I am participating in a Vibrant Influencer Network campaign for Depend. I am receiving a fee for posting; however, the opinions expressed in this post are my own. I am in no way affiliated with Depend and do not earn a commission or percent of sales.
Millions of Americans have bladder control issues. Yet I do not believe I have ever heard anyone openly discuss this topic even though it is a natural occurring concern for many. In the video above, Kim, a vibrant 44 year old flight attendant and pilot, shared her story of feeling lost after getting sick. Her story made me reconsider my own prejudices surrounding who I think has bladder control issues. For Kim is not the first person I’d imagine needing Depend. But it is for this reason that she decided to put a face to who the real people needing this information might be in the hope of helping just one person learn about Depend and how Depend can help ensure a high quality lifestyle.
Widespread secrecy and embarrassment surround any reference to incontinence. I’ve only heard women privately admit that they sometimes have accidents when they sneeze. But I was never sure about the cause of this condition. So I decided to talk to the mother of a very good friend who lives in an assisted living facility who wears a Depend daily. I realized after the fact that talking to her supported my false understanding about who the Depend product is made for and reinforced my misconception.
Her mother shared how Depend gives her a kind of flexibility to live a normal life and they allow her to travel. She also discussed her initial difficulty in accepting that she needed to wear them and its affect on her dignity. But now she said, “Depend are perfect because my suitors do not know I am wearing them.” This was a funny comment as she is in her 70’s. I realized however that I empathized with her but I did not find it shocking that she needed to wear them. On some level it seemed normal that an older person might need these. This belief however is my own shortcoming and could not be further from the truth, as Kim suggests.
I also talked to a male friend who discreetly admitted that after his hemorrhoid operation, he’d worn Depend in order to travel. This pushed me to the Depend website to learn more. There I found multiple stories about acceptance on the male section of the Depend website that will melt your heart. I realized how important it is for us to educate ourselves, especially if someone we know needs our support.
I also took a close look at an actual Depend after watching the videos. They look like real underwear, are not bulky, have an underwear-like waistband, and according to my friend’s mother, the product specifications, and the testimonials of real people, Depend has maximum absorbency. Depend Underwear with new Fit-Flex* protection helps give the confidence you need every day. They feature more Lycra® strands† for a smooth and comfortable close-to-the-body-fit.
Because we commonly only think of Depend as diapers or of the humiliation associated with wearing them, I now realize they are a perfect solution because of the dignity they bring into people’s lives. And in working on this campaign, I now know that bladder control issues can affect young people as well, particularly women who have given birth or men who have been treated for prostate cancer. Perhaps most importantly, the point is that Depend can help ensure a high quality lifestyle across demographics.
So if you know someone whose life would be improved by this product or simply to educate yourself, why not request a sample.
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