Paging Nurse Plummer

Life Remedies, STAT

Getting the Right Bra Fit – A Life Changing Moment!!

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I was totally surprised, yet pleased about the new Bra Guide on beinggirl.com to help readers obtain the perfect fit of their foundation garment. It is so great that teens have access to information that will be useful to them all of their bra-wearing lives. No doubt that the Bra Guide will also be valuable to their moms and grandmothers too. Hopefully beinggirl readers will share the information with them, as I believe that a well-fitting bra provides comfort, confidence and a better look regardless of age.

MY BRA STORY: Before I continue, I am going to take a step back to my history and share my early teen bra measurement story. When my mother determined that my breastals were of a size to be ensconced in a bra, she took me to the local bra shop to be measured and fitted. It was really rather embarrassing and a somewhat dysfunctional experience, since it was MR. Goldman who did the measuring. (I’ve changed his name for the sake of this story, since the store is still around and I don’t want any of his family thinking that I think their now deceased dad’s behavior was odd even though I do think that and it was!) In any case, picture a serious looking older man (though all men over the age of 18 looked old to me at that time) with wire-rimmed glasses, a balding head and a tape measure draped around his neck. To my horror at the time, Mr. Goldman pulled off the tape measure and put it around my chest. To his credit, he did exactly as directed by beinggirl.com. Fortunately though, Mr. Goldman didn’t come into the dressing room to see if he was accurate. In any case, a few bras of the correct size were sent back to me to try on. My mom made me bend over so I could “plop’ into the cups. Though you have to know, at my age and size, there was no plopping. Then, and this may even be worse than Mr. Goldman’s measurement taking, one of his female sales clerks came into the room, adjusted the bra straps, pulled on the cups and then snapped the back. NO KIDDING!

At that time, or at least it seemed to me, all the bras were white. Some of the cups had the bullet look that Madonna made famous and some had a more natural looking rounded cup. They were all cotton and looked like orthopedic devises in the back because of the snaps, hooks and metal contraptions. With all that, I actually was totally glad to have my first bra and thought I looked so much better in my t-shirts, blouses and dresses. I think I even walked taller. Yep, despite Mr. Goldman, the bra changed my life for the better as I began to think of myself as an attractive and shapely young woman.

At least the Mr. Goldman’s Bra Shop experience made me far more sensitive to my daughter when she was ready for her first bra. We went to a department store together. On the way up to lingerie, my daughter informed me that I wasn’t to tell anyone in the department what we were doing there. It was up to me to find the correct size in different colors; she would try the bras on in private and report back to me from inside the closed dressing room. I said, of course.

BACK TO TODAY: Take a look at the information on beinggirl. I posted the link below. Also, I would love to hear your first bra stories!

http://www.beinggirl.com/article/bra-guide/?utm_source=wordpress&utm_medium=Nurseplummer&utm_content=link20110621&utm_campaign=comm_mgr

HEALTH MYTHS THAT KEEP US FROM HEALTH – UTIs, Yeast Infections, STDs, TSS

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Recently a friend told me her back was hurting and she couldn’t get comfortable. Along with that, she said she just wasn’t feeling that well. She told another friend who suggested that she see a chiropractor that happened to be very helpful to her when she hurt her back. STOP!! When asking her about her symptoms, I found that her back pain was in her flank area (mid or side back over the kidneys) and with a history of bladder infections, it sounded to me like it had evolved into a kidney infection. I strongly recommended that she see her health care professional (HCP), which she did. It was a kidney infection. The doctor found blood in her urine that she couldn’t see and diagnosed her. The kidney infection was in its early stages, but none-the-less it took her several days after antibiotics were started to begin to feel better. The reason I am starting with this story is to illustrate that with our health, even though some conclusions seem logical, if one doesn’t have all the facts, care may be delayed and the outcome may not be good or the treatment appropriate.

One of the most aggravating aspects of health for me is when people share commonly held beliefs that are not true or only partially true. I always assume they mean well, but when others believe them it could lead to some delays in really doing the right thing for their well being or worse yet, could lead to serious illness. That is why I am writing about myths that could harm us. I will start with bladder infections and will also write about yeast infections, older women and STDs (sexually transmitted diseases), and TSS (toxic shock syndrome).

Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) and cranberry juice for prevention: The myth is believing that cranberry juice ALONE can prevent UTIs. Many experts include cranberry juice as a dietary way to help prevent UTIs. However, staying hydrated with water is an excellent way prevent to UTIs. There are many other things that can be done too, depending on the cause and the health of the person. Below is a link to the National Institutes of Health’s Medline Plus health information on urinary tract infections. There you can find thorough and easy to read information about UTIs, lifestyle changes to prevent recurrence. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000521.htm

Vaginal itching is not always a yeast infection: I truly thought it was a great success for women when yeast infection medications went over-the-counter, rather then have them only available by prescription. It showed that the FDA, along with the physicians that treat us mostly believed that we are familiar enough with our bodies to know when we had a yeast infection and could easily treat ourselves. However, for those of you (and me in my past) who diagnose and treat yourselves, not all vaginal itching is a yeast infection. In other words, bacteria, as well as yeast can cause vaginitis, a vaginal infection. Even if you are one of those women who are prone to having yeast infections and treating yourself successfully with OTC medication, if it doesn’t go away on the first round of treatment see your HCP to determine what is actually causing the problem. There is some information about yeast vaginitis on MedicineNet, com, which is part of WebMD that you might find helpful: http://www.medicinenet.com/yeast_vaginitis/article.htm

Sexually Transmitted Diseases only happens to promiscuous young adults: NO, NO, NO!! There is a medically reviewed article on MSN titled, Even Grandmas Get STDs. The article states that women over the age of 50 still may “rock at night”. I can tell you that most of my older than 50 friends certainly do!! The issue comes in when they don’t consider the need to use condoms if the romantic interlude with a new partner progresses beyond just eye gazing and handholding. It is suggested that a lot of the education about HIV and STDs target our youth and not older adults. Also, with some women, their younger taboos make them uncomfortable to ask their partner about their health history. That and the physical changes of aging, makes older women more susceptible to getting STDS. Check out the MSN article, as it provides some helpful information and guidance on prevention. You may want to share it with grandma!
http://health.msn.com/womens-health/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100172026

Menstrual Toxic Shock Syndrome only happens with certain kinds of tampons: WRONG!! TSS can occur with any kind of vaginally inserted menstrual protection product. For those of you who aren’t familiar with TSS, it is a rare and serious disease that involves fever, shock and problems with the function of several body organs. Although the earliest cases of TSS involved women who were using tampons during their periods (menstruation), today less than half of current cases are associated with such events. Toxic shock syndrome can also occur with skin infections, burns, and after surgery. The condition can also affect children, postmenopausal women, and men. It is critically important to know the signs and symptoms of TSS, if you use any vaginally inserted menstrual product, such as tampons or menstrual cups. All are labeled with information about TSS when you buy them. For a good reason! The part of this that truly is dangerous is when someone believes that only tampons made of a certain material can cause TSS. They may then ignore the symptoms if they have a false sense of safety. The symptoms are flu-like. If someone suspects that they have TSS, remove whatever product they are using vaginally and see their HCP immediately. Let them know they are menstruating. Since it is so rare, many HCPs have never seen a case of TSS and may not suspect it immediately thus delaying treatment.

Just so you know, I strongly support a woman’s choice to use whatever menstrual product she wants to use. The point I am making is that no mater whether it is an all cotton tampon or a menstrual cup, they all pose a risk of TSS. More information about TSS can be found at: http://www.toxicshock.com/ or at the FDA site: http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/Safety/AlertsandNotices/PatientAlerts/ucm070003.htm

MY LAST PERIOD – OR LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN (in a good way)!

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I believe that last period stories, or almost last period stories, have got to be as interesting as first period stories. Mine is far better and I have to believe that others have some doozies too. I can say with certainty that the last period story is a lot more recent than the first period story. At the very least, I (and many others) will remember the emotion and embarrassment more vividly.

The reason I bring up last period stories is that earlier this month I posted a blog about first tampon experiences and asked women to share their first tampon story. Also, I came across another posting asking women to share their first period stories, which many did. Those can be funny, poignant, embarrassing or courageous. I say courageous because I just watched one of Rachel Kauder Nalebuff’s videos about first period stories, which are posted on beinggirl.com. (http://www.always.com/products/detail/maxileakguardplus?utm_source=wordpress&utm_medium=NurseElaine&utm_content=link20110531&utm_campaign=comm_mgr)
It seems that Rachel’s grandmother got her first period during WWII shortly before she was going to be subjected to a strip search. HORRID. Fortunately, she made it through the war to tell the story. In the series of videos, Rachel shares first-period stories she has been collecting since she was 13.

After watching the videos, it struck me that my last period story was embarrassing and a bit crazy and had some factors in common with first period stores. This is a very abbreviated version of my story: While going through menopause and having irregular periods that were far and few between, I got a period about 5 months after my previous period. At the time, I thought I was menopausal. As an aside, menopause is officially 1 year after the last period. In any case, I was sitting on a train in Italy with my daughter and got my period unexpectedly. We were in a first class compartment that was full with 4 others, all strangers. I leaked through my khaki pants and was mortified. The Tampax Queen (as my family affectionately referred to me) got an unprotected period. As it turns out, it was my last. Actually, that experience made me have absolutely NO REGRETS regarding the end of my menstrual cycle.

What about other women? Any good last period stories to share?? After all, growing older and menopause is inevitable. For some the transition is more difficult than for others. However, no matter how challenging, I like to think that we can find humor that will help us laugh our way to the next phase of life. To that end, please share.

Teens, Tampax, Swimming and MOMS

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This is the time of year that many teen girls consider using tampons for the first time because they want to swim with their friends, and do more types of other outdoor water activities, such as boating, water skiing, water tubing, canoeing, kayaking, water parks, etc.

Along with hearing from teens, in the spring and summer, I hear from more moms about their daughters’ angst about using tampons. Basically, moms want to know how they can make it easier for their daughter to learn to use tampons. While there are many stories of success, there are also some that include tears, frustration and some shock once the daughter learns that the tampon goes into her VAGINA. Rest easy all, as there is absolutely no reason to change your fun plans or alter any of the wet summer activities. And Moms: You can be your daughter’s most trusted expert.

First, I would start out by telling your daughter that many girls feel unsure about using tampons for the first time. However, once she learns, it is something that will allow her the freedom to do what she couldn’t do with just pads, as her only option.

A make it easier to insert suggestion: For first time users, plastic applicator tampons with a rounded tip offer a more comfortable insertion experience. Make sure to begin with the lightest absorbency for the need. Importantly, have your daughter practice tampon insertion when she is on her period. Tampons should never be used when anyone is not menstruating, even to practice.

As far as what to do next, there is really great information and tampon insertion instructions at beinggirl.com, along with experiences from other girls who have tried tampons for the first time. Your daughter will also find some free sample offers. Teens tend to think that they are alone when it comes to feeling unsure about tampon use. It always helps them to know that other girls had the same angst while learning to use tampons.

Just bringing up the topic with your daughter will help her know that you get it. In fact, share a fun story about when you started using tampons. You can also tell your daughter what your mom did to support you or NOT!! Bet your daughter will enjoy hearing about that. My daughter couldn’t believe that my mom gave me a big fat wide pad with a pad belt to use, regardless of the season. Along with that, she handed me a page out of the newspaper that was part of pile that she had ready for period time. My instructions were to use the pad then wrap it in the newspaper and dispose of it DISCREETLY in the bathroom waste can. NO KIDDING!! I learned to use tampons thanks to a best friend with a more enlightened mother experience. My motivation was huge.

My final bit of advice: Use sun protection and enjoy the summer with your daughter – when she can squeeze you into her busy fun schedule!

Would love to hear your experience!

Beinggirl.com:
http://www.beinggirl.com/article/how-to-use-a-tampon/?utm_source=WordPress&utm_medium=ElaineR.N.&utm_content=link20110527&utm_campaign=comm_mgr

Incontinence Management: Real Men Use Always Pee Pads!!

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Being a women’s health expert, I usually focus on a woman’s experience with medical issues. However, a friend recently told me about her elderly, yet vibrant dad and his management of urge incontinence. Some people focus on the positive and find humor in even the most uncomfortable of problems. That is what my friend’s father does. She told me he calls his Always Pads: Pee Pants. And, that is exactly what they are for him.

His incontinence issue isn’t severe enough to warrant a full pant and the pads seem to be working just fine for him. They are less cumbersome and, he says, make him feel less like an invalid.

My friend trusts my medical advice and often asks me questions about health conditions, medications and products. Not much I could say to her about this except to be glad that her Dad found something that works and that he didn’t feel embarrassed to buy. In fact, he believes that the cashier assumes that he is buying the pads for someone else and that he is just a sensitive guy that can handle purchasing menstrual protection products. You gotta love that attitude (remind me to blog about my husband’s attitude and experience purchasing period products I needed once).

The reason that I am writing about this is so that others may get some ideas of alternative ways to manage male incontinence. Of course, all types of incontinence, regardless of whether it is a woman or man experiencing it, are best managed by seeing a health care professional first to understand why this is occurring. Once the diagnosis is made then options for management can be determined. Just so you know, my incontinence mantra is: INCONTINENCE IS NOT A NATURAL PART OF AGING! In fact, I read that incontinence is one of the more difficult aspects of managing senior parents. Nice when it doesn’t have to be overbearing for the caregiver or the care receiver.

Below is a link to the Always Maxi LeakGuard Plus Super Odor lock that my friend’s dad uses.

http://www.always.com/products/detail/maxileakguardplus?utm_source=wordpress&utm_medium=NurseElaine&utm_content=link20110520&utm_campaign=comm_mgr

Pale is not a dirty word: In other words, tans are not a prom necessity!

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May is Melanoma Awareness Month. It is also the month of Proms, which means glamour, hair, nails, dresses, shoes and handbags. When in heavens name did tanned skin become part of the beauty ensemble??

To take a step back, I recently had a dear friend get diagnosed with malignant Melanoma. Within two weeks, he was gone. While this is crazy, it is too terribly true. As a result, his daughters, his widow and his dear friends, of whom I am proud to call myself, are committed to helping others avoid his horrid fate. I miss him lots. This blog is dedicated to Marky!

A conversation that was overheard recently at a spa (I do get pedicures on a vibrating chair in a room with pleasant therapeutic aromas) was a teen talking on a phone to a friend about scheduling her tan time at a local salon to prepare for prom. Well ladies: Sun tanning salons presents a risk of skin cancer, along with natural sun tanning.

Let’s talk some facts: The statistics about this most dangerous form of skin cancer are alarming.  It is the eighth most common cancer in the US and its incidence is increasing faster than any other cancer over the past 20 years.  It is now the most common cancer in young adults aged 25-29.  Yet, this deadliest form of skin cancers is nearly 100% curable when caught early.

While virtually anyone can become a victim of melanoma, some are at greater risk than others.  If any of the following describe you, it is even more imperative to proactively protect your skin.  These include:  anyone exposed to large amounts of sunlight or tanning beds; a personal or family history of melanoma; fair complexions or red hair and anyone with a history of moles/large pigmented blemishes. 
 
While my expertise is women’s health and not dermatology, I do know enough about Melanoma to provide tips on what we might do to manage the risks for melanoma that everyone can do: First, protect yourself from the harmful effects of the sun.  Cover your skin and/or wear a sunscreen with at least sun protection factor of 30 and whose label says it provides broad-spectrum protection from both UVA and UVB rays.  Second, wear a hat, preferably one with a visor or rim that protects your face, as well as your head.  Third, check yourself regularly for changes in moles or anything else that looks suspicious.  Don’t overlook your scalp—ask your stylist or barber to check it whenever you have a hair appointment.  And, fourth, see a medical professional annually for a full body scan or more frequently if you have an unusual growth or change in a mole or growth.

There is a great article on beinggirl.com on practicing safe sun. Check it out as, it could save your life or someone you know and love – literally.

http://www.beinggirl.com/en_US/articledetail.jsp?ContentId=ART568&utm_source=wordpress&utm_medium=NursePlummer&utm_content=link20110510&utm_campaign=comm_mgr

Back to the prom: for those that are getting ready for the big dance or helping their child prepare. Please, please, please focus on the beauty of jewels, the matching tux, after prom activities and the big DATE, not on the need to tan the skin. Have fun and I am looking forward to hearing prom stories!

My Brush With Incontinence

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I have blogged before about incontinence talking specifically about stress incontinence. This blog will be more about the other kind of common incontinence, Urge Incontinence. Below is a definition that I copied from WebMD that provides a succinct, easy to understand definition:

Stress incontinence and overactive bladder (OAB) are the main causes of incontinence. Stress incontinence, which is more common in women, causes urine to leak when you laugh or cough. Overactive bladder, also called urge incontinence, is caused by urinary muscle spasms that cause an urgency to urinate. Incontinence can also be caused by multiple pregnancies, being overweight, and genetic weaknesses.

The reason that I am posting today is that three weeks ago I had major back surgery. For weeks before, along with intermittent excruciating back pain for years and based on an MRI and an x-ray, I was scheduled for back surgery, which I truly welcomed. The surgery was supposed to take an hour and my plan was to take a week to recover and then onto my usual life happenings. WELLLLL that isn’t the way it turned out.

My simple surgery turned into a 3-hour complex removal of old scar tissue in my lumbar 4-5 area; most likely from a previous back surgery 10 years ago, along with removal of bone pressing on nerves. WHOOO HOOO!! Needless to say, when I awoke from the anesthesia I had a lot of stuff happening that I hadn’t planned. During surgery, my doctor found that scar tissue and bone had been pressing on the sac that contains nerves to my bladder and bowel area. The sac tore during my surgeon’s effort to remove the bone that was adhering to the sac. Not his fault, as I truly believe that there was no way to do that without a tear.

Now the fun part (I am being sarcastic): As I came out of the foggy mess of anesthesia I could feel I had a very full bladder. Not a surprise, since I had a lot of IV fluids and didn’t have a urinary catheter. In any case, I pulled the call button for some help, since I couldn’t maneuver the IV stand and all of the technology I was hooked to on my own. You have to know, that being a nurse, I sure tried. Even though help came rapidly, it wasn’t fast enough. When I stood up for the first time, I peed on myself and on the floor. Along with that, and quite scary too, my bottom was numb. It was kind of like the feeling you get when you sleep on your arm or lay funny on your leg and then there is tingling as the sensation returns. Talk about feeling totally helpless and frightened.

As I began to understand more about what I was going to have to manage, I just shook my head and thought that this isn’t going to be easy. While I couldn’t feel my bottom, I could tell when my bladder was full. Perhaps, I could control my bladder after all. I could and can fortunately. However, there were still some tenuous moments when my bladder would become full and I worried about whether I would make it to the bathroom in time. So far I have.

While I am in the recovery period (and will be for 3 more weeks), I think often about those women who never regain the ability to control when they urinate. I understand their frustration and their ongoing compromise to their life. My tush area is still numb after 3 weeks and I can’t sit for very long comfortably. But every day I get more and more feeling back. Time will tell if it all comes back. I just feel so grateful that I don’t have to use pads to manage uncontrollable leaking. As I told my surgeon: before my surgery, I used to go to the bathroom so frequently that I was thinking I had an urge incontinence problem. Now it is so much better, despite the numbness that remains. Also, no more horrid pain to my leg and back as a result of compressed nerves!

A day after surgery and my notorious wetting the floor incident, I was sure I was going to have to use Always Maxi LeakGuard PLUS with Odor Lock for the rest of my life. And, I would have gladly if I needed to because nothing was going to keep me from travelling and from visiting my fabulous grandchildren. But, I don’t need to do that. However, I will always understand when someone has to go the front of the line in an event bathroom, when someone needs to use pads to manage their incontinence or when an aisle seat is needed because someone has to get up quickly to use the bathroom. Being a nurse and a fairly sensitive person, I thought I got it before. NOT LIKE NOW!!

Being an Always and Tampax women’s health expert, I was glad that I at least know and totally trust that Always products are comfortable and hold true to the advertising claims. I realize that I am being commercial, but sometimes that is ok. After all, for me, knowing there are Always products available that I can use to avoid smelling like I peed my unders was reassuring while I was dealing with the unknown. While I feel like I am doing well, I am still not 100% and appreciate the backup at times.

This is a rather personal blog, but I don’t mind sharing if it helps someone in some way. At least, please know that I get it and am always willing to listen to concerns, respond to questions and link to information that may be helpful. To that end, below is a link to Always Maxi LeakGuard PLUS with Odor Lock, should you have that need.

http://www.always.com/products/detail/maxileakguardplus?utm_source=wordpress&utm_medium=NursePlummer&utm_content=link20110503&utm_campaign=comm_mgr

Dating Violence – Teens and Prevention!

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Violence against women is a topic in which I have a very strong interest. From 1995 until 2007, when I moved from Cincinnati, I was actively involved with Women Helping Women, which serves Southwestern Ohio as a unique provider of crisis intervention and support services for direct and indirect victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking. I was a board member and also served as board chair for a few years during that time. Below is a link to its website where you can find detailed information on the topic as well as links to supportive national networks to direct you to local help.

http://womenhelpingwomen.org/

The reason I mention my involvement is because I want anyone reading my blog to know that I truly have a serious commitment to ending violence against women, not only in Cincinnati, but globally. So does Tampax and Always.

Lately, there has been coverage in the media with Ashley Judd talking about her own life-altering experience with sexual abuse. Glad she was courageous enough to share what happened with her, as there are so many women who can identify with her story and know that they are not alone. Importantly, they are NOT at fault. I blogged a while back that women tend to blame themselves for everything. Not all women, but it tends to be a female trait. Blaming ones self after having experienced an unwanted sexual encounter delays healing and moving from having been a victim to being a survivor.

There is a lot to this topic, as abuse can happen with any age group, both genders and no matter how much or little money one has. Within this blog, I will focus on teens and prevention. However, the articles that I will be linking to are appropriate for women or men regardless of age. In fact, when I was reviewing the articles again, I thought of a middle-aged friend of mine who was in a totally abusive relationship. She could benefit from reading the articles and, believe me, she WILL see them because I will send them to her. Of course, I will then reconnect so that we can talk about it.

So, how can we help our daughters – and sons – avoid being in an abusive relationship?? EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION! Beinggirl.com is a great place to find helpful content to share with your teen on dating violence. The article that I have linked to below includes information about the types of abuse that can happen and the cycle of violence. At the bottom of the article there are links to several other articles, one on dating violence experiences, a key article on escaping abusive relationships and a third article on relationships.

Tampax and Always are brands that are in the unique position to provide helpful information to women and teens on a variety of topics through their online presence. I am proud to be associated with Brands that understand the importance of prevention, related to sexual assault and dating violence, and provide information to help break the cycle of violence. I hope you choose to read these and share with your teens, friends or anyone you believe could benefit.

http://www.beinggirl.com/en_US/articledetail.jsp?ContentId=ART5&utm_source=wordpress&utm_medium=nurseplummer&utm_content=link20110410&utm_campaign=comm_mgr

I laughed until I peed my pants; Info about Stress Incontinence

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I was trying to find a clever and funny way to convey the definition of stress incontinence because many times when women describe to me what happens for them, they try to laugh it off. The ironic thing about stress incontinence is that it often happens during a hearty laugh and then we try to laugh about it. Actually though, there isn’t really much that is funny about a grown woman leaking urine.

In this posting, I am going to only talk about stress incontinence, though there are other kinds of urinary incontinence. ACOG, The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, published a patient brochure titled: Urinary Incontinence, which provides an excellent overview about incontinence, including definitions, causes, diagnosing and treatments. This is how stress incontinence is defined in the brochure: “In this type, a woman leaks urine when she coughs, laughs, or sneezes. Leaks also can happen when a woman walks, runs, or exercises. It is caused by a weakening of the tissues that support the bladder or the muscles of the urethra. Stress incontinence is the most common type in younger women.” Below is a link if you are interested in reading more.

http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp081.cfm

Why am I talking about this when I usually focus on periods, puberty, teens and products? First, this is something that has been talked about recently by women who I know and second, most women feel that this is something they have no other options but to accept it as a fact of their physical being. I personally hate that feeling and always believe that there must be something that can be done to help oneself when faced with a problem. It is the idea of empowerment over helplessness.

Before I offer some helpful ways to manage stress incontinence, I will relate two of the stories I heard that might sound familiar to some of you. (Both stories have been changed a bit to protect several women with enough to worry about without being outed in my blog.)

A work friend told one to me. She said that during breakfast with her husband, he told her something hysterically funny. First though, you have to picture her husband. He is kind of a gruff man who rarely says anything at all, let alone something incredibly humorous. She broke out in a hearty laugh and wet her pants through to the chair. Talk about breaking the mood – that did it!! When telling me about this, she laughed that kind of nervous laugh that says, please tell me this is funny or at least, normal and ok.

The other story was one told to me by a total stranger sitting next to me on a two- hour flight. We were doing some chit chatting about the books we were reading and she asked if I was traveling for business or fun. I politely asked her the same thing. She was on a work trip and I told her that mine was a fun, visit the family kind of travel. She also asked about the kind of work that I do and I told her that I am a RN and one of the Tampax and Always women’s health experts. Now here is where we go from superficial polite discourse that should have ended after I told her what I do. In truth, I actually wanted the discussion to end because I wanted to get back to my very good book. I didn’t even ask her what she did for a living. Like I said, the book was really, really good. However, she leaned over to me and asked if I know anything about what she could do about a recent problem she is having. The woman looked to be about 40 years old, was a bit overweight, well dressed with a designer handbag. The handbag doesn’t have anything much to do with the topic, but I always notice that. Love handbags myself. Back to the story: She proceeded to tell me that she hates to travel because if she coughs, sneezes, bends over to pick something up or just laughs she has begun to wet herself. One time she reached up to get her suitcase out of the overhead compartment and the pull of bringing her suitcase down caused her to wet herself. Now that got my attention and we spoke further about her situation.

Though often stress incontinence can be related to weakening or stretching of the support of the pelvic organs caused by pregnancy, my work friend had never been pregnant. Diagnosing the cause can be complicated so my first bit of advise is to never assume it is a sign of aging or a result of multiple pregnancies. In fact, sometimes there can be several reasons why this is happening. That is why I always emphasize the importance of discussing the problem with ones health care provider (HCP), so that an accurate diagnosis can be made. Only then can stress incontinence be managed appropriately and specifically to the cause.

Again, make an appointment with your HCP! Along with that, there are some lifestyle changes, mentioned in the brochure, which may help minimize the number of times you leak. Your HCP will probably tell you the same thing if any of these are a problem for you: Loose weight, avoid constipation, drink less fluids and limit intake of caffeine, seek treatment for frequent coughing and STOP SMOKING (I know none of us have ever heard that one before!) I suggest for further detail, link to the ACOG brochure. My goal here is to not to do another version of the Incontinence Brochure, but to get women who wet when they laugh to recognize that stress incontinence shouldn’t be laughed away.

Products that absorb: While I truly wish that NO woman had to deal with stress incontinence, it is a reality for some. To help manage the situation, I suggest taking a look at the new Always Maxi Leak Guard Plus ® and Always Dri-Liners Plus with Odor Lock ®. I have a link below if you want to know more about the Odor-Lock technology that continuously absorbs and neutralizes odors.

http://www.always.com/products/detail/pantiliner-odorlock?utm_source=workpress&utm_medium=nurseplummer&utm_content=link20110329&utm_campaign=comm_mgr

Periods, Puberty and Products

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In the U.S., the average age for girls to begin their menstrual periods is age 12. It is not unusual to begin as early as age 8 or as late as age 15. I don’t know about you, but when I think of a young girl of 8 starting her period, I take a deep breathe in and hope that she is prepared with information and products. While 8 years old is very young, some girls do start at an age before they (or their moms) are prepared to manage the situation.

A mother recently wrote to one of the beinggirl.com experts and asked her for help in finding the right product for her 10 year old who just started her period. She said she hadn’t had the “talk” yet and she and her daughter had no idea what product would be best for her.

First let’s start with the “talk”. As I often emphasize, the “talk” should never be a one-time spewing of information or a lecture between mom (or father) and daughter. Absolutely NOT! It should be the beginning of ongoing special interactions between the parent and child on all kinds of sensitive topics. How you address periods and products, can lead the way to a trusting bond with your daughter. After all, don’t you want to be the one she comes to when she desires information about other sensitive or embarrassing things. And daughters, if you are reading this, wouldn’t it be nice to have the type of relationship with your mom, where you can get the really, reallies from her?

Even if your daughter has started her period, you aren’t too late to be her expert. If you have the right resources, you can help her and yourself by being able to provide helpful tips on product selection, as well as what she can expect with the changes her body is going through. Take what could be a bit traumatizing and turn it into something that you share together calmly and without drama.

Make it a celebration of her. What I mean by celebration, is not getting balloons and cake, though some may do that, it means reassuring her that what she is experiencing is a normal part of growing up. She is special – to you, as her parent. I went to a meeting once where there was a speaker talking about celebrating your daughter’s first period, as an entre into womanhood, with dinner out, gifts and family announcements. Hearing this at the time, I felt kind of bad, because all I did was tell my daughter she could use tampons, since she was a swimmer, and that her period shouldn’t get in the way of life. She has managed to grow up successful, despite that less than sensitive advice and no gifts or hoopla. However, we had talked about periods before she started and she had products at her disposal. Importantly, since we had been talking, she felt comfortable letting me know she had started and seemed glad to be prepared.

A great place for mom’s to go to get information is the Always.com website. I have included a link below to the section aptly titled, “Moms”. A site designed for teens to get information and to find the answers to some of the more frequently asked questions is beinggirl.com. I have included a link to that site, as well. There is fun information on both the sites, along with free products samples. Moms, you may want to go to beinggirl.com and read some of the more frequently asked questions girls have, along with the responses developed by the beinggirl.com experts, so that you have an idea of what your daughter may want to know about and how best to address her concerns.

Take a look and let me know what you think. Also, Moms, I would love to hear about your experience when your daughter started her first period. And, daughters, what was it like for you??

http://www.always.com/mom/?utm_source=wordpress&utm_medium=NursePlummer&utm_content=link20110117&utm_campaign=comm_mgr

http://www.beinggirl.com/en_US/home.jsp?utm_source=wordpress&utm_medium=NursePlummer&utm_content=link20110117&utm_campaign=comm_mgr