Heron first took notice of her bladder weakness eight years ago when it started to affect her lifestyle. She recalls having to stand up and cross her legs when she sneezed or coughed to avoid bladder leakage. Heron realized she had a mild bladder control problem but had been under the impression that those sorts of issues were experienced only by older people.

About two years ago when her bladder leakage worsened, Heron finally decided to do something about it. She began buying feminine care pantiliners to keep her underwear dry in case she sneezed or coughed. She soon discovered they weren't made for such leakage, however, and she needed to try a different product.

Frustrated, Heron went for her annual physical exam last fall and mentioned her bladder leakage to the nurse practitioner. The nurse told her she was experiencing stress incontinence. Heron had extremely fast labors with all three of her children and the nurse explained that labor is hard on pelvic muscles, which likely contributed to her incontinence. Heron made an appointment with a gynecologist and a urologist.

The Next Step
Heron’s doctors advised her that surgery was the best option due to her degree of incontinence in combination with other medical circumstances.

Most doctors, however, will suggest non-surgical treatments first. Such treatments may include diet and behavior changes, Kegels -- exercises designed to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles -- and biofeedback techniques. According to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse, biofeedback techniques use measuring devices to help you become aware of the way your body is functioning. By using these electronic devices or diaries to track when your bladder and urethral muscles contract, they say, you can gain control over these muscles, which in turn allows you to perform more successful Kegel exercises.

Unfortunately, Heron continued to have problems after the surgery and, in fact, developed urge incontinence as well. Heron's urologist believed biofeedback was now a viable treatment to manage her incontinence. Although she was skeptical at first, Heron decided to give biofeedback a try.

Heron has been doing biofeedback for only a couple of months and has already seen a tremendous improvement. Today Heron is able to go shopping, try on clothes and do what she needs to do without worry. "Seeing a biofeedback nurse had definitely helped improve the situation," Heron says. "They said I'm making excellent progress and hope I will be pretty much normal by the end of the year."

Her Daily Routine
Heron performs as many as 90 Kegels each day. She does them lying on her side, sitting and standing throughout the day. She also records any liquid she drinks, as well as trips to the bathroom, in a diary to keep track of her intake and output.

Today with the help of Depend® absorbent products, Heron is able to go golfing, walking and traveling. She and her husband, Bob, who she says has been very supportive, lead an active lifestyle, filled with trips, sports activities and visits with family. She chooses to wear Depend® absorbent products when in public because her urge incontinence can strike very quickly, which makes life unpredictable at times.

In fact, when the couple was playing basketball in the park, her bladder leakage soaked her clothing. At that point, Heron decided to wear Depend® absorbent products every time she was out in public. Yet she says these experiences, and coping with her incontinence, have taught her to be thankful and not take things for granted.

Her best advice to those dealing with incontinence is not to be embarrassed, get educated and ask your doctor for more simple ways to deal with it, like Kegel exercises, wearing absorbent products designed to absorb urine and biofeedback. "It's not your fault," she says. "It happens. But you don't have to let it ruin your life. Get whatever it takes to get going in your life again." In short, don't be a prisoner to the bathroom, she says.

Finally, with Depend® absorbent products, no one needs to know about the problem. "It's your business," she says. "So hold your head up high and don't be ashamed."