Howdy All!

Well, it's April already! Yikes! I've been at my new job as a 9-11 Dispatcher for six months now. Wow. Let me tall you, it's not a job you can just walk into and start gabbing on the radio and phone and be perfect at. I love the job though.

Anyway, just checking to see if anyone has given ABAIP a try since Gary, who also owns XP Medical took it over back in January. I see he has a sale up on Abena X-Plus to try the new shopping cart system out. Has anyone given that a try yet? If so, what did you think?

Summer's coming. What is everyone doing for protection during the summer to minimize heat buildup/rash? For around the house and places where I'll have more ability to change, I think I'm going to go to the Attends Extra Absorbency Breathable Briefs. My FSA will cover them so that will help a LOT. For work though, I'm still sticking with Molicare Super Plus. I am NOT taking any chances there. Cloth covered chairs and leaks do NOT go together. LOL!

Who else has an FSA? Do you find it limits your choices of what diapers and/or other supplies you can buy (such as catheters, etc..)? Mine does not seem to cover higher end brands like Abena or Molicare. I've got to work with them on that.

Anyway, just some thoughts. Hope everyone is doing well! Now that I have settled into my job and have more time (three days off a week!) I'll be putting more time into this site. If you have anything you want to submit (diaper reviews, pics of products, etc...) let me know.

Well, off to work!

Kind Regards,

Brian
One of the Moderators

Hello Brian:

So happy the new job is working so well, and that you are doing something you really enjoy plus serves the community.

Since you are one of the true "experts" in incontinence products, I will throw this one at you, and hope you can give me a few ideas.

I've been incontinent for 40 years due to an accident on a construction site that caused spinal cord injury.
After many months of rehab, I regained most of my abilities with the exception of urinary control. I suffer from reflex incontinence, and as such have no feeling of my bladder's need to empty, nor feel the urine leaving my body. My indication of the urine release if the feeling of a wet diaper.

As a portion of the insurance settlement, the cost of my incontinence supplies are paid by my former employer's insurance company. Unfortunately, they have control over the supplier and products available.
They won't pay for premium brands, which is foolsh as I use far more units of the lower priced products due to their lower absorbency capacity.

For the first 20 years of my incontinece, there were no disposables around for adults that could handle total urinary incontinence, so the insurance company paid for a cloth diaper service. You can just imagine what issues I had to put up with. Fortunately, when the Depend and Attend products came on the market some 20 years ago, it made all the difference. The insurance company placed my case with third party supplier which they choose and I never see a bill.

Now to my current issue. As I've become older, my bladder does not fully empty after each void, leading to constant dribbling until the next void. The result being that my diaper is always wet to some degree.
I am trying to find a diaper that has a surface cover that allows the urine to pass while the portion touching my skin stays dry. Is there any such product?
I am diligent about changing, normally 5 to 6 times per day, but the constant wetness is becoming a real problem for me.

Brian, I would appreciate any ideas.

Thank you,

Walter

Hey there Walter!

Sorry for the delayed reply. Our cable got cut when our garden was tilled (who knew it was buried???) and I've been without internet access for a couple days.

Anyway, you have the same problem as me. I have found that putting a separate pad in there and removing it after a couple/few hours works OK. I have yet to find a diaper that really does feel dry when I dribble. Only problem with a pad is if you flood and the pad is already slightly damp, it can cause leakage at the legs. The best diaper I've found for feeling the driest is either the Molicare Super Plus or the Dry247. The Molicare are much cheaper than the dry 247 and can be bought at ABAIP. This is not self promotion, as I no longer own abaip but do buy all my supplies from ABAIP and XP Medical now.

The other problem I've run into is odor. I'm wondering what the deal is, as I never had a problem with odor before I started self cathing. Some say it's bacteria but all uti tests come back negative so I'm not sure what the deal is. I can only wear a diaper for up to six hours before it starts to smell like amonia or old urine. I do NOT advocate wearing a diaper for more than six hours anyway, so I guess it's not a real big deal, but being a 9-11 Dispatcher, sometimes I don't ave a choice depending on how crazy things are at work.

I DO NOT recommend the cloth like backed diapers at all. They absorb well and everything but do NOT hold odor in and if you flood they tend to feel damp or clammy on the outside and make your pants feel that way too. My Medical Flex Spending Account will pay for the Attends Extra Absorbency Breathable Briefs, which aren't bad, but I'll only use them around the house and stick with Abena or Molicare at work.

Only thing I can really tell you is try the pad idea or change more often. I know changing more often gets expensive, but I guess if dryness is really a concern for you that would be the way to go.

Maybe someone else here has an idea. I'm open to ideas myself. If you come up with something please definitely share it with us! :)

Kind Regards,

Brian
Kentucky

Hello again Brian,

I most apprediate your suggestion, and will give it a try. Problem is being in right place to either check or change the pad. On most days, I change ever four hours, and at bedtime use an overnight diaper with a liner that handles the heavy flow for up to 8 hours.
My insurance company's vendor supplies me with a brand called Prevail.

Prior to the start of the constant dribbling, I released every 3 or four hours, changed within a half hour, and was dry the rest of the time. Now, as you well know, the diaper is never totally dry. Besides the discomfort, I've developed diaper rash. Even during the 20 years of cloth diapers, I never had any rash. Of course, the diaper service treated the diapers with an anti-bacterial rinse that prevented both rashes and odor.

In searching incontinent supplies on the web, I do find two manufacturers who suggest their product remains dry on the surface after a wetting. One is Tena which talks about Insta-dry and the other Tranquility that suggest the same. Do you know anything about these products, or have spoken to anyone who has used them?

As to the odor issues you are faced with, I wonder if an anti-bacterial spray applied to your diaper at each change would help. I remember years ago that the medical supply store that provided me with waterproof pants had these kind of products. You might also check with your urologist for a suggestion.

Any additional thought from you Brian or others who read this forum, would be appreciated.

Best of Everything to You,

Walter

Hi, Walter. I know I'm coming into this thread a little late, but thought I'd weigh in anyway.

I've been using Tena diapers for some time now, the Super Stretch diapers in particular. They hold a lot, they're discreet (since they're thicker in the crotch than anywhere else), and they fit great. I know Brian and a lot of others don't care for "cloth" covered diapers, but I've not had a problem wit these.

The most interesting thing about them is that instead of little tape tabs or even Velcro tabs, they have wide, stretchable wrap-around belts with very wide Velcro tabs, one on each side. They do an excellent job of keeping the diaper up, almost no matter how wet it gets. Interestingly, these are just about the only diapers I've found that will not wet while I'm sitting.

As I said, I've been wearing these diapers for several months now and have yet to have a problem with diaper rash (though I always recommend a good moisture barrier).

The best price I've found is on a site called dmes.com. They have cases of 56 (large) for under $53 delivered. Good stuff.

I hope that helps and that you give the Tena Super Stretch a shot.

-RMS