From: 940@cebra.demon.co.uk (Ricky) Subject: A Case History Date: 20 May 1995 13:07:03 +0100 As a child I was very late in gaining any degree of bladder control and consequently remained in nappies (diapers) both day and night until I was 4½ years old. My mother found this very tiresome, especially as my sister, who is a year younger, was completely toilet trained and out of nappies long before I even started to become dry during the day! The main problem during my school days was constant bedwetting. Almost every night I would wake up with soaked bedclothes. I was scolded, punished and of course threatened with being put back into nappies. On more than one occasion I was made to wear one of my sister's night dresses as I had run out of dry pajamas. This humiliation perhaps inevitably led to stress related incontinence and on several occcasions I was sent home from school having wet myself in class. I was of course paraded in front of a succession of doctors, specialists, paediatricians and child psychologists who suggested pads, buzzers, pills, potions, diuretics and reduction of liquid intake all to no avail. Things came to a head at age 7, I was finally admitted to the paediatric ward of the local hospital for tests. After nearly a week they diagnosed chronic enuresis, although nothing specifically was found to be wrong. It was suggested to my parents that it might be better all round if I was put back into nappies and plastic pants at night and let nature take it's course, as it was possible that I would grow out of it in time. The hospital even offered a loan of some large size terry nappies and plastic baby pants until my mother had the opportunity of getting me some of my own. I still rember cringing with embarrasment when my parents readily accepted their offer. I will never forget that first night home. I remember crying with abject misery when at bedtime mother told me to lay on the bed and after a liberal dusting with baby powder proceeded to pin me into one of the nappies. This was followed up with a pair of the clear plastic baby pants being pulled over the top. The final humiliation came when my pajama trousers would not fit over the bulk of the nappy and mother told me I would have to wear one of my sisters nighties until she could get around to buying me some new ones in a more suitable size. As I lay in med that night my mind was in turmoil. I felt a mixture of embarrasment and humiliation at being dressed and treated as a baby but yet..., I also felt safe, secure, as though the responsibilities for my actions had been taken out of my hands. I slept soundly that night for the first time for as long as I can remember. The next morning I awoke to a dry bed and nightclothes. It was only when I slipped my hand inside the waistband of the plastic pants and realised that my nappy was soaked, that I knew I had wet myself as usual during the night. Shortly afterwards, when my mother came in with my morning tea and realised that the constant daily changing and washing of wet bedclothes was now to be a thing of the past, she put her arms around me and cuddled me to her. It was then I think the die was cast... It was almost inevitable that relatives, neighbours and school friends found out that I had to wear nappies at night, despite my mothers best efforts at being discreet. Often my sister or I would bring friends round to the house and it was not long before they discovered that nappies and large size baby were sometimes hanging on the washing line to dry. Not surprisingly, my sister denied that they were anything to do with her! It wasn't long before the news was all round the school. Of course I had to suffer the taunts and catcalls of the local children and some of the neighbours were openly disscussing my "problem" with a sympathetic " does he take sugar" sort of attitude. I even found a babies dummy (pacifier) inside my desk at school one morning! However, after a short time the novelty wore off and everbody just seemed to accept it. By the time I was about 12, I think my mother realised that not only was I unlikely to grow out of my enuretic condition, I believe she thought I was actually begining to enjoy it. I was told that I was to be responsible for dealing with my own nappies from then on, although of course she continued to look after the washing and drying of them. However, I do remember one exeption. A couple of years later I was off school with a virus infection for 10 days or so. As I was spending most of the time in bed, my mother thought it would sensible to keep me in nappies full time. The doctor had prescribed plenty of fluids which ensured she had to change me on a fairly regular basis. This would probably have been one of the most enjoyable times of my life, had I not been feeling so poorly at the time! Kind regards Ricky