www.incontinentsupport.org

Good afternoon all!!
I'm in a quandary. I need some advice. I'm changing from an HMO health insurance plan where my foley supplies are covered but my diapers aren't, so I'm buying them out of pocket. On January 1 I'm going to an HSA (Health Savings Account) where the first $5000 is out of my HSA and then my insurance kicks in at 100%.
As far as I'm reading my HSA covers the diapers and catheter supplies and they count toward my deductible. The insurance company recommends going through one of their "in network" vendors for these supplies. I'm currently dealing with an "in network" vendor for my catheter supplies. I'm going to end up buying my diapers through them for convenience. My issue is that I'm a big Tena fan. My incontinence or "leaking" isn't real heavy so I get away with the Tena Classic diaper. The Tena Classic is a great mid range diaper, it's slim, discreet,quiet, and absorbent enough for my needs. It's extremely breathable and thus it works great in the summertime. I have a couple other brands of diapers I like as well because I like a little variety. I always come back to the Tena Classic because it has performed well in every situation I've thrown at it over almost 2 years.
Here's my issue, my catheter vendor has Tena Classic in everything but the size large that I need. I'm freaking out because I've come to rely on these and I've found that its fits very well with the unpredictable nature of my life. I can even wear these safely under a uniform at work if necessary and nobody can tell. The mediums and XL's that they stock aren't going to be an option for me. They said that they may be able to special order them for me, but I'd have to call them every time I need to order them. I spent an hour on the phone with them today trying to get all this sorted out and I don't want to be on the phone for extended periods of time when I need to reorder supplies. They do have the Tena Ultra and Tena Super. I think these may work for me, but I'm concerned that they may be more bulky making them less discreet and thus less breathable as well. I don't need to be any more self conscious than I already am by adding more bulk than is absolutely necessary.
So the short version of my question is, for those of you who've worn both what is the comparison between the two???? Or even all three Tena Classic vs. the Ultra and Super???

How... On earth can they just omit stocking size large?! Tape on diapers don't have the huge overlapping size ranges of stretchy pull-up products >.<

Anyways. I have not tried the Tena Classic, but I have used both the Tena Ultra and Tena Super. Both are decent products; low to mid-range absorbency at a good price point, hold up well to movement, and breathable. The Super is more absorbent than the Ultra, though it's not much bulkier. My hunch is that either would be acceptably close in bulk to the Classic. The Ultra is slightly thinner than the Super.

Both the Ultra and Super are surprisingly inexpensive on Amazon. If the medical supply company is difficult/slow to deal with and you can afford one round of out-of-pocket, I would suggest ordering a bag each of the Tena Ultra and Super from Amazon so you can decide. Or just try the Ultra to reassure yourself that they are a decent replacement for the Classic before getting things set up with the medical supply store.

So apparently I can get the Tena Classic from them, but it's not anywhere on their website in the large size, the other sizes are listed on their website.....it makes no sense to me. They're a special order. So I can't just add it to my regular catheter order, I have to call them......too much hassle. If the Tena Ultra are comparable I sure they'll work ok. It's just hard when you have so much comfort and trust in a particular product and you have to switch to something different. I have enough diapers to last me most of the way through the winter so I guess I'll hold off on trying them until I get closer to needing to stock up again. I don't want to order anything right now as I want to wait until my HSA kicks in on Jan 1 before buying anything else. I want to use that instead of buying "out of pocket" thanks for the quick reply!! Perhaps there are a few others here that can comment??

pb&j,

Regrettably, the most important factor in diaper selection is fit, fit, and fit. If the Tena Classic diaper is not available in a size that fits your personal anatomy well, it will leak, no matter how expensive or inexpensive it is. You probably will do better with a different Tena diaper that does fit you well.

Don't worry about bulk. No Tena diaper is bulky enough to cause you to be concerned about that. I wear Dry 24/7 and a booster with jeans and you would not know that I have one on. I wear Tena Slip Maxi with dress trousers and it is discreet.

My advice would be to try a couple of samples before ordering any diaper in bulk.

--John

Hey PB,

I have never used the Tena classic, but I have used Tena Ultra. As far as discrestion goes, I find them just as discreet as Wellness.. With any diaper, i just wear my pants a size larger and no one can tell. I might need to up to 40 waist nowthat im a size 37.. I don't know.. But the point is, they should do fine. Is there any way you can get samples of the Ultra? I love the Tena Ultra; when i had incon problems between 2008 and 2010, they ended up becoming the mainstay of my protection. I love the trim fit, and curved leg ealastic, and the velcro tabs. I would see if you can get a sample fo the Ultra and/or the Super, depending on how much absorbency you need.


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

Thanks for the help guys!!
I was in a tailspin for a couple days over this because everything relating to this condition has been one disappointment after another and this is just the most recent insult. I'm acknowledging this most recent situation and I'm willing to give these a try. I'm a regular Tena user and these are just the next step up in protection, so I'm quite familiar with the product line. My incontinence is really light, but would be considered a really bad case of post mucturation dribbling. I'm leaking for 15-20 minutes after each bathroom visit, so I'm not experiencing huge floods or complete bladder failure. It's not a huge volume of urine, just enough to be uncomfortable. Hence why the classic is a viable option for me. I really need dependable protection that is discreet but still allows me to use the bathroom. Cloth backed diapers that have Velcro tabs are great for this.

PB
I agree with John, fit is very important. I were a heavy diaper plus boosters to make it four to six hours. I don't worry about bulk protection is key for me. Good luck !!

Tena Ultra is good for toilet use, because the tabs are extra wide and velcro. I think you'll like them PB

_________________
"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