www.incontinentsupport.org

Hey all,

It occured to me that the trend toward the stores and companies marketing pullups is continuing to expand. This isn't news to any of us, but it just recently was reinforced when I was at Walmart in the incontinence aisle out of curiosity, and they seem to not be stocking the briefs anyomre, just the pullups. Im like HUH. Pullups dont help with moderate to severe incontience..as we all know. Also, I happened to see an HDIS commercial recently, and couldnt help but notice ALL the products displayed were the pullup variety. Surely, thats not all they sell, but still. Yes, i know the pullups are popular..i just would like to see it become normal to have to wear a brief too because for many of us, the pullup style is NOT adequate and the Tab style products are necessary.

Peace out!

Rob

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"We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love" Mother Teresa

"THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!" - Captain Picard from Chain of Command, Part II

not to mention the ease of changing when out of the house.

In the UK it's very rare to find anything but tiny pads and pull ups in supermarkets and chain pharmacies. Very frustrating! I've found some independent pharmacies sell things like large pads (the type you're supposed to use net pants with) but it's incredibly rare to see any brief style products anywhere. I think boots chemist do or did sell one brief but it seemed less absorbent than the pull ups from the description!...yet all the descriptions make it sound like they will work for severe incontinence. Very frustrating. It's online, mail order, or nothing.

Yeah, but the advantage of mail order and online is that you don't have to be seen carrying diapers to the checkout line.

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"We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love" Mother Teresa

"THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!" - Captain Picard from Chain of Command, Part II

Don't forget the variety and cost advantages. That's my happy moment with online shopping.

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- Tom

The thing is, not everyone in the general public does know pullups suck so badly. More than anything they have fallen for the stigma that "diapers" of any kind is bad and should not be used. They asked for an alternative with their buying power, and have received what they asked for. Something that is not a diaper, but more like disposable underwear.

Maybe they just weren't selling the tape on diapers, so they stopped stocking them? Since incontinent people know they suck and buy alternative products?

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When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.

Marcus Aurelius

That and what tape on plastic diapers they did stock used to be pretty bad too. I'd bet the people who didn't know any better just went for the cheaper pullups. Those that did know better must have already known you have to go online to get them. That created a gap where any plastic backed diapers just weren't selling. And like you said, maybe that's why they stopped stocking them at all.

I wonder if these stores will ever figure this out and start selling good ones like confidry, molicare or abena. I know a lot of medical supply store do, but its periodic and spotty as best right now.

What really there's me is that a lot of these over the counter pads are made out to hold so much more than they do. Like the pull ups and stuff might say they are good for severe incontinence...so unless you've done some research (and not everyone is able to. Elderly people for instance) oyu're not going to realise that the gap in absorbency between this type and the type you can get online are so monumentally different. I mean some small stick on pads claim to hold 800ml which is absolutely ridiculous. I mean, that's suggesting that someone who really needs a pee could have it absorbed..it defies logic! EVen the continence clinic people don't seem to understand how necessary tape on nappy/diaper style pads are for a lot of people. At my first appointment they tried to give me tens comfort with net pants....the small ones. I tried to point out that wouldn't hold it. I wanted to shout "If I'm not wearing a pad and wet, then the urine soaks the whole of my jeans down to my ankles, do you really think that's going to work?!". They eventually gave me tena slip plus....which may as well be a thin pull up. Eventually I got tena flex super but they wouln't do maxi.....eventually I bought my own and could still leak through a tena slip ultima. The whole industry doesn't seem to understand incontinence. I know some companies are a bit better though.

I stand corrected.. Walmart is still selling Depend Briefs.. or now, they are calling them protection with tabs.. LOL. that phrase is even more of a mouthful than fitted breif or brief.. imagine telling someone, hey i gotta go change my protection with tabs.. theyre like huh?


So, now im out of Tena Ultra.. which means im wearing Attends at home.. It occurred to me that i don't know if im saving money by buying Tena Ultra in addtion to Abena... one option is ordering a case of Confidry.. 72 diapers would give me quite a bit of diapers My only concern is the acqusition rate.. Since i can both have floods as well as perionds of wetting small amounts every few minutes or so.. I might want to stick with abena. XP medical has a new diaper available, teh ID slip..maybe thats worth looking into.

Anyway, i just htought id clarify that i was wrong about Walmart not stocking Depend briefs anymore.

Peace out!

Rob

_________________
"We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love" Mother Teresa

"THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!" - Captain Picard from Chain of Command, Part II