Good morning. I am a new member here, and I would like to introduce myself. My name is Scott Olson. I am currently 49 years of age. I am single. I live in Worcester, Massachusetts in my modest studio apartment with my favorite companion, my cat, Ebony.I am a professional musician, composer, arranger, and former piano teacher. I am presently working on producing my second music CD. I also produce multimedia content on You Tube. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Music / Organ Performance, as well as three Certificates of Undergraduate Completion in Business and Computers. I am expecting to complete a fourth Certificate as a Help Desk Technician shortly at the beginning of December, 2017.
I have had Type II Diabetes for approximately the last five to six years. As a result of diabetic neuropathy, I was also diagnosed with incontinence approximately four years ago. I suffer from frequent uncontrollable urges to urinate on a daily basis, since the neuropathy and high glucose levels have affected the nerves of my bladder. I have worn and used adult diapers since then to manage this condition.
It has taken all this time until now to obtain what I finally believe is a sensible and efficient solution to managing my incontinence, particularly managing the heavy episodes of urination that I experience daily, as well as managing any leaks associated with them. As a very high-functioning, highly intelligent individual with Asperger's Syndrome and Bipolar I Disorder, I am extremely detail-oriented, and I tend to over-complicate everything that I do.As a direct result of this, I have quite literally tried nearly everything to manage my condition of incontinence, from pull-ups that were originally prescribed by my doctor, to adult diapers, booster pads, vinyl pants, and several other products. I have found that keeping things as simple as possible is the most efficient method to manage incontinence, in my humble opinion.
Please allow me to share some advice concerning incontinence management at this time. To begin with, I believe one significantly key factor is finding a product that is highly absorbent, is the appropriate size, fits you well, and is comfortable. This is particularly true of adult diapers.Since I wear them daily (nearly 24/7), I really need to wear some sort of protection that fulfills all these parameters. In my experience, I want to take the liberty at this point of saying that, at least for me, the Abena Abri-Form L4's that I use are by far the #1 adult diaper for me, with Tranquility ATN's being a close second. Abena adult diapers originally come from Denmark. They are quite absorbent and comfortable, and the L4's provide the highest level of incontinence protection within the Abena line of incontinence products. One feature of the Abena adult diapers that I am especially fond of is the fact that the four tape tabs are very strong. While it is true that one cannot re-attach them for fear of them ripping the material of the adult diaper, they never give way and do not stretch or break, once properly attached. By comparison, the Tranquility ATN adult diapers do not have tape tabs that hold up as strongly. As to ordering my incontinence supplies, I order from XP Medical exclusively. XP Medical is a company that exclusively sells incontinence products, and it was originally founded by a gentleman who himself was incontinent. XP Medical really cares about shipping their products to you discreetly, routinely reviews their incontinence products, and provides the highest quality products for those that suffer from incontinence, in my opinion.
Another key point I want to make is about rash and yeast infection prevention. Since I wear adult diapers daily, this has been a big problem for me in the past. I suffered from a major yeast infection and rash about three years ago during one particularly hot summer week. As a disabled person, I have a nurse supervisor, as well as a morning nurse, and a Personal Care Attendant (PCA), that help me manage my medical conditions, particularly my diabetes, as well as my personal care. At the recommendation of my nurse supervisor, I have been using a combination of prescription Nystatin powder mixed with Wal-Mart brand Desitin cream. This has been a great combination, since the powder does not fall off (it is mixed with the cream), and the end result is a topical application that is at once anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal, which is really good, considering that the root cause of yeast infections is fungal in nature.
My PCA comes to my apartment six out of seven days a week (he takes Sundays off to drive for Uber and Lyft). He cleans my kitchen, bathroom, and apartment in general. He sweeps and mops my floor, and even takes care of my kitty.
I cannot say enough about how awesome it is to have a PCA caring for me. My PCA showers me as well, and then applies the cream combination i mentioned to the areas that are covered by my adult diapers. He even helps me by putting on my adult diapers on me, then gets me dressed for the day.
One other thing that my PCA does for me is that, every week, on Wednesdays, he shaves my "diaper area," so to speak, for me. This level of personal care affords me an extra layer of protection from rashes and infections, since it keeps the area clean and smooth, and free of irritation. The key here is to use a warm facecloth to wet the area first, followed by a healthy application of shaving cream, and then the area is shaved carefully with a manual five-blade razor. I find this particular weekly routine to really help me maintain healthy skin.
Well, my apologies if my first post was a bit long and rambling. However, I do hope that my observations and advice have helped some of you manage your condition of incontinence. I look forward to your helpful commentaries, and thank you for your warm welcomes to these forums in advance. I look forward to reading your posts here on these forums. Thank your for reading. Take care, be safe, and have a wonderful day!