www.incontinentsupport.org

Haven't been on forums much these days as I have just been cruising along with life but do miss folks here and incontinence is still very much a part of my life, just better managed these days. I still have my SPC, that'll be with me for the rest of my days,for better or worse. There are some advantages like being able to go long periods without hitting a bathroom. Since I'm a full time wheelchair user I just use a night bag. And when it was placed they put it on the right side which is my amputated leg side, so I can't use a leg bag (something I didn't think about at the time it was placed. Woops). Ive had minimal infections since starting hiprex and taking viamin c and d mannose gummies daily. I had my monthly change today and am having a bladder ultrasound at the end of the month to make sure I don't have a stone or something because I have been having a lot of spasms (those damn things HURT!!)

Bowel incontinence is now something that's a part of my daily life. While I expected it to happen eventually (my docs warned me) its been a difficult adjustment. I still receive tranquility atns through medicaid and they work just fine for home, for my peace of mind I opt for Megamax or betterdry when I'm out. Being out and dealing with it is the hardest for sure. And honestly it can be exhausting to deal with daily sometimes.

Hope everyone is doing ok. This was always my favorite forum. NAFC is just riddled with spam posts and its honestly a huge turn off. I don't really do Facebook or anything these days.

Yep, some of us are still around although we do not post much. It is good to hear from you justj. It sounds like you are dealing with your challenges as well as could be expected for anyone. Good show.

I'm still managing my severe chronic constipation with daily old-fashioned large volume tap water enemas. I always can count on them to work and allow me to get on with my life until the next morning.

Obviously I am 24/7 in diapers but, due to some rashes, I now am "airing out" as much and often as I can,

--John

Add my best regards to your post. Clearly, you have become skilled in IC management, and a valuable resource for the rest of us. I check in almost daily, but do not always have much to write. Incontinence is a challenge; overcoming it should be an ego boost, but it is still embarrassing enough that such successes cannot be shared outside of this forum.

Patrick sadly but correctly has mentioned a characteristic of our communications not often discussed. We can (and should) be pleased and even proud of our successes in our never-ending battle with the challenges of incontinence but usually have no one with whom to share it.

While I am not ashamed of my management of my incontinence, it remains very personal and private. Can you imagine sharing such a conversation stopper as "Let me tell you how my enema worked today to empty my colon to manage my bowel incontinence."

--John
(double incontinent)

Very true on both counts. After finding a path towards successful management, there is often not much to talk about and little reason to change the routine.

I just keep on keepin' on as they say.

My wife's health is declining so I find myself doing increasingly more as time progresses. Trying to balance the things I must do (like shopping) with the simple pleasures of a morning cup of coffee (which causes me IC grief), continues to be a challenge. So when I have a morning coffee, I stay home for 3 hours. And then there are the surprises like having a F-IC upon arriving back at the apartment, only to find out that we have company! Thankfully it was my daughter so I survived that particular embarrassment.

When I attend the dirt track races, I wear Tranquility SlimLine + onesie to keep things hidden. I feel over dressed on hot summer evenings but this is the best prevention of embarrassing exposure. It's simply something I need to do in order to enjoy the sport of competitive racing.

It's good to hear from everyone here.

Wayne, it's good to hear from you and thanks for sharing. I'm sorry to read about your wife's declining health and your having to carry a larger burden of responsibility.

I have been able to avoid most F-IC "surprises" due to my morning enema routine. However, it wipes out the morning insofar as time available for any other activities. I take my enemas on the floor, on my right side in order to get maximum "clearance" of the transverse colon. The disadvantage is that I often get a lot of delayed enema drainage so that I cannot just get dressed half an hour after the enema and rush out of the house.

--John

Yes, I can see how that would "wipe out the morning"! I don't think I could do that every day. We would need a larger bathroom for a start (our old cat likes to use our small bathroom like his office). On the other hand, I know that all of us here do what we have to do.