Spiral down to incontinence

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Im a 32 year old male who is slowly losing control of urination. In 2013 I had a spinal fusion L5-S1. After the surgery i noticed the strength 9f my muscles to hold the urge to go had weakened. In 2014 I had celuitus of the scrotum. Meaning the fulid cause the scrotum to swell to the size of a small cantaloupe. Spent a week in the hospital on multiple high strength antibiotics and pain meds. In hospital I was forced to wear a diaper because the swelling had bruised the urethra and i had lost all control. Fast forward to the present, I am having audden and extreme urges to go without warning. At all times of days I am hit with this urge, sometimes 2 or 3 times an hour. I finally decided i needed to use incontinence products to protecr my clothing and bedding. I told my wofe what was going on and she said she had noticed a few wet spots in the bed. She is being a good sport through it all. I have made an appt to see my Dr in April but what to do until then.

Should I continue to wear diapers all day or is there something else. Ive troed the pads but i leak right threw them.

 

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I'm sorry that sounds extremely hard! 8 would stick with diapers for as long as you need them or they make you less stressed!

 

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I forgot to mention I was a bedwetter until age 18. It just seemed to go away for a time. So I went off to college. But the bedwetting would return make a return every so often.

 

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Thanks Britt it's been a real downer. For the past year I would set a pee alarm but still wake up wet. Is there much difference between the adult pull up and the the diaper. Thinking about what would be best for daytime usr

 

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It is a bummer but when you adjust it just becomes a part of life you don't think about. It's that way for me at least! Diapers are better protection. So if you go a lot or worry about leaking they are a safe bet. For me the down side is that it makes access to the toilet harder. Where as pull ups are easier to use the toilet with. But pull-ups are harder to change and don't protect as well

 

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Thanks a lot. This forum is very informative. The other forums I e visited all seem to be sexual. I'm to each there own but I've give anything not to have to wear diapers.

 

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Good luck with this; it sounds tough. The pull ups (I had prostatectomy) have been excellent for me for longer term use and has the added benefit (for me in early stages after surgery) in that you can insert the incontinence pads for extra protection. Then you can check in a bathroom and discard pad or even add a new one and still have the pull ups as added protection.

 

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I am a big fellow. Heck I'll just admit it am fat. 5'7 310lbs. Weighed 220 before back surgery. But anyways does size matter when chosen diaper or pull up. I'm also a big producer of urine. At least 4 cups

 

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Yeah I would go with a diaper. If there's lots of pee at one time it's best to be safe!

 

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Mike, I'm so sorry you are having to deal with this. You're not alone. If you have an HSA or FSA call HDIS or Northshore. Both are excellent resources for information and goods. A bariatric premium plastic backed diaper and a couple of reusable underpads for wear you sit and sleep.

Hanger in there! Speak up and we will help. Chris

 

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You ask whether there is something else besides a diaper to use during the daytime. You might want to try an external catheter, which consists of something that attaches to the end of your penis and a plastic tube connected to a collection bag which is generally attached to the leg. Several varieties of external catheters are available, and every urologist that I've ever consulted has recommended that I should use one instead of wearing diapers. I've tried several kinds of external catheters and have found them fiddly to set up and use. I also have found them to be prone to catastrophic leaks that are much worse than most diaper leaks. So I very much prefer wearing a diaper. But external catheters are an alternative that you might want to try if wearing a diaper is something you really detest.

 

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I agree with innconinmiss. I've tried multiple kind and times. Honestly they are all too big.

 

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Well I tried pull ups yesterday to bed. Didn't quite work as well as the diaper at bedtime. So it will be strictly diapers for sleeping. However, I did wear pull ups to work last nite and both pair held up for about 3 to 4 hours a piece.

So I will try this routine of diapers during the day while sleeping and then pull ups during the evening and at night to work.

 

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I just posted the solution that has been working well for me under "Condom Catheters" on this website. Hope it's helpful to someone. I would add that selecting the right size one is important. Also, I have to use a non-latex one as I have a latex sensitivity. I will say that after using them for over two months, I've never had a leaking problem, even lying down or in the recliner. I have, however, had some leaks with heavy duty Depends when I went to sleep in a recliner when they exceed their capacity.

 

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I had slight incontinence but after I lost some weight, it seemed to go away. Still working on my weight, not easy. The pelvic floor exercises help a lot. (I have an Interstem for OAB which works great for OAB.)

 

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Well had some test ran and the doc's believe that my incontinence is being caused by nerve damage in my L2-L4 region. This sucks. I had a L5-S1 fusion in 2013 so I guess I'll be diapered for life and preparing for another back surgery.

 

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If you have good manual dexterity, there is a solution with an artificial sphincter implant. The device used most commonly is the AMS 800. You can google it to see how it works. It's been around for over 40 years and I've spoken to several men who are very happy with the device.

Glenn