DATE: Wednesday, December 31, 2008 SUBJECT: re: McGuire Urinal and leg bag connections
There have been a number of questions recently about using, wearing and fitting McGuire urinals and leg bags, to manage male incontinence. In this share post I provide answers to a number of questions a member asked about wearing a McGuire urinal with a leg bag. My answers are in italics below. I want to share these with other men who may be considering this choice to manage their incontinence.
Member: First, thank you for your suggestion months ago about using the McGuire. I am now successfully using it fairly regularly. When I play golf or am just wearing shorts I use just the urinal along with a thumb clamp to drain it. When wearing long pants I need a suggestion about hooking it up to a leg bag. Do you find the Mentor/Coloplast , Duramed, or Urocare units to work best?
I perfer the Coloplast McGuire urinal over the others for its comfort and wearability, having several of these for daily use. However, I do have one each of the Urocare and Duromed units. The inner sheath on the Duromed is too short and doesn't seal as well for me. While the Urocare sheath is fine, the supporter is not very comfortable (too much elastic) and doesn't last long in repeated washings.
Member: Also how do you attach the urinal to the leg bag and whose make (manufacturer)? Which connector tubing and which type of drain?
No matter which urinal I use, the only leg bags that I use is the Hollister 9805, 32 oz pleated vinyl leg bag. This leg bag lasts for about 3-4 weeks with daily wear, doesn't slosh, and is non-irritating on your leg. I connect the urinal to the leg bag with a length of brown latex tubing that you can purchase from a number of outlets.
Member: I find the Coloplast jock strap/garment to be the most comfortable. I find the Urocare to be somewhat constrictive and I'm only a 34-35 waist. I do like Urocare's connectivity devices.
I think that the Coloplast and the Duromed supporters are both very comfortable. I agree that the Urocare is less comfortable, having too much elastic content. Also, it doesn't wear very well in repeated washings. I agree that Urocare has the best connectivity devices, especially the screw-twist valve for use if you are only wearing the sheath as a drip urinal, without the leg bag.
Member: It seems that the connections are all different and do not share common threads so one manufacturer's devices don't work with any others.
Do you wear your leg bag on your thigh or lower leg?
I've tried wearing the leg bag in every possible position -- inside the leg, outside the leg, above and below the knee. Wearing the leg bag completely below the leg is out of the question if you are ambulatory because of the mass and motion. Wearing the bag with the top strap on the thigh and the lower strap just below the knee significantly shortens the life of the leg bag and is guaranteed to make the bag begin leaking at the lower weld seam, at just the wrong time -- when you are in public.
Jim,
This post is very helpful, thank you. We look forward to hearing more from you again soon. Much appreciated!
Happy New Year,
Maria
Thanks for reading my sharepost, Maria. There isn't very much information for men faced with chronic incontinence, about the pros and cons of each distinct management solution. Worse, there is almost no fitting information available for men who want to try the McGuire urinal solution. For example it's clear that the instructions for this were written by men who never had to wear the appliance for any extended period of time.
Sorry if I sound like I'm on a soapbox, but I want to share information that will improve the lives of others in the most productive way. Thanks again for reading my post and responding. Happy New Year!
Jim
Jim F. did you try the Afex system with the receptical and leg bag that attaches to the briefs or the set-up that attaches to a lower leg bag on the calf? Jim P.
Jim,
The Afex system doesn't work well for me because it doesn't seal well enough (like the McGuire urinal) for my use, such as when sitting in airplane seats, living room furniture, etc. Too many accidents. I kept the Better Pant to use with leg bags, but the bag position on the inside of the leg, is not good for the McGuire urinal at all. Kinks the connecting tube.
Jim