www.incontinentsupport.org

Hey there..

I have a point that id like to discuss. Whatever is going on with the doctors seems to be going well.. now this is FAR too early to tell..but it seems as if i am suddenly drier than before. Now this is truly cause for celebration. However, as we well know, incontience not only has physical effects, but emotional ones. Right now, i am dry as a bone, and were this to contiue i would consider myself dry. But, I would have difficulty with not wearing proteciton with the fear of wetting myself, even though it would not happen.
If i were cured completly, how would i deal with the psycological toll incontience has had on me with regards to not trusting my bladder? How would i be able to allow myself to go without protection?

Currently, my plan is to continue treatment. I told myself if i had a dry week, i would start wearing underwear at home. i have started doing so for small periods of time. Eventually, if i am dry for many months, i may start going without protection in public. That is the goal for all of us, i would think.. to be continent again. I may have this opportunity. Suddenly i find myself faced with this. Right now, when i wear underwear, i feel unprotected, and they feel thin..im used to the bulk of the diaper. If i do become cured, will i be able to feel secure in underwear? has anyone been cured and have this happen? Piddlefree, can you offer any advice on this?

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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

First of all, I'm really glad to hear that your treatment seems to be bringing some improvement. Even if it is gradual, that's a really good step in the right direction and an unexpected one, as you say.

I can see that it's very difficult to know how to go about reducing protection. I've actually wondered that myself quite a bit - if things started to improve, when would I take the risk of going without protection?

I suppose part of it might depend on whether the doctor treating you can do any test or anything to show, or give you any precise indication, what your control might be, but I can see that psychologically that isn't necessarily enough because of the anxiety accidents cause and the freedom there is in not having to worry about that all the time. Part of the choice must be to do with, in your own mind, how rare do accidents have to be before the pros of not wearing protection outweigh the chances you perceive that you may have an accident unprotected. And that will be different for each person, I'd have thought, and in different circumstances.

It sounds as if starting off without protection when you're at home is a good idea because that's a circumstance that an accident would be least problematic and least likely as you'd be near a bathroom. I suppose doing that for a while might allow you to judge things like, for instance, if you do have an accident does it happen apparently out of the blue with no warning or does it happen because you have to wait too long for a bathroom? Or, do you have minor leaks frequently or occasional full accidents? That kind of thing would help you work out how to reduce your protection or circumstances you could and couldn't go without it.

Can your doctor advise you at all? It would be interesting to hear how things progress for you - and I'm sure many other people whose incontinence improves must find themselves in this situation. I hope that your treatment continues to help you.

Bernadette,

At the moment, the only time i go without protection is when I am at home. The reason being is , as you said, accidents are less problematic and am closer to a bathroom. This morning i woke up wearing undewear, and it felt wonderful.. and felt normal for the first time in a long time. Now, i have noticed a few dribbles here and there.. but those are resovable via sitting down, extra time in front of the toilet, etc.. nowhere near the FLOODS that require the diaper in the first place.. the times where my bladder "beats me to it", to use the words of my PT.

But i am reveling in this..simply being able to wear UNDERWEAR and keep them dry is a HUGE gain. I don't know why it suddenly seems to be better, but i approach it with caution. It's quite possible that it really was all just a problem with not realxing all the way, and it is being resolved with implementing relaxing techinques.

if i can eliminate the floods, i will be a happy mann..i may still need proteciton.but MUCH less than what im wearing now.. maybe a pack of briefs a month versus 5 a month... or may get comfortable with udnergarments.. i dont know.. but it is a great feeling to finally be getting CONTROL back!!

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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

That does sound really positive, and as you say, even if the difficulties are not completely resolved, it is a huge gain physically and psychologically to have the improvement you do at the moment. I hope it keeps going that way.