Do you dread the beach???

[Cookie]

I have a love/hate relationship with summer. I love warm weather, get togethers and cookouts. But then there's that whole swimsuit issue...

I have a fistula with chronic leakage, so I always wear a pantyliner. Does anyone have any advice when it comes to swimming? We have planned two trips to the beach and one to the lake (family things I can't get out of) and my neighbors are always having pool parties. That's pretty much half of my summer trying to avoid uncomfortable situations. Last year when we went to the beach I was miserable because I could not go in the water for fear of my giant pad coming out. If I don't wear one, the problems are even bigger and more embarassing. I finally bought one of those swimsuits that has a skirt bottom, so that hides the pad, but I still haven't figured out swimming.

How do you all handle it? Any advice?

 

[kello82]

ahhh the beach.
i love it and hate it at the same time
haha of course im with you on this shady, im your source for the fistula 411 HAH!

theres a couple different techniques ive used:
-panty liner in the bathing suit. (the skirt kind is a good idea, never thought of that!) i would wear the pad in there till i wanted to swim then say "oh! i have to use tha bathroom before i swim!" then throw the pad out. go swimming, cause hey, your whole suit is wet, so no one will notice drainage from wherever your problem area happens to be. (butt for me). then when you get out of the water, keep a towel wrapped around your waist until you can get to the bathroom and stick a new pantyliner in there.
so unfair. people dont know the luxury of having a non leaking butt area
-ive also kept gauze stuck in my butt, yes even in the water. i did that at a water park where you have no choice but to walk around the entire park in just your bathing suit. it didnt work so well, so i just got wet as often as possible.
-ive worn shorts over my swimsuit bottoms before, into the water too. hey, people go in the water with shirts on, so i can wear shorts. if anyone asked me why i was being weird like that, i answered that my bottoms were wayy to small and i felt self concoius. (i wasnt very open at that time).
-FINALLY. always buy black or dark brown, maybe dark gray swimsuits. at least on the bottom half. ALWAYS. if i didnt do this, all of my bottoms would be ruined within the first use. its easier to buy 2 piece suits to do this, then you can get a top with anything on it as long as it has a bit of black somewhere- flower, trim, stripe, ets. and then buy a plain black bottom from anywhere nd itll look like it came together. yay!

i know weve talked about this before, but is it still too painful to use a tampon for the rectovaginal drainage? it would make it so much easier if that was an option for you! i always did that when swimsuits were involved and then i at least only had the butt drainage to deal with.

well, i hope that all helps.
like i said, this is so totally unfair. its one thing to feel self concious becuase of how your body looks, you know? like most girls are like "oooo im so shy", but the self concious feeling due to leaking messes is wayyyyy worse in my opinion. if the worry of what might escape from down there were totally removed, hell i would run around in anything.
to be able to wear a bikini bottom with a dry butt and no leaks and no pads and no gauze?? *sigh*. that would be my heaven.

 

[Cookie]

Thanks Kello. I knew I could count on you for advice

I usually do the whole panty liner thing like you said, it just sucks when there is no bathroom around. And the black swimsuit is a must. I guess I just wanted to vent because most people just don't understand how a simple thing such as hanging out at the pool can be such a big ordeal. But I knew you guys would

 

[kello82]

ohhhh, yeah when theres no bathroom thats a challenge.
i dont know that ive been to to many beaches with nothing, at least a port-o-potty! cause i pretty much could never go anywhere without needing it in a hurry.
well, maybe pick some different beach destinations this year, and make sure theyve got potties!