Q. We have been invited to a small but formal dinner in the presence of someone who has been a lifelong hero to my husband. Tragically, my husband has developed anxieties about bladder control in high-level social situations where there may be difficulty accessing a loo. Hence he wants me to refuse this prized invitation.
– Name and address withheld
A. Nurse Kate steps in to address this problem. ‘It sounds as though rather than incontinence itself, your husband has an urge/frequency problem, which could be tackled with bladder training and possibly some quite effective medication. For the purposes of his night out, I would recommend a product readily available in chemists called Tena Men Premium Fit Level 4 Pants. They come in packs of ten for around £8.25, and are essentially pull-up disposable pants with excellent super-absorbent padding. They are not too bulky, so wouldn’t be noticeable under his suit.’
Q. My boyfriend and I are shortly to stay with old friends of his. I hear that while the husband is a known sweetie, the wife is very competitive with other women and likes to lead wild swimming parties to a river on their estate where there is no jetty. This is so she can show off how athletic she is, while her novice female guests are shown at a disadvantage as they scrabble and slither on the riverbank trying to get in or out. My boyfriend doesn’t want me to be a killjoy by not swimming.
– A.H., Bath
A. Order a (2.8m when extended) steel ladder from Argos (£55). Have this delivered to the friends before your visit, and when you arrive your boyfriend can chuckle that, having seen one at another riparian property, he thought it would make a marvellously original present as it can remain on the riverbank as a permanent fixture.
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