She Loved Me Through It All: How Her Love Helped Me Accept Myself

There was a time, not so many years ago, when I hid from myself. Back then, my incontinence felt like a shameful secret, a silent struggle I carried alone. It started after my accident in the military—sudden, permanent, and completely out of my control. I felt broken. Less than. I tried everything to avoid the reality of it: staying home, skipping events, even risking embarrassing moments just to feel “normal” again. I was wearing adult diapers, but I couldn’t bear to look at myself in the mirror. It felt like I had lost not just control, but my dignity too. But she never saw me that way. My wife never once turned away. She never flinched or made me feel like I was too much, or not enough. Instead, she simply… loved me. Unconditionally. I still remember the first time I cried in her arms over it. I had soaked through everything. I was humiliated, angry at myself, and trying to apologize. She just held me tighter, stroked my hair, and said softly, “Baby Cakes, you don’t have t...