Incontinence Lifestyle Journey

I currently wear cloth day and night, I am diapered for 6 hours of control but am changed every 4. 

During the day BM's are changed as needed, at night I am left to sleep till morning. I am restrained in a power wheelchair for safe mobility (toes, ankles, knees, pelvis, waist, torso.)

I have a neurogenic bowel and bladder, which is a spinal cord injury sometimes interrupts communication between the brain and the nerves in the spinal cord.

This lead to a loss of control for bladder and bowel function. It causes me to have constant leaks, with occasional 400 to 600 ML floods. Bowel wise I use medication to override my bodies constipation. I don't have urgency or sensation to use the bathroom. The medication makes it impossible for a normal person to retain stool, for me I find out after it happens , 4 to 5 times a day.

Did you know that the number 1 cause for premature wear and needing to be replaced early of all wheelchairs is incontinence? This makes it extra important to have maximum absorbency at the maximum protection level. Life will teach you - if it can go wrong it will. Especially with diapers.

Disposable diapers give me sores and "love bites" from the plastic bits. I definitely appreciate soft, wrapped leg elastic!

Coupled with my degenerative muscular disease, I am an exceptionally rare individual. They’ve told me I am the first person in history to have these 2 diseases together, the first American to ever have them, and ultimately hopefully the only person. I have taken great care not to reproduce in my younger healthier days, there for I am the only person on earth living and dying with what I have. People ask me all the time if I attend any "support groups.”

I tell them, "Yes. I go into my room and bitch and moan till I can’t stand it, then leave it behind until next time." I guess this is what I would call 'venting.'

I put special needs into the dictionary one day at a time!

Most people know me as a humorous sarcastic loveable guy!

: )

I am grateful for my girlfriend, and my caretakers. 

I know a-lot of special needs families who swear by Super Undies for their kids Incontinence issues, and I’m happy to discover how this bigger version can help me.

One Nation | One Family | One Race = Human 

Let's be nice, we are all brothers and sisters!

Sent in 1-30-2021

-Anonymous

*If you want to share your story, just email it to info@threadedarmor.com. Our goal is to show a persons journey, and promote togetherness.

You are not alone!

Every night, without fail, my husband would shred his disposable diaper in his sleep.

Why? We think it has something to do with a tactile sensitivity that he developed, but we're not really sure. Maybe disposables just really irritate him. Maybe it's a tick he can't stop, an when he falls asleep that nature just takes over. Regardless...

Every morning, I would have beads and sap and plastic all over the bed.

Not only would I have to wash my husband, and not only would I have to wash the bedding, but because there were small pieces of plastic everywhere I would have to hand rinse it all first. Planning how to manage this morning time because a big consideration in my days. We would leave the house less, we would have less visitors' and I was just exhausted. 

We had tried a few types of cloth diapers, but many that I found were in baby prints. If you can make a big diaper, why can't you make it in a nice color that gives my husband some dignity? I suppose I cared more than him, but I did care. I've loved this man for decades, and I didn't want to see him having to wear a large baby diaper. 

Eventually we were directed to Threaded Armor, which seemed like a dignified diapering option.

I spoke with Laura on the phone and she gave me some great ideas. She said if I was more comfortable with using disposables, I could just use the brief as a pull-on cover and not use the padded insert inside. Although my husband could fit into a size medium or a large, we decided to go with the medium. The smaller size would limit the amount of room he had to put his hands in his pants. She also encouraged me to try them in the daytime as well, with the insert. If we could eliminate disposables, then we could save some money. Then she said something that floored me... 

Maybe disposables were the reason he shreds his diapers.

Apparently there are traces of chemicals left on the diapers after they are manufactured. These chemicals that are generated in the production of the disposable diapers are a known toxin, and it was possible my husband was sensitive and reacting to that. It made sense. How would we even know any other way? Disposables are recommended by urologists, while the idea of adult cloth diapers aren't even considered! And here they are... causing us even more trouble. Im so thankful I found Threaded Armor, and I'm even more thankful for Laura's advice. 

We are currently looking into things like detoxing, sensitive skin creams, natural antihistamines, and more natural solutions in general. Laura is a blessing, and she's really helped me look at my own care in a more holistic way. 

*If you want to share your story, just email it to info@threadedarmor.com. Our goal is to show a persons journey, and promote togetherness.
You are not alone!