www.incontinentsupport.org

I'm curious about something: do forum members who have some choice in the matter generally choose to wear protection when they visit their GP, or choose not to? I just had my annual and, after thinking about it for a week, opted to forego protection during the visit. I was physically uncomfortable (urgency) during the appointment but thankfully didn't have any problems. I have been scrutinizing my motivations. I'm not concealing anything. I'm open with my doctor about how I manage my symptoms, and he's fine with it. We discussed bad experiences with bladder medications. I told him I wear a pad "pretty much all of the time." I guess it just feels weird to strip down during a physical and have some older guy I barely know see me in a Depend Real Fit. How do people feel about this issue?

Noe, I always wear a diaper to all of my medical appointments. I have no real choice in the matter. Where I do compromise is by wearing a premium disposable pullup for a full-body dermatology scan or when I am due for a digital rectal examination. For those appointments I try to pee in the toilet, if possible, to have a dry pullup when I am examined. However, it is not always possible. I never have had a physician or nurse react negatively - they see patients wearing diapers all of the time.

--John

I always wear a diaper for my doctor appointments. I have told my GP and urologist that I would rather wear a diaper than take a pill. The reason is that pills do not always work and many have side effects. Both doctors respect my wishes.

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RetiredRN

I have urge urinary incontinence. I have worn a diaper to every doctor’s visit that I’ve had in the past 30 years or so. I’ve found that doctors rarely say anything about the diaper unless the purpose of the visit requires that it be removed to enable part of the examination or the visit has something to do with my incontinence issue.

I have a pelvic floor disorder from nerve damage. I am frequently in doctors offices due to my multiple chronic illnesses. I always wear diapers to my appointments. I try to make sure I’m clean before I see the doc especially if I have to remove my clothing. Sometimes things don’t work out how I planned. My incontinence is highly unpredictable. It can come out of nowhere with little warning. All of my doctors know about it. None of them comment on my underwear. I have exhausted most medical treatments and others I was found to not be a good candidate for. So I use absorbent products. If I see a new doctor, once I explain my laundry list of conditions to them, diapers seem more suitable. They ask no further questions.

Thanks for these responses. I had an appointment with a specialist today. I figured it would just be a consult, but just in case, wore a pare of briefs over my Real Fit. It turned out that we did a full, physical examination with both a doctor and a nurse present in the room. I had to remove my briefs at one point. I'm sure the specialist noticed what I was wearing underneath. She very confidently moved the examination forward without drawing any attention to it.