There goes the bladder

[nuthatch]

Oh, the surfer secret has been revealed! I remember when my son told me how it helps to keep you warm in a wetsuit, I was appalled! Kinda grosses me out to think of stewing in your own "juices" plus wetsuits aren't exactly washable! No wonder surfers often hang them outside.
My daughter once dated a water polo player in high school. He told me all the players peed in the pool, that's why the pools are so heavily chlorinated. I could never watch a water polo game again without thinking of all those guys injesting each others pee during the game.

Incontinence is a very common MS problem and one of the very first signs of MS for me. Judging by all the incontinence products advertised on TV and on the market, it's a big problem in the general population too. Urgency is one thing, total unexpected letting go is another and is humiliating, but loss of bowel control is by far much worse. I hope it doesn't come to that for you.

[agate]

Oh, the surfer secret has been revealed! I remember when my son told me how it helps to keep you warm in a wetsuit, I was appalled! Kinda grosses me out to think of stewing in your own "juices" plus wetsuits aren't exactly washable! No wonder surfers often hang them outside.
My daughter once dated a water polo player in high school. He told me all the players peed in the pool, that's why the pools are so heavily chlorinated. I could never watch a water polo game again without thinking of all those guys injesting each others pee during the game.

Incontinence is a very common MS problem and one of the very first signs of MS for me. Judging by all the incontinence products advertised on TV and on the market, it's a big problem in the general population too. Urgency is one thing, total unexpected letting go is another and is humiliating, but loss of bowel control is by far much worse. I hope it doesn't come to that for you.

Aren't swimmers instructed to try not to swallow the water?

Years ago there was a notion that urine was sterile and so safe to drink but that turns out not to be true.

Still, people have drunk it often enough to survive when lost in the wilderness and in other extreme situations.

[Jeanie Z]

:) I believe it is close to sterile unless you have an infection. During WWII soldiers were told to urinate on wounds if no medic was near. That is what I heard years ago.

I could not sleep so I got up and wrote some Christmas cards art 3 AM. I am still wide awake. Jeanie :)

[Sunshine]

I was up at three also Jeannie!

At our pool the coach schedules bathroom breaks to discourage pool urination.

If you rinse the suit good, mine never smells.

There is also a special shampoo for wetsuits I use twice a season.

[Lazarus]

On farmers'market days when I leave the house at 5am I get up at 3am and take Immodium ...that works well and I have had no more bowel control problems at market. Of course Sunday requires stool softener to counteract the situation. But, I have found this way gives me the freedom to be working for 9 hours on Saturdays without leaving my market spot. Oxybutinin, the generic bladder pill, works to give me the same freedom on those market days.

It is a balancing routine .....and usually works for me. Usually. But, just in case, there are protections.

[Howie]

I got up several times last night, and finally, with the last trip to the bathroom, I decided to just get up and make coffee. Normally coffee makes you want to go. I'm almost finished with my second mug of coffee, and nothing. Go figure!!!

[SuzE-Q]

Lazarus,

How did you come up with such an interesting protocol of imodium when you'll need to be at the market/softener the day after to counteract it?

Did you read or have this suggested to you, or was it a DIY?

Cat, have you tried something like this? I know you've always touted a strict bowel program to ensure regularity.

I've never taken imodium in my life, so I'd never have thought it would have this novel way of helping to avoid an accident created by MS.

I'm interested in hearing how this came about and how much confidence it might give you!

[Lazarus]

SuzE-Q,
I came up with it myself. The timing is from trial and error...
It works so well that I have no problems for the 10 hours at I work on Saturdays. This has helped me for many years.

[Cat Dancer]

I have a colostomy now. Poop in a bag, change the bag once or twice a day. No rushing to the bathroom, no urgent pit stops while on the road, no "accidents". They installed it when I was having so much trouble getting the pressure sore to heal -- too close to the poop exit hole. I resisted for a long time...but truth is, I wish I'd done it much sooner. It was weird getting used to it at first, and daunting having to learn how to empty it, change it, all that. But now, more than a year later, it's quick, simple, and relatively stress free. I'm pretty much free to eat whatever I want, whenever I want. I carry extra pouches and appliances (it's a two piece system) with me, just in case. I've changed pouches (the part that collects the poop) in public bathrooms without any issues. I've experienced leaks (poop gets under the seals, sometimes) a few time, but always noticed right away before things got ugly, and was able to fix it and go about my business. So I have a colostomy, a foley catheter, two hearing aids, eye implants (what they do with cataract surgery), glasses....don't know how many more spare parts they can glue on. But I'm alive.. :)

[agate]

It's wonderful how well people seem to cope with those bags.

I've known several people who have colostomy or ileostomy bags--and they've had them for more than 30 years.