Well, that was embarrassing...

I woke up yesterday morning to find myself covered in pee.

I'm not quite sure how it happened. I think I'm like everyone else in that I occasionally have dreams about sitting on a toilet but I've been able to recognize and stop the actual act since I was little (my trick is to always look for the flush--if I can't find it, then it's definitely a dream). However, last night there was no toilet dream--just pee.

So, I got up, went to the bathroom (where I actually had one good, long "go" which makes me wonder how long I was sleeping like that), and then woke Jeremy up so I could clear the bed. Thankfully he didn't really care and didn't even laugh at me (such a good boyfriend!). By the way, it was also our anniversary yesterday--a great way to wake up your loved ones and celebrate!

Luckily, our mattress has this zip-off pad attached to it which was really easy to remove and I could just stick it straight into the washer (also machine washable--very good). And I was happy to find that very little pee went through the pad and onto the mattress, so I'm happy to report that I didn't have to sleep in it again last night.

Jeremy was a little unimpressed by my debacle and went right back to sleep. I, on the other hand, spent the "wee" hours cleaning up and monitoring the washing machine which had a hard time spinning the giant mattress pad.

Why do I tell you these things? Because everyone needs to know they're human--just like everyone else.

When was the last time you peed your pants? I was actually asked this at a "get to know your coworkers" meeting--not a good question, btw. But I answered it because I felt compelled to be genuine and show people I'm really not afraid of their laughter.

So, when was the last time I peed my pants? Well, I must admit this has been a rather frequent event (relatively speaking) over the past year or so.

The last time was two weeks before I left Bella Donna Gelateria in Brisbane. I had been there all night, crossing my legs and bumbling around trying not to pee because going to the bathroom meant closing up the shop and begging the neighboring shops for a bathroom key (which I nearly always got harassed for). So, when my new trainee came in, I was a little "excited" about being able to slip out. And slip out I did--while standing next to her and explaining the time sheets, I peed my pants. And it was big. Luckily I was wearing a pad (period time) which soaked up most of it though I still felt a little trickle down my leg. She didn't notice and never knew what happened that night, but I'm sure my surprised look made her wonder (think Charlotte from Sex and the City).

Another time, I was in Thailand with Jeremy. We were taking the ricketiest old ferry out to Ko Chang and I was standing at the concession counter when it hit me. And when I say "hit me" I really mean it. For years I've had problems with a crazy, immidiate and intense need to pee. It hasn't been consistently happening (as in everyday for a year) but it may happen once a year and last every day for several months. And usually, it's just a little bit of actual pee but the need to go is so intense and so immediate (like five seconds notice) that I sometimes don't make it. Well, I peed my pants while I was standing there at the counter, paying for my ramen noodles. But it wasn't a little that time either. It was a lot. And ashamedly, I must admit that when I walked away, there was a little puddle where my foot used to be and I didn't say anything! By this time in our travels, Jeremy was pretty familiar with my problem so we were both able to laugh about it as I hobbled down to the ship's bathroom and tried to wipe my legs off. There wasn't much I could do about the wet shorts though...

For a long time I thought I just had an over-active bladder problem. Then I thought I had chronic urinary tract infections (UTIs). But when my doctors kept telling me it was neither, I started thinking about other causes... The last time I talked with a doctor about this, she suggested that maybe caffeine was the cause. I had never thought about it but since that appointment six months ago, I've found that those "must pee now!" moments only happen after I drink soda. So I don't drink soda aymore.

I'm not able to explain the other night though. But it's a funny story and I don't mind sharing my embarrassing moments with you. Maybe you don't mind sharing your embarrassing moments with me?? I ask you, blog world, when was the last time you wet yourself?