We’ve been chatting a lot, recently, about incontinence – what it is, how it presents, and the impact it takes on both physical and mental health. It can make for grim reading, at times, but as with all health issues, there’s always an element of self-help we can call on, and action we can take to make life easier for ourselves. If you’re struggling with incontinence issues, one of the most heartening things to remind yourself of, is you’re not the first to encounter this challenge. Which means you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Those who’ve already ‘been there, done that’ understand what you’re going through. Now, they’re waiting on the side-lines, ready and able to share practical tips from their own lives. We’ve canvassed some of them, and this is what they’ve told us about what works for them:
Helen
Pelvic floor exercises are boring! But so is cleaning the car, or your windows, and you still do it because the results are so worthwhile. I always do my pelvic floor exercises while I’m doing something I really enjoy, like watching a movie or sitting in the spa pool.
Hao
Before I had surgery, I was doing walking exercise every day up to 4-5km. Now, I suffer from incontinence, it’s too hard finding toilets on my route. I didn’t want to lose fitness so I’m still walking, but on the treadmill at my gym because the toilet is right there! I’m also getting to meet more people at the gym than I did on my outdoor walks. If you have incontinence, don’t stop your exercise. Find another way to do it, or look for a new kind of exercise that you like!
Mike
Getting through prostate treatment was one thing – managing the bladder was another. But my phone has helped a lot. When I’m travelling, I use Toilets NZ to locate loos on my route. I’ve also got my head around Google Maps for the first time in my life – all you have to do is tap ‘toilet’ into the search bar, and it’ll show you on your map where to find them.
Ginny
If you haven’t heard of Toilet Card, Google it! I could not, could not manage without it. If you’re still in your thirties, like me, and you ask a shop if you can use their loo, the staff are like, ‘Really?’ But if I show them my Toilet Card when I ask, they bend over backwards to be helpful. So grateful to whoever it was who came up with idea!
Louise
Coffee or tea – no thanks! At least, not when I’m out and about! Same with anything alcoholic. They’re a recipe for bladder irritation. My go-to drink if I’m socialising anywhere but home, is still, iced-water. Or if there’s a loo within easy reach, I’ll order dilute fruit juice and a jug of water to go with it. I keep diluting as I sip slowly.
Paora
When we’re carrying too much weight, we’re looking for a reason to lose it, right? Well, when you’ve got incontinence, you’ve got a good reason! For a start, I didn’t really believe my doctor when she said the leaking would improve if I lost a few kg, but then I thought, I’ve got nothing to lose (except the weight – haha!), so I gave it a go. Even before I got half way to my goal weight, the pressure on my bladder started to come off, and the leakage was way less than it was. Just saying!
If you’re navigating incontinence, consider reaching out to others in the same boat. Trade tips, and use your experiences to help each other out! If you’re looking for more advice, head to Continence NZ’s informative website