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In addition to disposal bags for soiled diapers, I always have a larger bag for the dreaded possibility of soiled clothing. If we have a truly catastrophic bowel accident, "stuff" may leak down our legs onto our socks, and even onto our shoes.😱 Although I normally use a military-style messenger bag when I need to keep diapers, etc. with me, I keep a "disaster kit" in the trunk of my car with extra diapers and a complete change of clothes and shoes. Admittedly I may be overly anxious about bowel accidents, but, when it happens.... --John

@Slomo i've also noticed one thing. in addition to the things that you're talking about, it's always a good thing to have: -- nitrelle Gloves, so when you have to put on topicals, you end up being able to put on a pair of gloves and be able to use the topicals or any of the gels or lotions, and keep that off of your fingers. once you're done you remove the from the bottom of your wrist and turn them inside out and throw them away. this way all of the topical stuff ointments and Whatnot are on the glove, and when you pull it off you actually throw that away. this will allow you to put the diaper on and not have to worry about what happens should you touch the tapes. If your fingers are not loaded with this gooey stuff or goopy stuff, you won't have to deal with your tapes not sticking. You can use your gloves to do anything that you need to apply any topicals or any ointments or whatever, but that way you can take off the gloves and throw them away and not have all that on your hands. Some of the things that you use when you're doing diaper changes can be quite sticky, or oily or whatever, so you don't want any of that touching your front panels your tapes or sometimes even the diaper itself, because the diaper can disintegrate if you if you use way too much inside the diaper. I have learned from experience that you want to keep your topicals on your gloves rather than all over your fingers of your hands. when I decided that I was going to use the gloves, it was one heck of a godsend. As far as everything else you posted, it's right on the money! all of those things are good Suggestions for managing incontinence or diaper changes, and one of the things that I would add is to make sure you have the proper type of disposal bags and disposal system so that you can quickly get rid of dirty diapers, and they won't smell up your bathroom or your house. Remember that most people that don't wear diapers can probably automatically automatically tell when they're in a house when someone wears diapers because of the smell. people who wear diapers usually become nose blind which means we don't realize there is a smell, because we're so used to the environment But other people would. Very good tricks very good advice! Brian

Absorbent brief, pad, pullup, pampers, diaper. We've all heard them call one thing or another, but so seldom do we hear them called what they are. Diapers. (To be clear, I'm referring to a disposable adult brief which has tapes or tabs. Either cloth-like or plastic backed). Someone once said a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet. I say not if you call it putrid stink weed of instant death. To me, proper names actually are important. If you say you need pampers, then be ready to try and squeeze into a diaper that's 10 sizes too small. Pads, hope you don't plan on getting up anytime soon. Or pullups, hope you don't need something more absorbent. Like an actual diaper an adult might need. I've even been played by this bad wording too. In a hospital I reported I needed diapers. The nurse said ok, let me bring you some pads. And sure enough, what I got was not the diaper I needed. Nor would the actual pad I got be what I needed when going to my physical therapy. Look at it this way too. Most would recognize there is a generalized stigma among the public towards anyone other than a baby or senior needing diapers. Yet we here are proof that is completely false. By refusing to call them diapers, people only play into and perpetuate that stigma. My advice, don't let the stigma get to you. Do you ever feel embarrased by needing spectacles or glasses, braces or casts, or well you get the idea. And the next time (if ever) someone tries to give you a hard time over "diapers", just know that's all on them. And that person is to be pittied, not be embarrassed by.

I have seen call my diapers Briefs and sometimes it feels like they are trying to hide the reality that they are diapers.

I full heartily wish you best of luck in getting it resolved then. But do make sure you are actively trying to get it resolved. If your path is anything like I went through, --and you end up pushing and straining to pee--, then it gets worse if left untreated. Much, much worse. Feel free to message me if you need someone to talk to about it. Or I'm an open book and we can discuss anything right here. That way, others may benefit from our less than pleasant experiences and make what we go through mean something.

It works for me being incontinent and many times I prefer changing my diaper on the floor, bed or diaper changing table because I get a better seal and I won't leak as much.

I can't second this enough. The whole point of a diaper is to not leak. If it does, then you need a better diaper. Sadly, "better" is NOT something you can find in any pharmacy or food store. In the US anyways. Online really is the only sure way to find what you need. And northshorecare IS one of them. Note: Yes you CAN get them online. Many stores sell pre-paid visa cards. Just add enough for you order and you can use it for online purchases. FedEx and UPS also allow for shipping to other than your address too. Just verify where first (often wallgreens, wallmart, other drop locations or even their nearest distribution center can hold a package for pickup).

Seconded, though not everyone will need this much, nor will all these tips work for everyone. Case in point, mastering putting on a diaper while standing so you won't need to carry around a changing mat big enough for an adult. Well, not everyone can do that either. I'd say the import thing for anyone to take away is to find what each individual needs and what helps them manage it all best.

That's a great way of looking at it. Needing diapers does not end your social lifestyle, they help you to keep living your social lifestyle.

For the plastic diapers that don't have a landing zone on the front panel I have put a piece of packing tape across in line with the top tape. This makes my own landing zone and keeps it from getting stretchy and saggy after wearing it. I second everything else mentioned. Also learned: "-Remove your diapers from their packaging for at least a week before needing them. They come compressed, and allowing them to expand some means they will absorb and wick much better when used." 🤯

Here's an example of using a portable diaper changing pad.

For me, I always have two kinds of diaper bags with me. One is my regular diaper bag that comes with 4 diapers, wipes, 4 boosters and spare clothes for when I get soaked really badly. I also have a portable diaper changing bag with me. It has a wipe, diaper and a booster. The portable diaper changing pad is the one that infants have but use them because it's very discreet and know one knows that I have an adult diaper in them.

Ah, a few more tips then. -If you're using a good diaper, stay hydrated, aren't prone to rashes, and are not bowell incontinent, then you usually won't need anything more than a spare diaper for changing during the day. I keep a couple of spare diapers under my car seat just for this. (And yes, I take it in hand to the nearest restroom, as long ago I stopped being embarrassed by them and stopped caring what others think). -For a day trip or overnight, a plain old backpack or laptop bag works well as a diaper bag. And yes, there are situations where it will be searched (airport, theme parks, etc). See the next tip, otherwise trust me when I say they don't care. -Powder, wipes and rash creams show up as a liquid on an xray, so only ever carry travel sizes. Other must have items are at least two diapers, a change of pants, and two plain diaper pins (can be used to hold a popped tape in place, or for any other clothing mishap). Also, practice changing while standing up then skip hauling around a changing mat large enough for you.

Mine has evolved over time, and not for the better. I started with occasional urges, which soon became massively painful urges. Then added to that a blockage, which at its worst made me completely unable to go- at all, and the ER couldn't even get a catheter in me. Lastly I'm now functionally incontinent, and constantly dribble. So that's what I voted for.

That was said by the x-men Gambit, shortly before he was accused of murdering the president, and all heck broke loose. A very few may recognize my old name on daily diapers, Baby Brian. And why I hadn't been around there. That was a long time ago though, and is not something I'll be getting into here. So starting anew, call me Slomo. It's my gamer tag, given to me by a cousin when I first played Lazer tag. I had a slow momentum at first, but soon caught on how to play it, and at some point it was like everyone else was playing in slow motion to me. So it's a double entranda, Slo-mo. Now about me: I was injured in a bad car wreck about 25 years ago, while in the USMC. Among things, I had spinal bruising at my L5-S1. A seemingly magic spot for causing urinary and/or bowel problems for many. I immediately developed severe urge incontinence, along with a slowly worsening neurogenic dyssynergia sphincter (more on that later). At the recommendation from my doctor, I started wearing a diaper while I was still in. Mostly because I wasn't very mobile and couldn't make it to the restroom in time. Still, I fought having to wear them, as I've also been a life-long ABDL. I reasoned since I loved diapers that I was just making an excuse to wear them, and didn't actually need them. It took me a few years of close calls, wet pants, and embarrassment before I was discharged and finally embraced them. Over the next decade my dyssynergia got worse. Basically my sphincter control wires were crossed. Whenever i tried to relax to pee, my muscle would clamp down instead. It got really painful due to my urgency, so I'd push and strain past my own sphincter just to pee. I went from one urologist to another for help. But I couldn't finish their urodynamics test, and pee past the catheter at the end. So none of them believed me. I once even spent a straight 7 months with an indwelling catheter. Just to alleviate the pain and let my kidneys heal. I still ended up with painful hemorrhoids, a bleeding anal fissure, and one really bad kidney stone. Eventually I met a urologist at my local Mayo Clinic, who took me for my word first- then went about verifying it. I was almost immediately put in for a sphincterotomy surgery. Then another, and a bunch more, all about every 3-4 months apart. All just to try and open my external and internal sphincters. Along the way I developed a stricture, so it was more surgeries for that too. In the end, I had gone through 15 surgeries! My heart stopped during one, I had a suprapubic catheter (temporary bypass through the abdomen and into the bladder for a other, had a TURP, then full prostrate removal, and had an inch of my urethra removed. Finally though I'm stable, and my bladder no longer painfully fills. I'm now functionally urinary incontinent, and constantly dripping. I've learned quite a lot along the way too. So just ask me, I might already have an answer for you.

For me, form must follow function. That is, a diaper is intended to absorb pee without leaking. So above all else, any diaper needs to be trustworth to not leak. If it does leak on me more than 1-2 times a month, then I need a better diaper. And wow have I gone through a LOT of diapers finding one. Which ended up being Betterdry for me. Of note; I found any diaper that uses a "no lower tapes" design will leak around my legs well before it is even half used. By this I mean if you look at any diaper with a front tape landing panel. The back wings will have one tape nearly centered, and one tap near the top. There is no lower tape. This all said, Betterdry has several variants. The same exact make, but with prints. Ever since embracing my DL side I've made Crinklz my day and night, go-to diaper. I only need two diapers in 24 hours, so they also cost me less than $5.00 per day. Something other diapers like arena, tenant seni can't do for me. And certainly not the "cheap" diapers like depends or atn. And yes, I've been to the ER in a crinklz. Gone into w waaaayy to many surgeries with them on. Ive also changed in an open locker room with them, and kept them on while sunbathing at the beach. (Not like I have the choice to just take them off either). Though if I plan to go into the water I wear a reusable pocket diaper. It has a waterproof outer liner and a thin terry cloth inner liner, with a removable cloth booster pad. I can remove the pad, and the terry liner will catch any dribbling to and from the water. Work good at water parks too. Though I do have to make sure to break a leg seal when getting out, so the water can drain out. Lest I want to walk around sloshing.

Brian, very well said. Those who are not incontinent grossly underestimate the importance of stress associated with IC. Then, of course, there is the "loop" where stress increases IC and IC increases stress. For those of us who are bowel incontinent, the potential for stress is even greater due to the inability to really "hide" a bowel accident. Plus, the social stigma associated with bowel incontinence is even greater than that associated with bladder incontinence. The stresses associated with fecal incontinence even push some to thoughts of suicide.☹️ It is difficult to find reliable statistics about this as families often suppress such information after the fact. Socialization via support groups can help reduce stress about a problem. It is difficult to find opportunities to share the challenges of living with IC. Unfortunately, face-to-face groups are very rare. Even more so for fecal incontinence. That is why this forum can be so important for all of us. No one's incontinence is more important than anyone else's. All deserve to be heard and receive help. --John