Hello Tripp,
I am 47 years old and have suffered from incontinence all my life. I have always been bedwetting more or less. Growing up about once a week, in my early twenties about once a month. Beside bed wetting i also suffered from overactive bladder. I was diagnosed as an adult with oab but looking back that was also what I suffered from as a child too. Difference though was my muscles were strong enough and I would not wet my pants that often. Yet the pain was sometimes unbearable and therefore I avoided situations where I could not go to the toilet soon.
I hardly ever joined school trips because the bus trip without a toilet was too scary. Of course I never did sleepovers or school camps. At home I slept most of the time with towels in my pants and I learnt to wash and change my bed at a young age. My parents though had their own problems and didn't recognise or care about my situation.
I was an introvert and I think for today's standard I would be considered as authistic. Relations were always difficult, especially when I reached the age where one starts dating. From my looks I was considered a catch, but always kept girls at a distance. I was even considered to be gay for not letting women get close although i got a lot of attention.
In my early twenties i wet the bed less often and my oab pain got better. I thought eventually I would get over it and my bladder issues were just something related to growing up. I met my wife, she was my first love and we got married without her knowing my previous issues. I started sleeping with towels in my pants again just to be sure. Things got worse in my mid thirties. Nighttime as well as daytime incontinence worsened and after multiple humiliating situations in public I had to seek help and started using diapers. Obviously my wife knew at that moment. She was and is supportive, yet is also kind of disgusted by it.
I am diagnosed with Overactive bladder, Interstitial Cystitis, Chronic bladder infection and Functional Neurological Disorder.
There is a lot to tell and I can't put 47 years of incontinence into one message. Would love to hear more about your story.
