Healthy Swellness: Lessons in reconnecting with your life

A few weeks ago, I had to opportunity to escape to Langdon Hall (where I’ve been absolutely dying to visit — and it did not disappoint) with one of my friends as guests of Depend. Yes, that Depend, as in the bladder leakage products. We were there as Depend has just  launched their new Fit-Flex Underwear, breathable, soft and flexible — which allows men and women who suffer from leakage to reconnect with their lives — getting back to the loved ones and activities they may have been avoiding due to being leaky.

I’d been invited by the brand and encouraged to bring along a friend who suffers from UI (aka urinary incontinence) but I don’t know anyone who does (or maybe I do and just don’t know it…loads of people keep this private since they feel embarrassed about it), so I ended up inviting my friend and running buddy, Shawna. UI is actually pretty common, affecting nearly 10 percent of the Canadian population. Something I learned: there’s not just one type of UI: stress incontinence (when pressure is exerted on the bladder, like when you’re laughing, for example), urge incontinence (the sudden urge to go, followed by leakage), mixed (a mix of stress and urge), overflow (the constant dribble of pee), functional (the inability to make it to the toilet in time), and total (the total and continuous loss of urinary control). 

I can see why many people would be embarrassed to share that they suffer from leakage but I think being more open and upfront about it could make it better. When my friend and I arrived at Langdon Hall, we and all of the other guests at the getaway with Depend were asked to take part in an experiment — putting on cold, wet shoes as we ate lunch — which helped illustrate in a way how uncomfortable and distracting it could be to be suffer from bladder leakage.

Throughout the lunch, Kelowna-based motivational speaker Linda Edgecombe (who was very funny and who I actually found motivational — I can have a low tolerance for a certain style of that motivational-type talk)  spoke to us about reclaiming and reconnecting your life and much of it resonated with many of us. I think it’s a good refresher or eye opener for everyone. The points I thought were most valuable:

Get off the busy train. In this day and age we thrive on being so, so busy. We create this cycle of having so much on the go — I’m super guilty of this — and it doesn’t have to be this way. I’m regularly reminding myself to take a step back and slow it down lately. Being so busy shouldn’t be a badge of honour many of us treat it as.

Ask yourself how old your stories are. And if they’re old, create new ones. When is the last time you tried something new, Linda asked us. If your stories are old, it’s time to get some new ones. As in get out there and live! I’d like to think I’m pretty good at trying new things (you can hardly travel as much as I do and not try new things but I also try to aim to do that while at home, too, even if it’s just trying a new restaurant or workout) so I wasn’t worried about this one for me. Although I perhaps try too many things (see point #1 about our culture of busy-ness — guilty as charged).

Get moving. Fitness activities will help boost you mentally and physically and help make you feel more confident. While at this reconnection getaway, we did an awesome yoga class facing the property’s garden. My friend and I also put this tip in action by riding the fat bikes on the 5k trail, which coincidentally is also trying something new (I’d only ever fat biked before in the snow in Michigan). I couldn’t even get started and was actually pretty scared of hurting myself, but I switched to one with a smaller frame and everything was A-OK. I try to keep active in day to day life, too, of course. It’s hard some days, but I feel too sloth-like and heavy when I don’t, and I always remind myself that running helped me get through one of the toughest times of my life six years ago, so if anything, that’ll always be proof for me personally that it’s worth it.

It was enlightening to learn more about how life can be impacted by UI (several people spoke freely about their experience during the session) , and of course, it was incredible to stay at Langdon Hall (Shawna and I lounged by the pool and just enjoyed the gorgeous property as long as we could and were very sad to leave to head back to the city), but we left with inspiration to be more connected with our lives. And that more than anything was the most key thing we took away from this.

Leave a Comment August 10, 2016

Healthy Swellness: Poise Impressa Bladder Supports

Alright, ladies, I’m about to talk about a not very cool or trendy topic, but I think it’s important one.

Why do I think it’s important to talk about? Because I think the idea of not being able to control when you pee (aka stress urinary incontinence, ie. when the muscles around the urethra become too weak to prevent the leakage of urine from the bladder when pressure or stress is placed on it) sounds pretty awful, completely embarrassing and I can understand why many women feel shameful about pee leaking as freely as the waterfall pictured above and having no control over it.

They shouldn’t feel so alone though, because as I learned from Dr. Jennifer Berman, one in four women suffer from stress urinary incontinence (SUI). (Does Dr. Berman’s name ring a bell? If so, that’s because she’s the host of the Emmy award-winning show, The Doctors). She goes further to say that based on her experience as a doctor that all woman will at some point suffer from SUI. It happens commonly after having given birth, and can also emerge when one is menopausal and your body is going through  hormonal changes.

What’s particularly exciting about Impressa is that it’s over-the-counter and “it’s extra significant because while it’s not a treatment because it’s not permanent, it is the only non-surgical option that offers the same if not better efficacy as surgical intervention,” she says.

See, the thing is, Impressa is not an absorbent product (most of us have heard about absorbent undergarments to address this issue, after all). Rather Impressa is a device that you insert much much a tampon (only more rectangular in shape) and it physically supports the urethra to help prevent you from leaking urine. Material-wise, the device features a silicone frame surrounded by a non-absorbent white mesh. Impressa can be worn up to eight hours and when you’re ready to remove it, simply remove pulling on the attached string (much like a tampon).

As Dr. Berman explained to me, most women know what situations can trigger their SUI. The triggers range, but it can include walking, sneezing, coughing, riding horses, or running for example. For her, while she experience SUI after having each of her two children, SUI has now made a reappearance for her when she rides horses. Now there’s an option that allows her to not have to worry about any wetness showing (Dr. Berman would typically not use any type of undergarment, and instead would just worry and be prepared to change her pants after horseback riding).

Think about it: Dr. Berman and most women know their triggers so they can make sure to wear an absorbent undergarment when heading into aerobics class, for example. But what about the women who experience SUI when they cough or sneeze? We don’t have control when we cough or sneeze so imagine adding on the stress and worry that you may pee yourself whenever you cough? With Impressa, the worry is alleviated.

“There’s still taboo and shame around bodily functions and the loss of control of bodily functions,” says Dr. Berman. “It’s perceived as dirty or that something wrong with you. especially for younger women but older women, too,” she says, noting that for older divorced or widowed women who are starting dating again, SUI presents an impediment to social freedom and quality of life.

So while it may not be the product you’re looking to shout about from the rooftops due to the embarrassment tied into SUI, it’s easy to consider how life-changing this product could be for women suffering from SUI. So consider looking into Impressa if you’re suffering from SUI. I’m guessing you haven’t told anyone about your SUI problem other than your maybe your doctor, and once you start using this product, it’ll remain your little secret always.

For more information, visit www.impressa.com.

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Leave a Comment February 29, 2016