I think the biggest thing was going from one small space but less people to a little bigger place but three additional adults and 2 additional kids who are my wife's younger step brother and sister.
Also for the first time in a long time, I have been sharing a space with another individual who like me, has issues with incontinence. His issues are only at night and due to PTSD so its likely he will grow out of it. He knows about my severe bladder and bowel incontinence and I know about his bedwetting. We have had a few conversations about it and he has been clear he really feels good knowing there is some one else in the family, and the past month in a half, living under the same roof as him, who like him, knows what its like to be him. He wears pull ups at night and like me, when he gets up in the morning, he has to take a shower to wash the embarrassing pee smell off his body.
On another note, despite how awkward it is, he has trusted me enough to ask me for one of my diapers when he has run out of his pull ups. We live in a small county on a peninsula with very small towns so you cant just run to the grocery store to get more pull ups. I get mine delivered and I always have enough
As awkward as it is for him. its a bit awkward for me too because here is a ten year old boy asking me with his low tone and sheepish voice if "can I have one of your underwears" (That's what he calls them for obvious reasons).
That being said, it feels good to know that he trusts me enough to ask and on one occasion I had to borrow a couple of his pull ups till I could get to my storage so we have both relied on each other. For the record, this boy is ten years old but he has a bit of a weight problem so its not as unlikely as it sounds that both of our incontinence products, size wise, are interchangeable. If I had to make a guess, I might have 40 lbs on him and I am 190.
Something else I will point out is how awesome it is that he has two parents and a sister who are totally un-phased by his issues and don't give him grief for it. Its also made it a much comfortable stay for us because of my severe incontinence.
I will end this by saying that our stay here hasn't been with out its hiccups including being reminded how tough it can be to have both severe bladder and bowel incontinence and have only one bathroom. On a couple occasions I have needed to change my soiled diaper and had to wait for the restroom so I could get changed meaning I had to wait around with a soiled diaper and no way of helping myself until the bathroom could be free.
Also we are staying in a house which is on septic system and the house is built for two people so with all of us here we have to limit showers. Well every one except me and the ten year old. I appreciate, obviously, being able to shower every day. It just feels weird getting a special privilege. A privilege I share with a ten year old boy who like me, wakes up smelling like pee every morning.
Then there was the awkward talk my wifes mother had with me about placing my used diapers on the top of the garbage can under the sink and her insistence of calling me honey all the time lol...And her reminding me that I can take showers every morning just like her son can......well she is my mom....Just had some awkward moments...
Like the morning our power went out because car hit a pole and took out power to a good portion of the peninsula. No electricity meant no lights and so I took no shower and I had to change with the door open. I had no clue that my mother in law was waiting for the restroom too and she thought nothing of the fact I was standing in the bathroom, visibly changing myself and then it dawned on her that she had been standing there while I was handling my business and she started apologizing profusely. We were both quite embarrassed.
Any how, our time here is coming to an end and on Friday we will be moving into our new apartment, the next town over. I just wanted to reflect on our time here.
My next posts will touch on two resources pertaining to incontinence. One is the Bathroom Locator App and the other is a children's incontinence charity based in the UK called ERIC. They are a much needed resources for kids, their parents and their families and while they are based in the UK. I really hope to see their efforts and the things that they do, extend here..
Until next time.
Isa (DiaperDad)