Acceptance By Others

[Kermatt]

Today was not the first time a coworker noticed my pads or absorbent garments. Then tonight I read someone here share that she was afraid that her coworkers would discover that her use of protective absorbent garments was not _just_ necessity.

This is what I want to discuss, becuase although I do have some involuntary leakage, I can usually go without even a minimal absorbency pad if I have to. So for the most part my use of absorbent products is voluntary; to say "need" is usually an exaggeration. What struck me about it today was that by not speaking up, I sort of implied that my use was _entirely_ for medical necessity.

I thought about my coworker who noticed my getting a pad. Then about when I've asked to use the far restroom rather than the near one--I've never been asked why or denied permission, but I wonder.... I then wondered about the times I've wanted a protective garment so I've asked a supervisor for special permission to let me take the extra five minutes to run to my locker because I "need to." Sometimes he might be able to smell the urine, but who knows what he thinks. (For the record, they DO know I'm a good employee, so at least that part of it is not an issue). What is the issue: I do have some mild urine leakage and gi issues, but most of the time the word "need" is an exaggeration.

I'm _almost_ lying. But if someone notices a pad or even a brief, how else would I act?

As I wonder about my choice to use absorbent products, I think about this gray area between want and need.

As I use absorbent products, I wonder about my attitude to people who notice it.

Has anyone else here experienced this?

Matthew

[DavidMW]

...becuase although I do have some involuntary leakage, I can usually go without even a minimal absorbency pad if I have to. So for the most part my use of absorbent products is voluntary; to say "need" is usually an exaggeration. What struck me about it today was that by not speaking up, I sort of implied that my use was _entirely_ for medical necessity. ...

Matthew

It seems perfectly reasonable to me for you to say you have a need to wear protection. After all, if you have some involuntary leakage, then without protection you'd sometimes wet your pants at work. How often would you have to wet your pants at work before you'd say you need protection?

Besides, you're not just protecting yourself, your clothes or your image from the results of involuntary leakage. I suspect that your colleagues would prefer not to encounter, um, leakage residue on chairs, the floor, soaked into the office carpet, etc. I suspect that in the long run, that would bother more of your colleagues than the thought of you using protection would.

Since you can't schedule involuntary leakage, you're just being prepared.

[Kermatt]

It seems perfectly reasonable to me for you to say you have a need to wear protection. After all, if you have some involuntary leakage, then without protection you'd sometimes wet your pants at work. How often would you have to wet your pants at work before you'd say you need protection?

Besides, you're not just protecting yourself, your clothes or your image from the results of involuntary leakage. I suspect that your colleagues would prefer not to encounter, um, leakage residue on chairs, the floor, soaked into the office carpet, etc. I suspect that in the long run, that would bother more of your colleagues than the thought of you using protection would.

Since you can't schedule involuntary leakage, you're just being prepared.

David, thanks for your kind words, but you give me more credit than I deserve: I did not word my post well: my leakage is rare and mild, so much so that I maybe shouldn't have even mentioned it. Most of the time my situation is very close to a dl without leakage etc. I just like to wear protection even when I don't need to. So I'm almost just a dl. What if I were just a dl?

In this situation, people's noticing is more problematic.

Sorry I was not clear the first time.

Matthew

[Pipsqueak]

Kermatt, as long as you're not purposely flashing your diapers in the faces of your co-workers in an attempt to make them notice - ie. wearing those baggy style jeans that hang practically to your knees and show off way more of your underwear than anyone wants to see - then it's none of their business what you're wearing. Anyone who has been raised with even a modicum of good manners would never comment on inadvertently seeing you had a diaper on under your pants. Most people will assume you have a reason to wear and are probably thankful that they don't and won't mention it. And really you do have a reason - it might not be medical as they assume, but that doesn't really matter. You know, I will bet there is plenty of interesting underwear beneath the clothing of people working at their jobs. Men in women's panties, women going "commando", hidden chastity belts, plastic pants without diapers, etc. None of those could be considered medical, but you know, if you're not flaunting it, who cares what you're wearing? And if someone is rude enough to say "hey, how come you're wearing diapers", you can simply tell them it's a private matter and you don't wish to talk about it." You're not lying about why, you're just politely telling them to mind their own business - which is what they should have been doing in the first place.