Prologue: Evening

This evening, at 7:30 PM Eastern Standard Time, I began the first phase in a self-initiated social and emotional experiment: spending ten days "in diapers." Throughout this time, I will observe my own emotional responses, as well as the reactions of others (if they notice) to my diapered state. This blog will serve as a record of those experiences, filtered as they may be by my own preceptions and perceptions.

Before I begin describing my experiences, I will first provide some background and details of the "experiment."

WHY TEN DAYS? WHY DIAPERS?
To answer the last question first:

- Curiosity about the past: I've always been curious about diapers. I obviously used to wear them when I first arrived on this planet, but as you might suspect, I don't remember anything about it. What did they feel like? How well did they work? How did they affect my life then?

- Curiosity about the present: Adult diapers are everywhere. In my small Midwestern town, I can think--off hand--of at least half a dozen stores where you can buy adult diapers. They're all even within two miles of each other. They're another elephant that no one talks about, aside from cracking jokes. Well, no one outside of the medical/care-giver community, anyway...

- Curiosity about the future: There may come a day when I will really need to wear diapers. What would it be like? How would I react? How about other people?

To answer the first question: My wife is out of town for quite a while, so (a) I'm a little bored, and (b) this little experiment won't annoy her in any way. Also, ten days seemed like a nice round number--enough time to "get into" the role/experiment without going too deeply or just skimming the surface.

EQUIPMENT:
I am beginning this experiment with the following supplies:

• 60 Meijer-brand Maximum Protection Fitted Briefs, size medium (3 packages @ $10 each). These seemed to offer the most bang for the buck: they're rated for a high degree of "protection" and are also obviously "diaper-like" in that they are relatively thick, crinkle when one walks, and are held on by four high-strength tapes. I could have gone for a less-obtrusive solution (disposable "protective underwear"), but I feel that would have been "short-changing" the social and emotional impact of the experience.
  
• 14 Abena X-Plus Fitted Briefs. After significant online research, it looks like these diapers will be the best solution for "overnight" protection, as well as any periods where I won't be able to change for a while. Supposedly, they hold over 116 fl. oz. Wow. We'll see. I ordered them from Drugstore.com tonight and they should arrive in a few days. Until then, I'll see how the Meijer diapers hold up.
• 1 Basic Bedding Mattress Protector. This is to prevent any unnecessary damage to my mattress. I will also institute some ground rules to prevent/minimize leakage onto other pieces of furniture.
• 1 tube Desitin creme. This is to prevent any unnecessary damage to my skin.
• 2 bottles generic baby powder. Ditto.
• 1 bottle generic baby oil. Ditto ditto.
• Other miscellaneous items include not-so-great sheets and pillow cases, and flushable wipes and latex gloves for easier cleanup.

GROUND RULES:
The following ground rules will help to keep the experiment on track, as well, as keep my life from derailing too far...

1. Diaper Use: This experiment will only cover urinary "incontinence." "Wetting" should always be done in a diaper; defecation must occur in a toilet. This rule will make my work-life easier, and will make life in general much less gross than the alternative.
2. Clothing: Diapers aside, clothing will consist of the stuff I wear every day, from shorts and t-shirts to business casual meeting clothes. If the noise, bulk, or potential leakiness of the diaper would pose a problem for business purposes, I will take whatever steps are necessary to reduce those factors, EXCEPT for removal of the diaper. While running personal errands in public, I will not worry as much about that. A simple pair of pants or shorts over a diaper will be enough.
   
3. Changing: To minimize expenses (a real-world concern for actual diaper wearers, I'm sure), some diapers must be "used" more than once. A diaper should be changed only when it appears/feels wet enough to leak onto clothing, furniture, etc.
   

ACTIVITY
At this point, I will not limit my physical or social activities beyond the norm. This is an experiment in diaper-wearing, not in being a "shut-in." Additionally, such an approach will let me see the extent to which diapering is a hinderance (or maybe even a help?) in the day-to-day world.

That's about it for now... my next post will include details about my first evening in diapers.