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  1. Give Yourself a Little Love this Valentines’ Day

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    We wanted to take a minute to spread a little love this Valentine’s Day. We spend so much time writing about the problems associated with incontinence, we thought we’d take this day of love to remind ourselves of all the wonderful in this world.

    Last week, we posted a testimonial from a 72-year-old man who uses our pull up incontinence pants to help him manage this physical condition that he’s had since the 70s. Four decades of incontinence.

    His note to us included a life-changing moment when he realized how many Americans have varying levels of incontinence—he wasn’t alone. He didn’t need to be embarrassed. So today, inspired by his note, we extend these reasons to inspire each one of our customers to embrace something they love this Valentine’s Day:

    1. Friends and family, who love you no matter what physical conditions you face
    2. Online incontinence resources, which share a wealth of information that you can access from your computer in the privacy of your own home
    3. Innovation, which allows companies like ours to bring you waterproof and breathable pull up incontinence pants
    4. Seasons, that give us opportunities to wear shorts one month and pants another month
    5. Chocolate, for giving anyone a reason to smile
    6. Long walks on the beach, or through the park, in the forest, in a foreign country or around the block
    7. Online retailers, for making purchasing decisions easy and discreet
    8. Art, for showing us the world through another person’s eyes
    9. Water, for being the main ingredient in delightful drinks like beer, iced tea with fresh lemon and strong coffee
    10. Telephones, for giving us connectivity to our loved ones around the world

    What do you love about life this Valentine’s Day?

  2. GaryWear Testimonial: A Historical Look at Protective Incontinence Pants

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    A few weeks ago, we received a nice note from James (a fictional name, though his testimonial is real) sharing that he wished GaryWear’s protective incontinence pants existed 40 years ago. He mentioned that our washable incontinence pants are a marked improvement over previous protective incontinence pants that he has worn, and he wears them religiously today to minimize the issues associated with incontinence.

    Previously, we’ve explored how online incontinence information has raised awareness and provides easy, private access to helpful information for those who are challenged with incontinence. But James’ note made us wonder, how much have products changed since he first received his diagnosis in the 70s?

    So we asked.

    Currently 72 years of age, James spent most of his career in residential construction. He retired at 70. After his diagnosis in the early 70s, James said he struggled with isolation and embarrassment. But, he had a wakeup moment when his washable diaper service manager informed him that 20 percent of her customers were adults. Incontinence in adults, he learned, was not uncommon.

    James said that his first washable diaper service, though out of business now, supplied the diapers plus necessary pins, waterproof pants and diaper bags to carry extra supplies. Today, he still relies on cloth diapers as the best solution, and depends on GaryWear’s Active Brief for a comfortable, reliable protective incontinence pant over his cloth diapers.

    He acknowledges that cloth diapers won’t work for everyone and says that today’s excellent disposable diapers are a far cry better than those of yesteryear. After decades of trying incontinence products in different combinations, James suggests buying good quality diapers because the cheap ones won’t withstand an active lifestyle, especially for those people with heavy bladder releases.

    Most importantly, he says, change your diaper every 3 – 5 hours to prevent skin damage and maximize your overall comfort.

    James’ final tip is to remember that even with today’s most excellent products, sudden and complete bladder releases can lead to leaks. He suggests using GaryWear Active Briefs to prevent wet slacks and beds

    “I wear them all the time,” he says.

  3. How to Find the Right Fit for our Pull Up Incontinence Pants

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    Fit is everything.

    GaryWear designed Active Brief, our washable pull up incontinence pants, with a snug fit. This helps hold your absorbent pad in place, minimize bulk and noise and ensure security from leaks.

    Our customers continually rave about these benefits when using our pull up incontinence pant to help them manage full bladder and bowel releases. We believe our customers have consistent successes managing their incontinence because it’s easy to find the perfect fitting Active Brief using these simple steps.

    1. Thigh measurement
      The most important measurement for preventing leaks is the thigh measurement. Below, you can see the fit and size guide for our pull up incontinence pants, which begins with the thigh measurement. (You can download it here.)
      To get an accurate thigh measurement, stand and measure around the top of the thigh. Be sure to keep the tape straight and parallel to the floor and measure around the fullest part.
    2. Waist Measurement
      You should find your waist measurement around your natural waistline, which is the smallest area of your waist.

      This measurement protects against nighttime leaks that may occur at the lower back region.

    3. Hips Measurement
      To measure your hips, stand with feet together. Keeping your tape measure straight and parallel to the floor, measure around your fullest part.

    Remember that our Active Brief pull up incontinence pant fits snug, and we also designed them with enough room accommodate bladder and bowel releases.

    Pull on Incontinence Pants

    Here are some other fit scenarios to keep in mind.

    Should you measure your hips with your diaper on?
    When measuring for a proper fit with GaryWear’s pull up incontinence pants, measure your hips without wearing a diaper. As you know, diapers are thinnest at the hip area, so we don’t have to accommodate for bulk. (Also, we considered the diaper while creating the Active Brief cut.)

    What if I’m wearing a cloth diaper?

    No problem, just order your Active Brief one size larger.

    Can I order my Active Brief based on my clothing sizes?

    Clothing sizes don’t translate to proper sizes for GaryWear Active Brief. Your pant sizes are based on your waist size, but to get the best fit for your pull up incontinence pants, you should rely on your thigh size.

    What if my measurements don’t uniformly match GaryWear’s sizing chart?

    We recommend focusing on the thigh to make sure you have a comfortable fit at the leg. We designed GaryWear’s Active Brief to help active adults manage their incontinence while fulfilling their lives. This means, you want to ensure you have a proper fit at your thighs to prevent leaks during the day when you’re likely to be standing or sitting.

    What if I use pull up pants to prevent leaks during the night?

    If you leak at night when you’re sleeping, first make sure you are wearing an ample absorbency product underneath our brief. And, remember to limit your liquid intake after 6pm. Our Active Brief is cut slightly higher in the back for more coverage and to prevent leaks if moisture pools at your lower back while sleeping. But because we all have different body styles, and we don’t always have control over our bodies, in some cases you could experience leaks in the lower back region in addition to through the thigh areas. If that’s the case, considering experimenting with a GaryWear Active Brief that fits tighter at the waist than the thighs.

    What other questions do you have about proper fit for GaryWear Active Brief?

  4. Bedwetting: Like parent, like child?

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    Will my child be a bedwetter? It’s a question that many adults with incontinence ask. As parents, we strive to protect our young ones from the troubling experiences that we’ve had to navigate throughout the years. For instance, those of us in the Baby Boomer generation are often called out for spoiling our children to counterbalance the rationed childhoods we had. If we struggled with acne, lack of coordination or speech impediments, it’s all too common for parents to do everything in our power to prevent our children from experiencing those same issues. Imagine the intensity of those worries when you wonder if your child will also have adult incontinence.

    The good news is that most children can outgrow bedwetting. But, if one or both parents have a history of bedwetting, the risk that their child will wet the bed is several times greater than the general population. (We got these facts from the Urology Care Foundation. Read more about bedwetting by visiting their website.)

    According to the Urology Care Foundation, experts believe that bedwetting in children occurs from the combination of these three things:

    1. Failure to wake-up, which means the child sleeps through feelings of a full bladder.
    2. Increased production of urine while asleep, which means the kidneys work overtime
    3. Overactive bladder, which means the child’s bladder contracts leading to a smaller urine capacity

    These may sound familiar to our adult customers with incontinence. Some of the treatments that doctors recommend to help people struggling with bladder control may also ring a bell. According to the Foundation, treatments can range from stopping fluid intake long before bedtime, scheduled bathroom trips throughout the night, bladder training exercises, alternative therapies, wetting alarms and, of course, medications.

    These, along with some patience, can lead to positive results for young children. By puberty, bedwetting in children drops to the rate of one percent.

    The last bit of information on the Foundation’s website mentions that offering your child an absorbent pad with pants has not shown to delay or prevent development of bodily control or training to use the toilet. In fact, it mentions that an absorbent product may decrease friction between the parent and child by lessening the need for laundry and reducing the child’s embarrassment.

    We see that these benefits also come to our adult customers who use our washable incontinent pant with an absorbent pad placed inside their underwear.

    To learn more about children and bedwetting, we recommend taking a look at Urology Care Foundation.

  5. What is the proper care for my Active Brief?

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    What is the proper care for my GaryWear Active Brief?

    We’re so glad you asked.

    We think it’s that amazing new PUL fabric that makes many people question how to care for their GaryWear washable incontinence pant. When dealing with a high-tech material like this, it’s not so obvious how to keep them clean and highly functional.

    You can read all of the proper fit and care tips on our FAQ page, but let’s examine a few key points.

    1. Wash your GaryWear Active Brief after each use
      Don’t soak them or use bleach, but feel free to wash in hot or cold water. Do not use pure soap.
    2. Hang dry your GaryWear Active Brief
      You can also tumble dry on very low settings, but do not use high heat or fabric.
    3. Store your GaryWear Active Brief as you would your regular underwear
      If you can’t wash your soiled underwear immediately, rinse them out and hang them to dry. Just know that mold may grow on your washable incontinence pant if it sits too long between washings.
    4. Do not use rash ointments or creams with your GaryWear Active Brief
      Rash ointments and creams cause our washable incontinence pant to malfunction. If you do get rash ointment on your ActiveBrief, give them a normal washing and then apply dishwashing liquid, like Dawn, to the affected areas. Then lightly scrub that area with a toothbrush.

    It’s true that after a long while (or if you don’t follow proper care instructions) that your GaryWear Active Brief may lose some reliability. This eventually happens with all PUL fabrics, regardless if it’s our washable incontinence pant or water repelling outdoor gear.

    We think it’s important to recognize this so that you don’t get caught with an outdated Active Brief that doesn’t provide the ultimate security. We recommend ordering several pairs now so you always have at least one backup clean pair. But, don’t worry, when the times comes to order a new set, we have several contemporary colors so that you can select your next favorite pair.

  6. GaryWear Newsletter January 2013

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    Our GaryWear Newsletter comes out quarterly, and is a good source for tips, updates on product developments, and success stories. You can subscribe to them so they are delivered right to your inbox by inputting your email address in the top right-hand corner of this website.

  7. GaryWear Active Brief Deconstructed: PUL Fabric

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    It’s likely the number one question we get from our customers seeking leak-proof diaper covers for adults—how can your incontinence pant be both waterproof and breathable?

    That’s a good question.

    Many adults turn to plastics for their incontinence pants, but they can be very warm in Summer. We knew in order to deliver the best washable incontinence pant on the market, our fabric had to breathe.

    Why stop there? We wanted a durable, breathable, washable, waterproof and comfortable fabric. Yes, all of those in one cloth.

    Given our parent company’s long history in fabrics and manufacturing, we knew we could find it. We researched many options before we fell in love with the perfect material for our incontinence pant for men and women–PUL.

    PUL stands for polyurethane laminate. This means the fabric mill laminates cloth fabric to a thin film of polyurethane. Our incontinence pant uses a lightweight polyester interlock knit fabric (which makes them soft) to a one-millimeter thick film of the polyurethane (which provides protection from leaks and allows the product to breathe). As an added bonus, the manufacturer’s process to create our PUL fabric passes lead- and phthalate-free requirements.

    That’s a lot of technical mumbo jumbo. The easiest way to understand how PUL fabric has revolutionized our incontinence pant is by examining other products made with this innovative fabric. While it’s commonly used in reusable baby diapers, it’s also keeping athletes and outdoors people dry through high-tech outer clothing and it’s keeping water inside your shower through designer shower curtains.

    Are you still wondering if this product is too good to be true? Don’t take our word for it; read David’s story. He wears GaryWear’s Active Brief to his manufacturing job at a facility that can breach 100 degrees. Our breathable incontinence pant gives him comfort and security to last his 10 – 12 hour workday without a diaper change.

    PUL technically stands for polyurethane laminated. At GaryWear and for customers like David, PUL stands for Products U Love.

  8. Vendor Spotlight on AdultClothDiaper.com

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    Not too long ago, we shared with you why we sell GaryWear Active Briefs through our trusted online retailers. In that post, we specifically mentioned AdultClothDiaper.com, a distributor of our reusable incontinence pants, who provides easy, one-stop shopping experiences for customers seeking incontinence solutions.

    That got us thinking—why not share the stories of all of our distributor partners? Through the years, we’ve relied on them to help people suffering with incontinence find answers. In that time, we’ve gotten to know them, their stories and how they conduct business. We think the world of them, so let us share their world with you. In our first retailer spotlight, we’ll take a closer look at AdultClothDiaper.com.

    Excuse us if we get a little cheesy for a moment, but as a family-owned and operated business, we tear up a bit reading AdultClothDiaper.com’s About Us, where they proudly proclaim themselves as a family-owned and operated business. “That spirit is reflected in our customer service,” they say. As you know, we couldn’t agree more.

    One thing that we’ve always respected about this particular online retailer is their holistic approach to managing incontinence. They got their start in infant diapering products because the family had concerns about the environment and their babies’ health. We suppose it should not come as a surprise that their solid customer service and quality products eventually led to adults asking for products that they could use. This culminated with the 2001 launch of their website dealing specifically with adult incontinence pants and solutions.

    It comes as no surprise to us, but currently, our Active Brief reusable incontinence pant for men and women reigns as one of their top-rated products. Posted next to it is the other top-rated item, the LeakMaster All-in-One Adult Cloth Diaper.

    In addition to a plethora of reusable adult diapers and our washable incontinence pant, they sell a variety of products including an adult swim diaper, mattress covers, and even bamboo spa robes.

    Bamboo spa robe, you ask? If you’re curious about this last item, please read this blog post about New Year’s Resolutions and Taking Life by the Horns, get the spa robe and then treat yourself to a massage.) It’s the little things like this that make us value AdultClothDiaper.com’s thoughtful approach to incontinence solutions.

  9. Need help dealing with incontinence? Allow us to introduce you to NAFC.

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    Earlier this month, I received a letter from National Association For Continence explaining everything that it accomplished in 2013—its 30th year of business. This group utilizes education, collaboration and advocacy to support people affected by incontinence. Among the facts that it shared from 2013 was that its website exceeds 55,000 monthly visitors.

    55,000 people?

    Wow, what a reminder that you’re not alone. That’s likely 55,000 people looking for support, information, research and help to guide them through the physical and emotional impacts that incontinence causes. The association is a true asset for our community, for those affected by this medical condition that is often too taboo to openly discuss.

    Speaking of normalizing this issue, another of its accomplishments from the year includes a public awareness campaign leading up to Nation Bladder Health Week. The website shares a wealth of information about bladder health in easy-to-understand ways. You can watch videos on its youtube channel, follow them on twitter and like them on facebook. Each one of these mediums has useful tips, interesting facts and stories.

    One item I saw on the website today was a blog post about bad bladder habits. According to the site, our body uses frequent urination to keep our bladders in healthy shape. This means if we hold the urge to urinate for long periods of time while we are young or during work as adults, we could potentially harm our bladder health. It’s information like this that makes this site eye opening.

    Another valuable resource that you can find on the Association’s website is a list of products to help you manage your incontinence. If you’re new to living with incontinence, this list of products can give you a place to start when looking for the right solutions for you. If you’ve had incontinence for many years, you may find newer products, like our pull-up incontinence pant, and other items to improve how you’ve historically managed your incontinence issues.

    I encourage you visit www.nafc.org to learn more about this organization and experience the depth of support for people living with incontinence.

    Make that 55,001.

  10. It’s Getting Hot in Here: Controlling Incontinence While Working in Manufacturing

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    It’s not a secret that many customers with incontinence struggle with sweating and stickiness while wearing disposable diapers and incontinence pants. Thick protective layers like that can cause heat. Imagine this situation when working at a manufacturing facility that can get upwards 120 degrees and hotter.

    That’s what our customer David (name changed to protect his identity) deals with on a daily basis.

    A very active professional in his mid-50s, David also has incontinence. Given his job at a manufacturing facility, he sometimes goes 10 – 12 hours without a diaper change. And his workplace reaches temperatures over 100 degrees, making wearing adult diapers and a protective washable incontinence pant extremely challenging.

    David generously offered to help us test our GaryWear Active Brief during our development stages. Because of his workplace environment, David doesn’t wear protective pants because most are made of plastic and become too hot to wear. But, as part of our study group, he agreed to carefully examine the quality and effectiveness of our incontinence pants and give us detailed feedback on what worked and didn’t work.

    “I’m ecstatic,” he said.

    For David, GaryWear’s washable incontinence pant gave him an extra layer of protection through his long, hot day at work, and the fit impressed him. “I couldn’t hear them,” he said, noting that the slim fit meant there was less fabric to crinkle and rustle under his clothes. He said that the fabric breathed enough to allow him to wear the pull-up incontinence pant over his disposable diaper, even when we was at work. He also tried the reusable incontinence pant at night, which helped him sleep better because he didn’t have to worry about leaks. In fact, he had no leaks throughout the night when he wore GaryWear incontinence pants—even when we slept on his side.

    For David, it all comes down to quality of life. With GaryWear on his side, a better quality of life just got a little easier.