Hello!
Here is my proper introductory post.
I am 59, husband and dad, active with tennis, soccer, love the outdoors with hiking, running, skiing, and wind-and-water sports. You can find me playing with the kids, cooking, dancing at the club, or relaxing at the symphony. And I love to travel. Professionally, I work a big-company job in medical devices, and I am active in technology start-ups.
Urinary incontinence has imposed itself on my life over the past 15 years. "Trickling or gushing" is the best way to describe it today. It is accompanied with cramping and urgency when my bladder fills, sometimes unbearable. My urologist says that my bladder "is bad a storing urine and bad at emptying". I continuously have varying levels of pain in my groin and testicles.
My preferred solution to manage my incontinence is through high capacity diapers, BetterDry, Tranquility, Abena M3, etc. These are diapers I can trust. They allow me to go through my day and night without worrying or being distracted, they have enough capacity, they don't move out of place, leaks are rare. And they allow me to avoid UTIs that I invariably get when using catheters. When exercising, I switch to thinner pull-ups. And sometimes, I use external catheters to help my skin recover or to avoid rashes when it's hot.
There are many adjustments I had to make to my life so that I can focus on my responsibilities and passions. Of course, there are the mattress protectors, PUL pants, the air-tight trash can in the bathroom, peri washes, wipes, and ointments. There is extra luggage when traveling, the diaper bag and the change of clothes when out of the house, black pants 95% of the time. But it took me a long time to adjust my wardrobe so that I have the confidence of looking professional when at work, I am comfortable at home, and I can show up in style when at a music festival - while diapered. Getting my pants and shorts modified with gussets was key. Onesies are the ideal underwear and sometimes substitute as t-shirts.
There are several challenges for which I have not found good solutions: Heat and leaking during sex.
Heat or hot weather: The only times I get a rash or a yeast infection is when it's warm or when I travel to a hot climate. Plus, diapers are uncomfortable when I am hot. This is not an issue when I play tennis or go for a run because it is for an hour or two, and I sweat anyway, wear tight-fitting clothes to avoid chafing. But it is an issue when hiking in hot weather or even when sitting down while sweating. Condom catheters are one way to reduce the discofort from sweating in diapers, but I have not learned to trust them, am always afraid of a leak or blow-out, so I only use them at home. If you have tips regarding condom catheters or how to deal with heat, please do let me know.
Leaking during sex is just what it sounds like. I don't like it, I don't want it, it's embarrassing, and it bothers my wife. If I catheterize just before, I can reduce the leaking and sometimes avoid it altogether. Of course, my fluid intake is a factor, but sex is not always planned, and I try to avoid catheters. Please let me know how you manage this.
I would love to connect with others. The part of my life that revolves around my incontinence has been very lonely. The rest of my life is amazing and rich and wonderful
Jim
Here is my proper introductory post.
I am 59, husband and dad, active with tennis, soccer, love the outdoors with hiking, running, skiing, and wind-and-water sports. You can find me playing with the kids, cooking, dancing at the club, or relaxing at the symphony. And I love to travel. Professionally, I work a big-company job in medical devices, and I am active in technology start-ups.
Urinary incontinence has imposed itself on my life over the past 15 years. "Trickling or gushing" is the best way to describe it today. It is accompanied with cramping and urgency when my bladder fills, sometimes unbearable. My urologist says that my bladder "is bad a storing urine and bad at emptying". I continuously have varying levels of pain in my groin and testicles.
My preferred solution to manage my incontinence is through high capacity diapers, BetterDry, Tranquility, Abena M3, etc. These are diapers I can trust. They allow me to go through my day and night without worrying or being distracted, they have enough capacity, they don't move out of place, leaks are rare. And they allow me to avoid UTIs that I invariably get when using catheters. When exercising, I switch to thinner pull-ups. And sometimes, I use external catheters to help my skin recover or to avoid rashes when it's hot.
There are many adjustments I had to make to my life so that I can focus on my responsibilities and passions. Of course, there are the mattress protectors, PUL pants, the air-tight trash can in the bathroom, peri washes, wipes, and ointments. There is extra luggage when traveling, the diaper bag and the change of clothes when out of the house, black pants 95% of the time. But it took me a long time to adjust my wardrobe so that I have the confidence of looking professional when at work, I am comfortable at home, and I can show up in style when at a music festival - while diapered. Getting my pants and shorts modified with gussets was key. Onesies are the ideal underwear and sometimes substitute as t-shirts.
There are several challenges for which I have not found good solutions: Heat and leaking during sex.
Heat or hot weather: The only times I get a rash or a yeast infection is when it's warm or when I travel to a hot climate. Plus, diapers are uncomfortable when I am hot. This is not an issue when I play tennis or go for a run because it is for an hour or two, and I sweat anyway, wear tight-fitting clothes to avoid chafing. But it is an issue when hiking in hot weather or even when sitting down while sweating. Condom catheters are one way to reduce the discofort from sweating in diapers, but I have not learned to trust them, am always afraid of a leak or blow-out, so I only use them at home. If you have tips regarding condom catheters or how to deal with heat, please do let me know.
Leaking during sex is just what it sounds like. I don't like it, I don't want it, it's embarrassing, and it bothers my wife. If I catheterize just before, I can reduce the leaking and sometimes avoid it altogether. Of course, my fluid intake is a factor, but sex is not always planned, and I try to avoid catheters. Please let me know how you manage this.
I would love to connect with others. The part of my life that revolves around my incontinence has been very lonely. The rest of my life is amazing and rich and wonderful
Jim
