Bard Zipser Model Penile Clamp review

On a private suggestion, I decided to try a low tech approach to help with my urinary incontinence. I was told the Bard Penile Clamp was the way to go. Someone had one for their son and he had no issues with it.

It wasn't cheap... as most medical devices go. This is literally a metal spring for $35. At least it's reusable.

When I got the clamp in the mail the first thing I noticed was there wasn't much resistance to it. I was worried it would not be up to the task.

I decided to put on some Depends, not only for the added assurance I would have no leaks, but also because the size of this would have been poking out of the front of my pants. The Depends padding helped disguise the fact I was wearing this.

Mentally, logically, the proper way to put this on would be horizontally... thus cutting off the "main flow"... on the underside if you will. However, I noticed that when it was mounted that way, when I would walk, the ends of the clamp would catch my legs and it was pulling back and forth with each step. Not very comfortable.

Mounted vertically, it was not in the way and I barely noticed it after a while. It wasn't uncomfortable at all. I went about my business and ignored it. I did some chores and on returning home I noticed that the device did not completely stop leaking from occurring.

Getting in and out of the car, I would notice the tension would let off a little. That's probably where it came from, but it's still not an ideal solution. Had I not wore the depends it would have been bad.

I was also very paranoid thinking if it fell off and slipped down my pants leg, what would someone think it was? Also, I'm not sure how a kid could wear this since there is only 1 product number, one size... and it was too large for me. It was probably designed for someone bedridden, or with limited mobility.

In the end, this is a solid pass for me. It doesn't help much, doesn't "mount" logically and... it's just too weird.

Cook Non Adhesive Silicone Male External Condom Catheter

A reader informed me of a catheter which is non-adhesive and reusable that I should try. While he didn't wear it himself he was wondering if he should order one. I bit the bullet and bought one to give my fair and unbiased review.

This is the Cook Non-Adhesive Silicone Male External Condom Catheter which goes for about $35... each. My expectations were high....

At this price I made sure to measure well as the choices in sizes ranged as much as a normal adhesive catheter. When I wear those (not often, anymore) I usually wear a size 32mm. I got the 33mm out of habit.

If you don't know about this catheter, it is an inflatable style that is supposed to stay firm on not leak.

When I first put it on, I noticed it was firm and felt like it had a good grip. Then I started to feel a pain, like pinching at the bottom of my penis. I let out some of the air thinking I may have aired it up too much. While I didn't deflate it too much, I did notice after a while there was some leakage.

Wanting to give it a thorough review, I put more air back in and went for a walk. The pain got really bad so I rushed home and noticed, to my surprise, that even with this uncomfortably inflated, was still leaking.

I thought I bought the wrong size, so I decided to dig through the pamphlet, which had some tips and suggestions on making it more comfortable.

It also came with a sizing guide. Which was spot on for what I bought.

I gave it another couple of days, but the pain was just too much. Also the lack of reliability. $35 down the drain (or other places).

I want my money back Cook Medical. (I have not reached out to them for a refund however.)

Depends Real Fit vs Fit Flex

I have always wanted to know what the difference was between these two pull on briefs style disposable underwear. My chance finally came when my neighborhood pharmacist ran out of my favorite, the Real Fit.

I'll try to give this an unbiased review, but it will be hard to do.

The flex fit looks like an inferior knock off of. Like some Chinese manufacturer imitating the real thing... despite the fact that both are made by the same company.


Durability. The Flex Fit doesn't last, it doesn't have as much absorption and it tends to fall down on its own all the time. The Real Fit holds up. The elastic stays snug, even the leggings.

Stealth. The flex fit sounds like you have a grocery bag down your pants. I was self conscious in public with this. (although I tend to not wear diapers when in public and use alternatives if I can help it). The real fit has a cloth type feeling like a regular pair of underwear.

Price. The Real fit is roughly $2 a pair. The flex fit is around $1.50 if bought in the same quantity.... but for the quality, I'd say the Flex Fit should cost about 50 cents per pair.

Comfort. The Real Fit feels like I'm wearing wool underwear. It's so soft. It isn't bulky either. Wears well under clothes. The Flex Fit feels like I'm wearing a loose grocery bag with a napkin down the front.

(Depends Real Fit)

It's abundantly clear who the winner is here. The Real Fit. Why does Depends even bother with the other? When you put them side-by-side, you can notice the difference without even having to try them on.

Notice the sheen on the left. That's the crinkly garbage bag material they used. While the right is the softer fabric-like material.

Still, it does beat the velcro strip overnighter diapers any day.

Arcus Afex Active Core Review

I purchased an Arcus Afex Catheter/jockstrap. It was not covered under my insurance, sadly I had to buy it with my own money.

The product wasn't cheap either. It was around $75 after shipping. I was hesitant to buy it because of my experience with other jockstrap style catheters... but for the sake of trying to find something that works. I bought it.

Right off the bat, wearing it, it felt secure. Definitely wouldn't sleep with one on, but sitting, standing, walking... a breeze

The bag system is not universal. This is good and bad. The good is you get a strong secure fit. It's a wide connector that does not kink. It's from the catheter piece directly to the bag. No tubes The bag is sturdy enough to hang directly from the catheter, but can be secured to the leg as well.

They sell 2 options: A jockstrap and a boxer briefs style.While I'm not a big fan of the jockstrap style, I can't stand boxer briefs. It makes it too difficult, I've experienced anyway, to secure to the leg and/or drain the bag.

I came up with my own jockstrap/briefs method. I simply wear the jockstrap under the briefs and pull the tube out of the fly of the underwear, then connect the bag.

Wearing it in public was a tad embarrassing (no more so than wetting yourself) because there is a... ahem... sizable difference downstairs while wearing it. I'm an average sized (probably less than) guy "member" wise. So, the view when I look down takes me off guard.

I'm pretty self conscious about it and I can notice it when I'm wearing dress pants. Not so much with jeans... until I sit down. (I'll spare you the pic, you get the idea).

So, in all. I think this is, as the product title says, an "Active" device. It's good if you are just stepping out, doing some groceries, walking, getting around town. I did not have any leaks, but I've been close to full on a longer than normal road trip.

The good:
When sitting, urine does not collect in the tube due to a layer with holes to drain properly. There are no adhesives. Easy to clean.

The meh:
I've had no rashes, but I have had irritation but probably due to heat. The jockstrap leggings dig into the back of my legs.I wish there was a standard briefs style alternative.

The ugly:
The price. At least offer a 3 pack to save some money. Also, the elastic strap should be more secure. I've noticed that it has become less and less secure as I've washed it. I'd rather have an adjustable strap to account for this piece coming loose.

No accidents with it yet, but time will tell.

Stealth factor:

Pretty good... I mean if you are ok with people thinking you have a big johnson. There is no weird noise, except in the bag when you start to fill up, obviously.

Manufacturer support:

I guess this is going to be a new thing. I'll try to contact the manufacturer and see how responsive they are to questions. This is the email I sent. We'll see how long it takes them to respond and what their support options are:

Sent 4/29/2017

The strap on my Afex Active Core, that holds the device in place inside the underwear, is coming loose and not holding the catheter in place securely. 

Is there a warranty? I just bought it.

I'll keep this posted on if/when they respond.

AlphaDry System review

While it's on my mind. For those that are active and have the same conditions as me (a slow steady drip), I just wanted to point out a few products I've used. What works, what doesn't and my story.

I'll kick it off with one of the most anticipated products I had to try. The AlphaDry.

My experience with it started strong, but it soon became more and more like walking around with a condom full of urine in your undies.

As you can see from the instructions, all you have to do is tie a balloon animal around your junk and then pee into it while walking down a hallway. Easy.

Suffice to say, I didn't bother with this one again. There was adhesive, tape, velcro... shaving pubes... it was way too complicated and too unreliable.

Strong pass from me. There is nothing protecting the tube from letting urine flow and it quickly fills up if you aren't paying attention. It caused me one major "spill". That's one too many. I need something more reliable.

They are no better than these urinal sheath jockstraps you see in any drugstore across the country:

...to which I have an interesting (and embarassing) story about if I ever build up the courage to spill the beans.

AlphaDry Rating = 2/5 stars.

Too much prep, not enough security to have peace of mind.

Too old for diapers, too young for diapers...

I'm new to blogging but I have to have somewhere to shout my frustrations. I'm a man too young to be called "middle aged" and too old to be considered young and I have chronic urinary incontinence. It's a tough thing to say out loud, but it's easier to type it out.

It affects men way less than women. Only 1.5-3% of men will have it in their life (if I have my facts straight). So I will be focusing on just the guy side of the waterworks.

I'll probably be rambling on this... who knows. I might never update past this post. I doubt anyone will ever even stumble upon it, so this is ok. I can have my moment of solace and anonymity in this crazy world.

Besides my parents, 1 sister and one ex... I have never told anyone about my condition. I have tried my whole life to mask this life of "everything is ok" while the boat is on fire and sinking...

I guess my story begins when I was younger. I had problems wetting the bed since I was young. Once I could control that I began to have no issues getting up to use the bathroom... I just always had this slight leak.

When I was in my teens I guess it was semi-socially acceptable to wear underwear to bed. I know they sell goodnites and the like for a reason. It just get's tiresome when you are in your 20's and 30's. When will this end?

My experience so far with doctors has not been good in correcting my condition. When I was in my teens I was prescribed a "fast cath". A catheter without a balloon. I was instructed to jam a tube down my peehole every hour for almost a year... it wasn't the problem.

I had and still have no problems urinating. I can keep up a good stream and I have a sense of "finishing". I even told the doctor that... but after a year of using a fast cath, trying to sneak in and out of stalls between class and hope-and-pray I don't get caught, I began to cut corners.

I wasn't wearing the glove, or using the lubricating jelly... and I was rushing it.Eventually I got a pretty bad urinary tract infection close to my bladder. That made problems worse.

By the time I was in college, I was either wearing a catheter, diapers, sanitary pad and dehydrating the crap out of myself. It was a careful balance and it totally killed any "fun times in college" for me. Was pretty solitary.

Fast forward to today. I have a good job, I've managed to keep sane this long. I'm in my 30's now and from everything I've read online I've got a lot of support, but no one I've met yet is in the same boat as me.

I have it easier than most. I'm still able to walk and I don't have cancer, so I'm not complaining (ok, caught me, I'm still going to bitch, lol). Just looking for a place to dump info and maybe get some tips from random people on the internet... because that can never go wrong.. right?

So, "Hello". You can call me Bill.