I remember the first time I was faced with the sudden realization that I no longer had full control over my bladder. Oh sure, there were those times where I laughed until I thought I was going to pee. What women hasn’t experienced that, especially after a few glasses of wine! But this was different.

I was sitting at the airport with my son waiting for our flight. We were doing a one-night trip to Disneyland and I was thrilled that he’d asked me along. Since we fly standby, he insisted I only bring a small carry on with me. I obeyed and packed the bare minimum.

Related: Incontinence – Are You One of the 50% of Women Who Have it? Here’s Help

I thought of what little I had with me after I leaned forward to whisper something to my son about a person who was sitting nearby. Yes, I was gossiping, and wouldn’t you know it that Karma bit me in the butt for it! As I leaned forward to make my snarky comment, something broke loose below and I realized I was leaking urine!  I was in shock! First, because it happened at all, and secondly because I had one spare change of underwear and nothing else to replace my now (I assumed) wet shorts. I was mortified!

I stood up and headed to the nearest ladies room. That walk was the longest one I’ve ever taken. I was positive that everyone in the airport could see what just happened! Luckily for me, it was much less fluid output than it seemed, and I was able to make a change and buy a sanitary napkin (after begging a few ladies in the restroom for some change) to get me through the flight.

Of course, I hoped it was a one-time occurrence. I explained it away saying I’d had too much caffeine, but sadly it was just the beginning.

Incontinence – Why Didn’t I Ask for Help?

There are many reasons for adult urinary incontinence. Mine is likely associated with my Multiple Sclerosis. I say “likely” because I’m currently seeing a Urology, Gynecology, & Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery Specialist to find out for sure.

When that first “accident” happened, I made the mistake of assuming that all women had to deal with urinary incontinence when they entered menopause. Since I was peri-menopausal, I took on the burden and tried to handle it by myself for almost five years. What a waste of worry and inconvenience! Had I known more about urinary incontinence, I would have been aware that getting older doesn’t mean you’ll have this problem. It’s usually a symptom of something else going on or caused by weight gain, and that’s why you need to see your doctor.

Urinary Incontinence Doesn’t Mean Your Life is Over

I have what’s called mixed incontinence. That means not only can I not always control my bladder, I feel like I need to go, urgently, nearly every minute of the day which sucks!

Because I didn’t seek treatment or help in dealing with this new problem, it took over my life. I had to plot out restrooms for any event I attended, every road trip I took, and every meeting I went to. I stopped shopping in stores because many don’t have restrooms and instead made my purchases online and even began having my groceries delivered, and I started using an app that can tell you where public restrooms are located near your current location – that’s nuts!

But the worst and most anxiety-ridden time for me was traveling on public transportation. Flying became a white-knuckle event. I worried endlessly that I’d need to urinate during taxiing, takeoff, or landing. I’d go 3-4 times before I got on the plane and once while the last few people boarded. It was insane.

I tried using heavy flow, overnight period pads while flying, hoping they’d alleviate my anxiety. While they were bulky, they were not very absorbent. They were thick, but didn’t offer the full coverage necessary which was a bit like not wearing any protection at all – that’s not helpful!.
Urinary Incontinence - It's Not Because You're Getting Older #ad

Since I currently only need protection when I’m away from home and I can’t be sure that I will be close to a restroom, I’m able to use urinary incontinent pads. Not only do they provide the coverage and absorption needed for UC, but they also neutralize any odors from urine (which is why sanitary pads don’t do and why they are not ideal!). For now, those are my solutions, but should my mixed incontinence become more than these products can handle and if these tests I’m taking do not result in a better solution for my bladder leakage, there are other options that provide the ultimate in protection.

Ultimate Urinary Incontinence Protection

If you need full protection, Depend® offer products that can help, They also provide education and information on the Depend® website. It’s also where you can meet other real women like me there who have had to make room for adult incontinence in our daily lives. But just because we have bladder leakage, it doesn’t mean we can’t still be active and engaged in life!

Want to try these products before you buy them? You can for free!  I ordered a sample myself and received a box in the mail filled with information as well as two samples to try. Such a great offer – click here to get yourself!

FREE Urinary Incontinence Product Samples Available:

  • Depend® Silhouette® and  Silhouette® Active Fit* for Women with breathable cotton-like fabric that’s ultra-smooth under your clothes. You’ll receive one each of their Beige Silhouette® Brief and Lavender Silhouette® Active Fit* Brief in either small/medium or large/XL
  • Depend® Night Defense* Underwear for Women – designed to let you get a great night’s sleep. Choose small/medium, large, or extra-large.
  • Depend® FIT-FLEX® Underwear for Women – designed to move with you. You’ll receive two Depend® FIT-FLEX® Underwear in small/medium, large, or extra-large

To receive your free sample, visit Depend.com and provide basic information (name, address, email, birthdate, etc.) and complete a simple four question survey. That’s it! Your free sample should arrive in 3 to 10 days.

Disposable Incontinence Briefs – My Experience

I ordered the Depend® Silhouette® and  Silhouette® Active Fit* for Women in Size L/XL and was surprised to find that they’re only a tiny bit small for me. At 5′ 10″ and ahem, plus size, I thought there was no way they’d fit. While I could actually wear them in a pinch, I do wish they’d make an XXL. After all, studies have found that it’s gaining weight that can cause incontinence, and not just from growing older, so what about us larger ladies?.

What I found is that the material the protective underwear is made from is very soft and stretchy. Not quite paper and not fabric – the cloth feels like a mashup of the two. As advertised, the disposable briefs didn’t show under my jeans, but more importantly, they made no telltale swishing sound while I walked. Thank goodness, because that would be a deal breaker for me!

The Silhouette®Active Fit® is the incontinent brief the manufacturer suggests you try first. If you need more protection, the Depend® Silhouette® offers ultimate coverage with a noticeably larger pad that is a great size for large or tall ladies. These protective undergarments are gathered at the legs which can look a bit like a diaper when you’re not wearing it, but that smooths out once you put them on.

I did find these women’s adult urinary incontinence briefs a little warm, but I run hot because of my MS. It’s possible you won’t have the same experience.

Dealing with adult incontinence shouldn’t take over your life or change the way you live. Work with your doctor and then choose the protection you need.

Has adult incontinence affected you? Are you looking for an incontinence product that looks as good as it works, I hope you’ll give the Depend® products a try. Use the link below to order your own free sample!

Find out more information and connect with others in the Depend Community & Support page and follow them on Facebook and YouTube.

This post was created in partnership with Depend and Womensforum. All opinions are my own.