www.incontinentsupport.org

I find that as I am learning to accept and live with my incontinence, that I am having an old problem rear its ugly head and get in the way. Before my brain damage I was good at time management, but post-injury not so much. This is now becoming a problem because it takes me so long to self diaper, upwards of 20 minutes, that I have to budget in time for things and I find myself not doing that so well. Consequently I am always rushed and running late, or I dehydrate again so I can run out the door sans diaper. I am not sure what the right answer is but I need to find something. I am not sure if this is me venting, asking for help or what because I am not even sure what I want or need in this regard. Ugh, I am sorry and thank you for listening.

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When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.

Marcus Aurelius

Hang in there you will get a system put together. Try using your cell phone alarm, for a base line to remind you. I have been this way long enough its almost automatic but, I still have messes from time to time. Must have been that extra bottled water I drank !!

Mike, remember my friend who had TBI along with his hip being replaced? He has a severe short term memory problem. To overcome this, he uses a small notepad and writes items down. Such as where he parked his car. Hopefully, you will find a system soon that will work with your time situation.

As far as taking time to change, sometimes I end up in the bathroom for awhile. Most of the time it is because I am trying to completely empty my bladder, before changing. Of course, I get the raz from my wife about finding my new home. She means well, but I don't discuss my changing times with her unless we are out in town and I reach for my bag. Then she knows I had an accident.

Thank you both for your kind and thoughtful words.

MLHJR, I will do that! Had forgotten the alarm feature on my phone, time to dust it off.

Batman, I just wish it wasn't such an ordeal to change myself because I hate that my bathroom time is somewhat of a joke. It's bad enough when they make comments about how long it takes to grab a shower. I get dizzy if standing up with eyes closed or when looking up which is difficult since you do that when washing your hair. Maybe as I loose weight it will get easier.

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When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.

Marcus Aurelius

Porkchop,

Hang in there. An inner ear disease makes me walk around as though I'm drunk, and I feel that way. This complicates changing, as you know. Long ago I decided that the criticism and snide remarks about the time I need to wash and change were a fair trade for diaper rash and public accidents. Live and learn. Good luck.

I had a stroke 4 years ago and have residual balance problems. I have a grab bar chest high at each end of the tub surround at the outer edges, plus an elongated grab bar on the wall just above the tub. My shower head bar is also a grab bar, and I have a small one on the outside edge of my wall-mounted shampoo, etc. shelf in the back corner of the shower stall. When we remodeled our bathroom, a plumber friend of ours consulted with the ADA and placed the bars to their specification. I normally take seated baths, and push the adjustable shower head all the way down when I get into the tub, so it will be in position for washing my hair after my bath. If I'm having a good balance day, I will take a standing shower, but I keep eye closing to a minimum. When I first came home from rehab, I had a plastic bench seat that fit over the tub. You might consider getting one of those.

Wetters

Hi Porkchop

Do you suffer from vertigo the symptoms you have on face value appear to be the same. A relative had this complaint and the NHS physiotherapist carried out a complex manipulation of the body to re-program the brain to put things correct.

Greenbank

Greenbank,

My inner ear problem is called Meniere's disease. A therapist and an otolaryngologist (ear doctor) put me on my back on a table and twisted my head, made me lie flat on my stomach, twisted my head again, then did it when I was lying on both sides. I do not know if this did any good, because Meniere's comes and goes without rhyme or reason. Those twistings and turnings are intended to re-position the otoliths (tiny grains of calcium) so that they once again help us respond accurately to gravity. I hope that these exercises worked in this instance.

Greenbank, I do suffer vertigo but those retraining options aren't available because my brain injury means the synapses aren't firing like normal. If my vertigo was caused by something else, there might be a cure in sight but alas not for me.

Wetters, we have grab bars and such but I still take awhile to shower and change myself. Part of that is just my pain and such, it causes me to move slow. I still endure and walk a mile every morning and someday soon I hope to get up to 1.5 and then 2 miles a day. I hope that, through diet and exercise I can mitigate some of my issues and delay the inevitable degenerative nature of them.

I guess I am going to just have to keep sucking it up until I can develop a routine that works for me.

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When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.

Marcus Aurelius

Oh Boy! How I can relate to this post!!! I have both ADHD and PDD-NOS, and some of my biggest struggles are time management and organiton. I get distracted easily and forget to do things.. hence the reason why biofeedback ultimately fell on its face when it came to being a long lasting treatmetn option; it's not that I didn't want to do the excercises and stay dry, its i just get so distracted with different aspects of life , i forget to do it. Yes, I'm sure someone will say to me, do it at a certian time and you wont forget. That's not exactly the case; I have a routine for putting my keys by the door and my wallet, so I know where they are when i go to a sub job in the morning. Yesterday, both my keys and my wallet were by the door, and somehow i remembered my keys, but not my wallet!! My, was that ever embarrassing!! I hate being easily distractable, and disorganized just like i hate being incontinent, but hatred wont make my disabilites go away.. I just have to learn to deal with it, and adapt as best I can. Hang in there Mike, you'll be fine.

Peace out!

Rob

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"We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love" Mother Teresa

"THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!" - Captain Picard from Chain of Command, Part II