Adult Enuresis

Tammy,

Thank you for sharing your very healthy view of enuresis. How fortunate you were to have such understanding and compassionate parents - that can make all the difference! 

For Tammy, I am reminded of the situation faced by my college

girlfriend as being similar to your's. 

Ironically, long before becoming bladder incontinent myself (result

of back injury), I was romantially involved with my college sweetie

who was enuretic as a result of contracting polio at age 5.  She used crutches & braces to walk.  For her, it was the same situation:  no

cure seemed to work and her focus shifted to management and

her nightly routines to keep the bed dry.  This was back in the mid

1960's and there were NO adult disposables then.  Yes, I remember

the name Saulk as one of the products, also home-made, ultra thick absorbant pants that her mother made, and also regular large diapers

used with the rubber pants from Kleinert's and Bittner, Vinyl pants lined with flannel from StaDri and even the rubber bloomers from the SEARS catalog of the day, the only mail order supply then.  Most of the other products were available at a hospital supply store.  I'd get these for her since buying them in person was always so embarrassing to an attractive young woman.

I recall some of her problems concealing supplies, wet diapers and the

washing each day with all this.  Although she was finally able to reveal all this to me in confidence, it was largely through support from

her family that she had the determination to go to college, live in a dorm, take a job, go to Europe one summer, or even take a motorcycle

camping trips with me.  I know she had moments with her enuresis, but she managed it and kept her head high, just as  you and your sister did, Tammy.  I'm glad I learned some of that strength from her, as it

came back to help me years later in dealing with my own incontinence and mobility problems connected with lower spinal injury (caudia equina syndrome) to my tailbone.

John

Hi Tammy,

I know it has been more than a year since your post, but I was wondering where you found the diapers.  I am looking for my husband.  We tried diapers from the store but he still had a wet bed.  Problem is that even with protectors and t hings, our bed is still ruined :(  Those protectors don't last long.  Plus, we are  youth pastors and go on retreats with the kids.  It's almost unbearable for him because he doesn't want them to know.  Really looking for some recommendations on brand name or where to purchase these diapers.  And any advice you can give me as a spouse would be helpful.  I just feel so bad for my husband and I want him to be better so he can feel better about himself. 

Marie,

I don't know if you ever got an answer, but I wanted to write to you two.  My wife & I travel to Ukraine and Eastern Europe frequently on mission trips and I have to take all incontinence supplies with me.  Many times we are staying in the homes of missionaries.

If you have not done a search on the internet I would suggest that you all try looking at Duraline Medical products website at:  www.dmponline.com  For overnight look at the super absorbent/overnight products.  I use the Molicare super plus for travel at night and long plane flights.  I wear some kind of protection day and night.  I like the Medline Protection Plus® Extended Wear/Overnight Protective Underwear during the day.  They are very absorbent pull ups.  On trips I always bring plenty of Walmart bags for disposal.

Duraline has some of the best prices I've seen.  These super absorbent diapers cannot be found in stores, although some medical supply stores might carry them.  If you would like to contact me my e-mail is alphagb@aol.com  I hope this helps a bit.  God bless,

Gary

I have heard of people "outgrowing" childhood enuresis, only to have night time wetting start up again later in life. As for your question specifically asking if that is what is happening to you, I unfortunately have no way of knowing. The fact that you occassionally wet during the day would cause me to think that this may not be enuresis, or not limited to a diagnosis of only enuresis - enuresis is wetting at night during your sleep, usually due to heavy sleeping or your body not making the hormone that condenses urine during sleep. Neither of these factors would cause you to have episodes of incontinence during the day - that would be caused by a different factor. The one possible cause that I can think of that could overlap and cause both daytime incontinence and night time enuresis would be a small bladder capacity. Keep in mind that the bladder grows as it fills and gets smaller as it empties. You mentioned that you try to keep your bladder empty - this may actually agrivate or add to the problem of a smaller bladder, because you're not stretching out and exercising the bladder muscle. Think about how difficult it can be to blow up a balloon that's never been blown up before. However, after it's been stretched a bit, it blows up much more easily. On days when you're at home or able to wear an absorbent product, drink when you're thirst and empty your bladder only when you feel the urge. This may help to stretch and exercise your bladder a bit.

Make sure you mention the leakage to your doctor the next time you're in. Perhaps he or she could run one simple test to check your bladder capacity and see if a smaller bladder is, indeed, to blame.

Thank you for your quick response.

I think I led you to believe I was having regular problems during the day. No day is guaranteed to be without wetness and I always fear the "big one" but I don't worry about the days as much as my wife does. She worries that I will embarrass myself someday.

My daytime incontinence does not require any protection. There are times when I use the bathroom and find my underwear has a spot - Sometimes as big as a silver dollar but usually more like a quarter. Twice in the last year I have waited too long to use the bathroom and when I found the bathroom occupied I struggled. I lost the battle the first time and had an accident. I did not wet uncontrollably but I did need to change clothes. The second time was just about a month ago and I was able to hold it until the bathroom was clear. I kept thinking about the first time and a little bit of panic came to me. My wife worries more than I do. I am not really worried about the daytime. And so I don't wear protection during the day.

Nighttime is a different thing. I am wet nearly every night. The restful nights are wet mornings. A dry night is usually the product of not much sleep.

I am tired of waking up wet, but I am even more tired of trying to change what won't seem to go away. Yes, I wet the bed, but I am sleeping better than I have all my adult life. Is is okay to surrender to enuresis?

Hi Darren your problems sound like mine other than I didn't have wetting problems as a child but the nightime is alot familar try to guess when the need to empty bladder or sleep wake up wet after a few yrs just started wearing a diaper so the sleep is better.

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