How would you explain to a medical provider why you wear prefer to wear diapers for managing incontinence?

[Enthusi]

I have several medical conditions.  Even though they're well managed and I'm in good health overall, they require me to see several specialists, and undergo exams and procedures, some of which involve me disrobing.    Long gone are the days when I could get away without wearing a diaper to a doctor's appointment.    Generally speaking my providers know I'm incontinent and they don't really care. Even so, it stresses me out whenever I have to meet with a new provider.  

The difficulty lies in explaining why I prefer to wear diapers when there are other treatments available.   It's one thing to say that my incontinence is multifactorial, or that my muscles don't cooperate.  It's another to flat out decline referrals to providers who can help make it better.   Obviously I don't owe my medical providers an explanation.  But even so, it would be nice to find a way to signal diapers make me happy without saying "diapers make me happy." 

[stevewet]

I've never had a problem. My doctor, diabetic nurse and of course the continence nurse know I wear nappies. They only ask if I am managing my incontinence not how.

[Enthusi]

39 minutes ago, stevewet said:

I've never had a problem. My doctor, diabetic nurse and of course the continence nurse know I wear nappies. They only ask if I am managing my incontinence not how.

I'm surprised your continence nurse isn't pushing you to get out of nappies, especially with your history of diabetes.  You'd think they would be nervous about the risk of skin breakdown leading to severe infections.    I mean don't get me wrong, that's great that you don't have to explain yourself.  

[Veg]

Perhaps you could use the argument that diapers are your preferred method of handling incontinence because it's one of the least invasive options? 

You know the side effects and outcome with diapers. But medicene or surgeries effects can vary from person to person.

[Enthusi]

4 minutes ago, Veg said:

Perhaps you could use the argument that diapers are your preferred method of handling incontinence because it's one of the least invasive options? 

You know the side effects and outcome with diapers. But medicene or surgeries effects can vary from person to person.

Very true.  That’s not to mention drug interactions, and pill burden.  

[Little Sherri]

I haven't actually had to contend with this yet; only one of my doctors has ever seen me in a "diaper" - actually, a grey pull-up - and, ironically, this guy was a urologist, and he said exactly nothing. I've been in diapers around doctors many times now, but it's never come onto the radar. Yet. 

However, my experience with the urologist, I think, illustrates that most of them have their fenced-off silos of interest, and what happens outside those jurisdictions are of little interest to most of them. That guys was a urologist - incontinence actually IS in his lane, but because I was there for an unrelated reason, he didn't even blink. So, going to see your dermatologist in a diaper, unless the complaint was about diaper rash, would probably provoke minimal probing on the topic, I suspect. 

My family doctor has known me since I was a teenager, so if I just showed up in front of him in a big diaper, he'd have questions, but, he's due to retire anytime now, and when he does, I'll have to start a new relationship with a general physician, and when I do, my plan is to say that I've had some urinary incontinence for a long time now, probably due to OAB or urge incontinence, and that I've had my prostate checked out (true), and it's fine, and we went down some other treatment avenues without any results, and I'm managing it by wearing protection, and I'm fine with that, and I don't want to run around seeing specialists or take any new drugs, next question, please. 

If they insist, then, they're not the right doctor for me. I have the right to decide to follow or not follow any treatment option they present me with on almost any topic, and this one is far from the most serious. You are in the driver's seat when it comes to your relationship with your healthcare provider. They're not the police. If you want to wear diapers and not talk about it, well, maybe I want to wear a stovepipe hat and not talk about it...

[Kawaharu]

I don't even have that problem. All my doctors and nurses knows I wear adult diapers and they even know I am an adult baby and not an adult, grown up or big kid. They know I am incontinent and they ask me how I am managing my incontinence and my diapers. They even check to make sure I am not developing a diaper rash and If I leak or poop, they will even help me with diaper changes. Many of my doctors and Nurses knows I am an adult baby and they treat me like an adult baby. They know that being an adult baby helps me cope and deal with being incontinent.

[Kif]

2 hours ago, Veg said:

Perhaps you could use the argument that diapers are your preferred method of handling incontinence because it's one of the least invasive options? 

You know the side effects and outcome with diapers. But medicene or surgeries effects can vary from person to person.

This is the way. 

Speaking from experience...Surgery and side effects can be really scary. Describing diapers as "one of the least invasive options" really resonates with me, couldn't have put it better tbh. 

 

[PlstkBakdnghtnday]

Besides, Billy Maddison said it best, "Peeing your pants is the coolest!"

[WetDad]

I explain that I have tried many IC cures, and so far, the side effects of each have been worse than the IC they were trying to cure. Diapers, OTOH, offer a well known set of side effects that I can live with.

[Diapered Dave]

Just look them straight in the eyes, and with a calm steady voice, say: "Because I really, really enjoy the cartoon prints on them, that's why!!" 

[PuraVidaDip]

I tried a bunch of meds and nothing seemed to work.

[stevewet]

28 minutes ago, PuraVidaDip said:

I tried a bunch of meds and nothing seemed to work.

Meds didn't work for me either. They reduced the amount I wet but the side effects weren't worth it.

On 3/16/2023 at 12:13 AM, WetDad said:

I explain that I have tried many IC cures, and so far, the side effects of each have been worse than the IC they were trying to cure. Diapers, OTOH, offer a well known set of side effects that I can live with.

Same here

[babykeiff]

Those doctors / medical staff who have asked I reply by asking them to provide a solution with zero side effects that they would inflict on their infant / child... and they tend to shut up very quickly - as there isn't a solution that would 'fix' this with zero sife effects / harm to me / their own child.

From a medical perspective, every medical procedure no mater what it is has side effects.... that also need to be treated / dealt with.