www.incontinentsupport.org

Support for dealing with incontinence
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 Post subject: Board demographics
PostPosted: Thu Feb 10, 2022 9:04 am 
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Joined: Sun Oct 20, 2013 3:45 pm
Posts: 1943
Location: North Carolina - Raleigh area
Schoppy,

Please tell us about the current demographics of the ISC forums.

How many of us are there who are active participants? How long have most of us been on the board?

What trends are you seeing?

A long while ago, someone speculated that new incontinents join the ISC board, mostly lurk, find answers to most of their questions, and after a few months leave (become inactive). The assumption was that those of us who continue to be active after a long time on the board have more serious or complicated incontinence and/or continue to be more anxious about it.

This board (with all of the archived messages) serves as important source of very specialized information about various aspects of incontinence and how they interact with other medical conditions.

This board serves an equally important social function for most of us as it provides us with a forum where we can share or vent about our incontinence to others who understand what we are going through. It is important that this is a protected environment, a safe community, thanks to Schoppy’s role as moderator.

I hope Schoppy and everyone else will chime in with your observations and thoughts on this topic.

As for myself, I still am here after many years because of all of the above. I continue to learn and am able to contribute from time to time. I need and benefit from the emotional reinforcement I receive from all of you.

—John
(double incontinent)


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 Post subject: Re: Board demographics
PostPosted: Thu Feb 10, 2022 10:06 pm 
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Joined: Sun Feb 07, 2021 2:40 pm
Posts: 64
Location: Newmarket Ontario
Great Question John,
I personally have received so much from my short time on the board , advice encouragement and the precious support I needed at just the right time. I expect I will be around for a long time to come, hopefully be a little help along the way. Life is very much a journey of ups and downs and it is nice to have some company along the way. Again a great question.

Paul Henry


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 Post subject: Re: Board demographics
PostPosted: Thu Feb 10, 2022 10:19 pm 
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Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2015 7:49 pm
Posts: 1402
Location: washington, dc
I joined the board back in 2015. After my accident. In fact it was probably Feb of 2015 as my accident was in January (January 3rd to be exact). I came here scared and not knowing what to do. I was wearing attends from a medical supply store next to my apartment. You all introduced me to XP medical and Northshore. You taught me I didn’t have to live holed up in my apartment. Since then I went through 7 surgeries on my leg. Countless urology appointments. I even tried a suprapubic catheter. I had my leg eventually amputated. Through it all you guys have been there. I can’t thank you enough


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 Post subject: Re: Board demographics
PostPosted: Thu Feb 10, 2022 10:41 pm 
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Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2014 11:45 am
Posts: 1836
My experience here has been that this is a specialized, yet open community. Most communities I have experienced in the past included at least a small number of folks whose behavior was, to varying degrees, unacceptable. Not so here, thanks to Schoppy. The posts I have read have been on topic, relevant, if sometimes they strayed, and polite. Which is saying quite a mouthful considering the topic here. Aside from the personal assistance available here, to JD's point, this community makes a signal contribution to eroding the stigma attached to incontinence. I look forward to the time when this site will have become irrelevant, because it was so successful in its mission. Kudos and thanks to everyone who contributes, and to Schoppy, for his steady leadership.


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 Post subject: Re: Board demographics
PostPosted: Fri Feb 11, 2022 12:40 am 
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Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2021 2:13 pm
Posts: 455
Location: Southern Ontario, Canada
It's been over a year for me now since I first became incontinent. I can't imagine how I would have had the knowledge and confidence to navigate the need to wear diapers without the resources and the friendly advice from this site. Sage advice that undoubtedly has saved me from unnecessary experiments, failures and embarrassment. This is not the kind of change that anyone prepares you for. Yet, even in incontinence, there is so much variation in the affliction that we share, that we can learn from each other. I look forward to the continuation of this community in the years ahead. We each have something to offer to anyone new joining up, out of need.

Demographically, I guess I belong to a nearly retired, recently afflicted group. Please accept my thanks to those who run and moderate this forum.
Quote:
The assumption was that those of us who continue to be active after a long time on the board have more serious or complicated incontinence and/or continue to be more anxious about it.
In my case, the incontinence is pretty mild compare to many here. Am I more anxious about it? I don't think so. I think it is just nice to commiserate sometimes or discuss with others who understand. Friends and spouses, try as they might, don't really understand what we struggle with. We've become a community connected by the affliction. Sometimes there is hope and sometimes not so much. Yet, as a community we can cheer each other on.


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 Post subject: Re: Board demographics
PostPosted: Sat Feb 12, 2022 8:51 am 
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Joined: Sun Oct 20, 2013 3:45 pm
Posts: 1943
Location: North Carolina - Raleigh area
Guys (and gals),

I think you have used the key word - "community."

There are other boards where we can post messages among strangers and receive uninformed, uncaring or even hurtful responses. Here we strive to be a supportive community. I wish we all could meet together in person. However, that not being possible, we do fairly well within the limits imposed by an online discussion forum.

Again, I will note that we enjoy a protected environment thanks to the efforts of Schoppy and the moderators.

--John
(double incontinent)


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 Post subject: Re: Board demographics
PostPosted: Sat Feb 12, 2022 12:06 pm 
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Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2014 2:50 pm
Posts: 687
Location: Oklahoma
Can't answer all of your question, but below is what I was able to pull from the Admin board. I know without this board, I would not have been able figure a lot of things out quickly. Plus, the support when things had to vented then finding out yea that happen to me also so I was not alone on when something happen.

Thanks for the recognition as a moderator. I try to check the boards once every other day and to look if there are new account request. I'm glad I was able to find this website to check on new request. https://cleantalk.org/blacklists There has been a lot of account request where the IP or email had been reported as SPAM or trying a brute force attack on other forums that would have brought the website down.


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 Post subject: Re: Board demographics
PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2023 1:08 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2023 4:14 pm
Posts: 13
I am in my early 60s and have had urinary urgency and frequency since my teens (no accidents but had to run to the washroom or pee in the bushes). I am post-menopausal and diabetic which makes things worse. I began leakage in my 40s with my first hot flash. I do not drink alcohol but I do love my coffee and tea. Now, I wear Depends or similar when I leave my apartment as do many of my neighbors over age 60. We talk about this openly.


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 Post subject: Re: Board demographics
PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2023 2:02 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jan 31, 2021 11:14 am
Posts: 212
This is a fun old post. Thanks for bringing this one back Menopause_Lady.

I'm a millennial. I've had some urgency issues since my early teens. I started having leaks when I was around 30 or so. Then almost overnight started losing full control over my bladder a little over 2 years ago. There wasn't an immediate root cause answer to my problem and I had know idea how to take care of myself. I found this site (thankfully) and learned what to use, what not to use, etc.etc.. I also found comfort in shared experiences with people on here.

More recently I was diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos, Fibromyalgia, and interstitial cystitis. These conditions have taken a toll on me, but I'm in good hands with my care team, and I'm working hard to take back my health. My bladder problems probably won't ever go away. I'm thankful for having the knowledge and I'm ok with it. It's not something that creates my biggest obstacles. Like many here IC is a part of me, but it's not the main thing.

_________________
Thank you kindly,
CG


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 Post subject: Re: Board demographics
PostPosted: Sun Jan 15, 2023 11:48 am 
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Joined: Sun Oct 20, 2013 3:45 pm
Posts: 1943
Location: North Carolina - Raleigh area
CityGardener, as you are a millennial and I could be your grandfather, I think we have the demographics bracketed.

We also are "fortunate" to have a diversity of IC-related problems for which we have an amazing number of suggested solutions.

--John
(double incontinent)


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