I was about 10 or 11 when it all started you see as a child I suffered from really bad ezxema and asthma and things reached a head in the October of 1974 when my skin was in a terrible state. I was supposed to be going to school when my mum informed me that because of the condition of my skin we were going to the doctors instead.

This came as pure relief to me as I was having a torrid time at school being called names like scabby and flaky etc, and I had no real friends as everyone thought my condition was catching rather than an overactive ammune system. Anyhow on that day we went to the doctors and I had to strip to my underwear the doc was horrified and arranged for me to see a skin specialist.

The only appointment he could get for me though was about 3 weeks away it was at this point my fate was sealed as he said he was not happy with the delay in me getting the appointment and suggested to my mum that she could start the ball rolling by making me wear scratch mittens as well as a regime of luke warm baths ointment and some mild sedatives to help me relax I was also to be signed off from school until the problems where resolved.

This all in all did not seem to bad to me as I only had to bath twice a day slap some cream on and wear mittens I did not consider for one moment the implications of these mittens and what I could not do whilst I was wearing them.

After a short bus ride into town we went to the chemist to collect my ointment and tablets it's then when my mum asked the assistant if they sold larger sized nappies and pants but having younger sisters and a brother I just assumed this stuff was for one of them and not me.

And so it started I stripped and bathed rubbed in the ointment under my mothers supervision and then the mittens went on my hands all of a sudden became completely useless. It's at this point my mum said right then lets go and pot your nappy on now then. I stood there in the bath room with a look of total disbelief on my face I tried to but up resistance to stop this from happening as I was no longer a baby and did not want to be made to wear a nappy.

Then my mum explained that because I had the mittens on I would be unable to go to the toilet by my self and that the tablets from the doctor would make me really sleepy most of the time and because she had other things to be doing did not want to be running after me all the time so a nappy was what she considered to be the best solution.

With reluctance I conceded and my mum pinned me into a thick terry nappy telling me not to worry and to use it if I needed to and to remember all of this was so that I could not scratch at my skin and give it time to heal and get better.

Shortly after that point I took my tablet as directed and the next thing I remember is it was suddenly about 6 hours later and I'm laying there in a wet nappy. I just lay there and cried feeling really sorry for myself for what seemed like hours.

Now I look back and I can see why I still wear nappies when ever I feel overtired or stressed out its for the comfort and reassurance they give me that ever thing will be ok in the end.

My wife knows all about it although I don't think she really understands it's all a little unnatural to here so she kind of just turns and blind eye to it in the vane hope that one day I'll stop wearing nappies. But I doubt I ever will they seem to give me to much comfort and pleasure. And it's a real buzz to just stand there and wet yourself in public when no one else has a clue what you are doing.

I eventually saw the specialist and spent 3 weeks in hospital my skin did improve and I returned to a new school where no one knew me and life started again. But I was still wearing the mittens and nappies every night and this carried on until I left home at 18.

I had several girlfriends before I meet my wife and I told all of them my story most were ok with it. Time has left me with so strange tales of things that have happened to me.