Friday, November 1, 2013

Keeping Odor At Bay with Bowel Incontinence

I have had some questions about how to get rid of the odor when you have bowel problems. Well, since this is a popular question that my readers keep messaging me about, I figure just may as well answer it here.

1.       If you want to remove odor from your stools, take Nullo tablets. These act as an internal deodorant and will take away odor in approximately two weeks.

2.       You need to drink a lot of water and eat more vegetables than you do meats. Meats really make your bowels have an odor.

3.       Use fragrant sprays and powders if you do not have allergies to them. Home Delivery Incontinence Supplies has some awesome sprays in different scents that you can buy. You spray your diapers with these before you put them on. This also helps to mask that embarrassing odor.

4 To keep your trash can smelling fresh, spray air freshener in the trash bag after you have changed it and before you put any diapers in it. I have found scents, like apple cinnamon, pumpkin spice and just plain old cinnamon really good at keeping the smells down.

5.       When you change your diapers, tie them up in plastic bags. You can purchase trash bags for small trash cans and keep them on hand for diaper changes, go to Babies R Us and purchase the box of plastic bags especially for diaper disposal, use your leftover plastic shopping bags or use any other old plastic bags you have lying around the house.

These tips are excellent at keeping away the stares and the whispers. People will not even know you have a problem.

Reflections on a Past Experience

I will tell you a story that involved me sticking up for someone being teased only about three years ago or so. I was at my friend's daughter's Head Start facility, waiting for her to get out of her class. There was this little boy, maybe about three years of age, who was still in diapers. I heard the teachers talking out in the open about it. They said his mom sent him in diapers because some medication he was on was giving him diarrhea. The little boy was crying because he needed his diaper changed, and one of the teachers harshly said to him in a loud voice, "You need to wait and be quiet. You should not even be wearing diapers anyway. You're too old."

 My heart ached for the boy because I knew how he felt, and the poop was likely irritating his bottom, especially if it was diarrhea. I had enough of this bullying and ignorant behavior, and I was determined to show these moronic teachers that age does not determine when someone does or does not wear diapers. I was unable to stand by any longer and watch this go on and walk away and do nothing. I am not one who can stand by and silently watch injustice. I have to get involved. The Bible says so, anyway.

 I jumped up from where I was sitting, swung my diaper bag over my shoulder and opened it up. I pulled out one of my diapers in full view, saying, "You know? I got an F in toilet training! I am 26 and still have to wear diapers. I have a medical problem. I can't control my bladder at all, and I sometimes poop myself. So, stop bullying that little boy and change his diaper, so he can be comfortable. I know how it feels to sit in diarrhea when I do it on myself and can't get to a place to change fast enough. If I knew who his parents were, I’d tell them how you are treating their child. You should be ashamed of yourself!" I said it loud enough so all the parents, staff and anyone else could hear, and I swung my diaper around in the air, so all could see it. Everyone was silent. I had the attention of all in the waiting area.

 Seconds after my outburst, the boy was taken into the bathroom and changed. Other teachers and parents came up to me and asked me about how incontinence impacted my life. I politely answered their questions. I also got a number of comments from other parents and teachers about how brave I was and how I’d be one who stands up and makes changes for the better someday. I also got a few hugs from some.

I felt so proud of myself. Not only was it a teachable moment, it was a moment when I could stand up for someone who was helpless and could not stand up for himself. Children are the most helpless people of them all, and I cannot stand by and watch one get mistreated without doing something.

An Update About My Week

This is a post that is an update for the last week of September.

Hello to all of my readers. I definitely did not forget about my blog. I still love all of you guys and have a lot to tell you. I have just been too sick and busy. The sick part is because I am on my treatment to get my Chronic Candida under control, and the treatment makes me feel horrible. The good news is that I am nearing the end of it, and I feel good. Hmmmmmmm, where to begin.

1. I had a crazy week with the bowels again. Yup, that sometimes happens. I had diarrhea like every single day. I do not understand, my bowels pick the time they want to act up, and they do it for no reason. I did try to eat different foods and I tried taking different things out of my diet. Yeah, it helps some, but not totally. I still have bowel issues, and when they want to act crazy, they do. Just when I think I have this problem licked with some special diet, I realize just how much I really don't.

2. The Diabetic-like urinating has gone away. While my bladder is still very much overactive—that will never be cured unless some cure is ever found, I have stopped urinating as much as I have been previously. My urine also does not have the sweet smell anymore, probably because the yeast and harmful fungal bacteria is dying off in my body. I am glad to not be filling up a diaper every two hours. And yes, it is no exaggeration. I was really filling up good, absorbent diapers every two hours, and that is not the norm at all.

3. I have been pondering what I am going to do with my Stigma Warriors channel on YouTube. I established that channel to help shed light on diseases and conditions that are highly stigmatized. I just have to plan out how I am going to get things done. I need someone to help film for starters. I do know what I am going to talk about, though, for my first few videos. And incontinence will definitely be discussed, obviously.

That is all for this week.

A Detailed Update

Sorry it has been several weeks since I have updated this blog. I have had a lot going on in my life. My grandfather had open heart surgery, and he was doing badly for a little while. He had the surgery in the beginning of October. Before that, I was feeling sick, so I just had enough strength to go to work, come home and go to sleep. I had that chronic fatigue going on again. It never fails.

Nothing really special has happened, though. I am still having serious issues with my bowels. I had diarrhea most of the time, but I had some constipation mixed in. I did not go to the bathroom for four days straight, and it was painful. I thought I was going to have to go to the clinic if I could not get myself to go. I took some meds, and I finally went.

So, I am going to add some posts that I have been meaning to post over the past few weeks. I am going to share some experiences from my past and am going to provide some useful tips. So, I hope you enjoy reading.

O, and I forgot to let all of you know that I do not have Diabetes. That is some real good news! My problems are due to problems that my Chronic Systemic Candida has caused. I did get some antifungal meds from the doctor and am sticking to a strict diet. I am doing much better now with that.