www.incontinentsupport.org

You might want to give Devrom a try then. I take it and charcoal during my day. It works really well. The Devrom takes care of what the charcoal doesn't.

Doug

_________________
When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade.

Thank you Doug
I did not know any thing about it till I read it on here.
Wink

Thank you all for the replies. I've been working at letting go rather than spending so much time standing over the toilet waiting for something that seldom happens like I want it to. Old habits are hard to break. I know it is someting I have no control over. Even with making umpteen-hundred trips to the bathroom every day I still ended up with wet diapers. My fiance' told me that the time it would take me to change an extra diaper or two every day is a fraction of the time I would spend standing over the toilet during the course of a day. How come she is always right?

This thread really helped me whilst lurking and reading. I suffer from a lot of fatigue and mobility problems. It can take me a minute or two to get out of my seat and start getting to the toilet. If my bladder functioned properly then this would be fine, but it doesn't. Often, I wet when I stand up anyway! It was exhausting using the energy to get up only to probably wet myself on the way when if I wait a little while then either a) the urge will surpass or b) I will wet. I'm wasting so much less energy now just by wearing stronger pads and going to the toilet when I need to...not when it's seconds from pouring out. Stronger pads = less leaking and changes = more energy.

Interesting how so many people have that guilt feeling about trying to get to the toilet when you're unlikely to make it or it will be really tiring/painful wiht little results. It's certainly something I've felt.

I suspect this guilt feeling is more about how long problems have been going. I image the older hands here (longer standing problems that is and not just older people!) have grown past the guilt idea and just do what is needed to stay dry and enjoy life. There's no point in doing otherwise.

I can 'manage' during the day at home without protection and do my best to do so in order to air my sore 'end' at least it looks sore often. I have no feeling 'down there' so I don't know. However if I go out for the day as I did yesterday I either use an external catheter and drainage bag (as I did) or a nappy and give up the idea of using the toilet until drainage of the bag of nappy chance is needed. That way I can do everything I need and enjoy the day and not bother about minor things like toilets. I suppose it is a bit 'cheating' on my part as I don't get the urges others do and the bladder just empties when it wants to.

Oh, and nights? Forget it! I use a terry nappy (2 actually) or a sheath and bag and get a good night's sleep while my wife has to get up in the night! There are benefits to this stuff you know!

Tangerine,

Although my mobility is fair I too seem to release urine when I stand up after sitting for a while. This is especially true when I have been driving for a while and get out of the car. For one reason or another my bladder seems to retain more urine when I am sitting. Standing up, coughing, sneezing, bending over, lifting, etc... all seem to trigger a flow. I do not feel any urge.

For night time I would just use the diaper or incontinence brief as a good night's sleep is essential for work functioning and to prevent or mitigate diseases such as diabetes sugar levels, etc. I use a brief and just let it go. For outside the home I have used the absorbent brief as my own porta potty for urine if I do not want to use a gross washroom that is off the beaten path, if I am carrying parcels and it would be onerous etc. I have already put the brief on for my excursion and for hygiene I do not re-use these so it would go into the trash regardless. When I have had a bladder infection I have worn briefs 24/7 for the first few days until the antibiotics kicked in as there is no way I was going to the bathroom every 10 minutes if I could even make it. Some days the briefs have been my lifesaver due to urgency, other days they have had a lot of little leaks and other days I have used them for convenience to unload a full bladder. I do not feel bad as with Covid there is a risk of public washrooms and some are even closed. Many fully continent people are using bushes and adult diapers. There is a risk of flushing toilets without lids due to Covid and home toilets can be closed but not public toilets used by multiple people? I have peed in the briefs on the treadmill if I had to go while exercising as I did not want to stop my routine. If my bladder could only urinate every 2 hours during the day that would make more sense to always try to get to a bathroom. But when it acts up I just accommodate it, like the surly brat it is. My feet ache and rather than go all the way back to a ladies' room that may have a line up I have often just used the brief to save time when shopping. If I were on a freeway going through a bad neighbourhood I would rather go in the car (portable toilet, container, etc.) than stop in a sketchy area. It is just safer to not be the driver who has the urgency but the passenger. If a public washroom is sketchy or isolated or I do not feel safe I am not using it regardless. If I were fully continent in this case I would just wet my pants for my own safety. Mothers may want to provide their teen daughters and even sons with incontinence pads to be able to slip into their clothing in such a case, although males usually have more discreet options. I know mothers who have had to grab a baby diaper in the car for themselves to slip into their clothing in an emergency. Many people travel with travel johns or other gel like bags for emergencies. The commonality is the container, be it a toilet, a bush or tree, an incontinence product, a travel john, a car toilet, a bedpan, a portable urinal from a pharmacy, the devices used by small plane or military pilots, a bucket on a boat, etc. Whatever works is my motto especially as I age and life really is very short in the grand scheme of things.