting until I was 16. When I was 21 I had a car wreck that caused abdominal muscle and nerve damage as well head trauma to the region that receives and control the signals for needing to go to the bathroom. This resulted in no sensory feeling of my bladder, and no control over the sphincter muscle or the detruser muscle, and neither of them really working in sync anymore either.
Archives1
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The simple answer to your question is 64 when I had an accident causing spinal injury, paralysis from my chest down, constant severe spasticity and double incontinence. I am now 70.
I am not entirely clear about where the boundary of incontinence lies. From puberty I wore paper towels in my underwear to soak up any dribbles after peeing and leaks of semen. I remember bedwetting once in my 30s: but before my accident, I never regarded myself as incontinent. How much dribbling makes someone incontinent? How often must an accident have to occur for someone to be incontinent? From the age of around 50 until my accident, sometimes when out walking I would feel an urge to pee but always managed to hold it until I could find somewhere appropriate.
Since my accident I have had no bladder or bowel control but I do have subdued feeling in both outlets. I have a suprapubic catheter and have a bowel evacuation by visiting nurses on alternate days. I wear moderate to heavy incontinence pads, held in place by fixation pants. I hardly ever pass any urine via the normal route and rarely stain my pad except when an evacuation has not completely emptied my bowel.
I am not entirely clear about where the boundary of incontinence lies. From puberty I wore paper towels in my underwear to soak up any dribbles after peeing and leaks of semen. I remember bedwetting once in my 30s: but before my accident, I never regarded myself as incontinent. How much dribbling makes someone incontinent? How often must an accident have to occur for someone to be incontinent? From the age of around 50 until my accident, sometimes when out walking I would feel an urge to pee but always managed to hold it until I could find somewhere appropriate.
Since my accident I have had no bladder or bowel control but I do have subdued feeling in both outlets. I have a suprapubic catheter and have a bowel evacuation by visiting nurses on alternate days. I wear moderate to heavy incontinence pads, held in place by fixation pants. I hardly ever pass any urine via the normal route and rarely stain my pad except when an evacuation has not completely emptied my bowel.
Archives1
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Barb - I find your response offensive. "I hope you are a Christian" and what if they arent? There are lots of different faiths on this earth and for me way too many for one to be "right". Let people live their lives and stop shoving your religion down other people's throats. I dont know what religion draconic is. Hell they may be Christian I don't know. But it's really offputting to others to say things like that.
I'm sure I'm going to lose a lot of support by posting this but it just hit a nerve. Maybe this place isnt for me after all.
I'm sure I'm going to lose a lot of support by posting this but it just hit a nerve. Maybe this place isnt for me after all.
Archives1
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@Squander
Not in my case. I have learned diet impacts it, and what I drink. Sugar, high fructose corn syrup to name 2. I also dont lift things that are real heavy much anymore. I use lifts, dollys, etc, and ask for help when dealing with heavy objects. Also my weight seems to effect it so I try to keep it in check, and that is getting more difficult as I get older.
Not in my case. I have learned diet impacts it, and what I drink. Sugar, high fructose corn syrup to name 2. I also dont lift things that are real heavy much anymore. I use lifts, dollys, etc, and ask for help when dealing with heavy objects. Also my weight seems to effect it so I try to keep it in check, and that is getting more difficult as I get older.
Archives1
Staff member
I'm not sure when my incontinence really started. As a kid, my control never was that great. Most of my issues revolved around bed wetting. As I got older,they progressed to day time leaking as well. I am 71 years old, and have had several prostate surgeries. I had green light laser surgery about 10 years ago which improved my flow for a while, but then I started retaining a lot. Two years ago I was diagnosed with prostate cancer resulting in a robotic prostatectomy along with a diverticulotomy. My surgeon remove a diverticulum about the size of a grapefruit. I was also told that I have a large bladder. This causes me to still retain a lot more than I should. As a result, my incontinence is probably classified as overflow and urge. I can't really sense my bladder filling until it's too late. As a result, I wear diapers most of the time. Once in a while while at home I will try and go "unprotected" wearing traditional briefs in order to air out a bit. However, the results never seem to work out. Now, I have developed several heart problems. I need to reassure myself that incontinence, and needing to wear diapers is pretty minor compared to the heart issues I'm facing. Sorry for the long answer, but I guess I needed to vent a little. And, yes Justej I agree with you. Keep personal religious beliefs off of this forum. Thank you.
Archives1
Staff member
I suffered a spinal cord injury 10 years ago when I was 26, that resulted in fused vertebrae in my sacrum. Physical therapy helped reduce the sciatic nerve issues and bowel incontinence, but never completely rehabilitated my bladder control issues. For the first few years, I got by using caths, later abandoning them after several hospitalizing infections. For the better (or worse) part of the past 8-years, I've survived using pads and briefs. However, I have since developed drop foot in my right leg due to perennial nerve damage.
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