www.incontinentsupport.org

Due to my condition (Bipolar Disorder), I have been hospitalized like 10x over the past two years ranging anywhere from 3-10 days stays on an inpatient psych unit. Not a fun time. But it is what it is. I also have bladder and bowel incontinence and wear Abena diapers full time. Sometimes, like on the night I am admitted, I am in no condition to change myself due to my medication making me very dizzy and dopey. Last time I was admitted, the nurse asked if I wanted help changing but I told her no and really struggled through it while she watched. I did the put your back to the wall and pull it up between your legs and tape it method like I always do. But I was dizzy and almost fell. She was watching because it was during my psychiatric intake and she was evaluating me. I am really embarassed about having anyone help me change if I cant do it myself. So to those of you who have been in the hospital before, how did you overcome this? Should I let them help me if I need it? Afterall, the odds are against me that I will, at some point, end up in the hospital again due to my condition. Is it normal to feel this way?

If the nurse offers to help they obviously think you are not in the condition to do it by yourself. When I had a kidney stone smashed the recovery room nurse didn't even ask. She just started dressing me while I was still very loopy. By the time I had my coordination back I was ready to go.

If you are dizzy or loopy try laying down to put on a diaper. It will be easier and you won't fall over. I find I get a better fit laying down so that is my preferred method.

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When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade.

Up until last October, I hadn't stayed over night in a hospital in a very long time....like 20+ years ago. I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night in pain due to having Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES). Because I sometimes fall (left foot drop, common for those with CES), the rail on the side of the bed were raised at night just to make sure I didn't fall out of bed. I've not fallen out of bed at home, but while I was in the hospital I had to wear a yellow wrist band which meant I was at risk for falling. I would assume you probably have the same risk of a fall so precautions are probably taken while your in the hospital.

When I wake up in the middle of the night, I'm always wet, it's more of a question can I wait until morning when I get up, or show I get up in the middle of the night and change. When I'm home, I always wear cloth diapers and plastic pants at night, but during my hospital stay, I only took disposables with me, and my experience with diaposable at night is that they sometimes leak unless your wearing well fitted plastic pants which I did not take with me for the hospital stay. I experienced the same situation as you described but I was not dizzy, I was having pain issuse and I was very wet. Trial and error I guess you could call it, but I learned it was less painful and much faster if I had some help changing the diaper at night. The nurse lower one side of the bed, as I unfasten/broke away the tapes on the diaper I was wearing. In a matter of seconds,... that's all it took I had the old diaper off and the new diaper while I layed in the bed. I just rolled to one side and the entire process from A-Z was completed in less than 3 minutes and without much pain because I didn't need to move very much. I guess there is a certain amount of pride, but I assisted in the process and these people are heath care professionals so this was nothing new to them, and after being in the hospital for 10 days, and reflecting back on it, I was apprehensive in the beginning for all the same reasons, but not now, and I am also bowel incon so the first time I was soiled, I was not only apprehensive about it, but I was also embarrassed too. Again, this is busy as usuall to these people, and looking back on the situation now, I was very embarrassed and concerned about it when there was no need either. Because of my spinal cord injury, I am supposed to, or encouraged to go back the hospital once a year for a annual evaluation with each hospital stay lasting about 7 days. Since last October, was my first evaluation there was more for the doc's to check (head to toe and with everything between including urology) so my stay was 10 days. The only thing I can recommend to anyone that knows in advance that your going to be hospitalized for a certain period of time is take plent oy your own diapers. I'm gald I did, I use one of the diapers thay had and the diaper was pretty bad (low quality). Anyway, my recommendation to you is to assist in any diaper change and don't be embarrassed or concerned about anything. I would also recommend that that you have all your changes while your laying in bed. It is really easy to roll on to one side and that's about all it take. Hope this helps.

You know, guys, it is a far better idea to change your drainage method in hospital. My wheelchair gets confiscated at night if I am in hospital - to make room round beds - so I have no chance to get up.I use an external catheter and drainage bag to cope with urine in hospital as with 2 litre capacity it takes a while to fill and nurse can empty the bag at night without disturbing me.

Worth a thought, guys, much nicer than getting wet all the time.

I guess you just have to swallow your pride on this one, but my time has not come yet when I have to stay overnight. The nurses have seen it and had to clean it all... so nothing is shocking or embarassing to them, just a big part of their jobs, so don't worry about it. I use cloth at night, with a coverpant, but if I have to go in overnight, I will most likely opt for the external cath as well, if I have any say in it with my doctor. Certainly will not allow them to put a foley in me, I'll pass thanks! The main reason for not using externals more at home is price, and cloth is just easier to deal with for me. I will be purchasing another 30 in the near future, and this will be the first submittal to my extended health coverage for incon supplies, will see if it goes through, or is kicked back. I am not looking forward to having to stay overnight, not that any time in the hospital is an enjoyable experience, and being in a smaller town I know way too many people, most likely the same for some you you guys/gals too... just not something I want out there for the general population to be aware of! Puffy

I hear what you guys are saying about the catheters. They work well for those who just have urine incon. But I have occasional bowel incon as well due to frequent diarrhea. It happens to me all the time actually. I got worked up for IBS but the GI doc thought that my Lithium was making my stomach sick causing frequent diarrhea. I don't know. Diapers seem to be my only solution.

For the last 10 years or more I have been in and out of the hospital. A longterm care facility & currently homecare nursing. I'm disabled and have needed help with cathing. Bowel program. Bathing dressing. And yes frequently diapers. My first experiance was being 8-9 months pregnant with My third daughter. Having MS and having just had a stroke. My body was in no condition for anymore UTIs etc. I had no control over My bowels either so diapers were used for the next 6 months. After that we went back and forth between cathing etc and all the other ways of dealing with complete incontinence. Diapers are often the best way to deal with it. The nurses are always very understanding of My issues and have really helped me accept this aspect of My life.

knee surgery I told the Dr. before hand that I would be wearing a diaper and it would last for 12 hours. In the prep area a nurse noticed I had a diaper on and started to tell me to take it off. My wife interrupted her and told her it was OK, the Dr. knew about it.
When I came to the diaper was gone and I had been cath'd. The next day the Dr. came by and apologized for the cath. I really didn't care at that time. Now I'm getting pretty much bowel incon too so it might be different now.

I am concerned at how the nurse/tech will be able to help me. The beds on an inpatient psych unit are low to the ground. They are about knee height I think. They are not raised traditional hospital beds where the nurse can adjust the height in order to facilitate a quick change. I am not so out of it when I go in that I can't help. I am usually unable to stand when I go in because of the medication. So I don't know how they will help me.

There was another time when I was in the hospital before I started using Abena that I used the hospital brand diapers. Wings I think. Anyway, I wet the bed and the diaper leaked all over the place. My sheets were soaked. It was the night I came into the hospital. When I woke up the following morning, I laid there because I was dizzy. The tech came in and I told her what happened. She brought in a male nurse and together they sat me in a chair next to my bed. The helped me get my clothes off. And together they stripped my bed while I sat there in a leaky wet diaper. How embarrassing? I had no clothes on. They then made my bed and helped me get back to it. By this time, it was time for breakfast. I sat there in my bed for a minute trying to collect my thoughts and get my wits about me. The tech (female) asked the male nurse if they needed to change me. He said no, "I think he can do it" I couldn't even walk, how was I going to manage that? They gave me a dry diaper and I struggled through it. Took me like 15 minutes. Eventually, my dizziness went away and I made it out and got something to eat. Not a good morning though. That was a time when it would have been good to have some help changing. I would have welcomed it at that point.