Tag: stoma

I had a really nice afternoon today; some friends who I haven’t seen in such a long time came over, and I was able to walk (albeit slowly) to the local coffee shop and back without feeling exhausted or in pain. I think I’ll stay inside though for the next couple of days to give myself a rest; I don’t want to overdo it.

My first day trip… sorta

So, I finally left the flat and went to a public place today for the first time in over a month! The only places I’ve been to since getting out of the hospital were back to the hospital to collect my meds and to my doctors to have stitches removed. It felt good to go outside and be somewhere that wasn’t medical, and where I could feel more normal.

I had a really nice Eggs Benedict (pouched eggs and bacon on an breakfast muffin) with tea, followed by a chocolate muffin. I am so happy to say that I could eat all that! A couple of months ago I wouldn’t have been able to eat any of it for fear of it causing me major pain and several dashes to the bathroom.

Although this whole stoma/surgery thing has been pretty scary and a bit of a steep learning curve (and still is), I am glad I had it done. I’m no longer in pain after eating, I don’t have to dash to the bathroom (making sure to take my phone because I know I’ll be in there for a long time), and I can eat most foods that I couldn’t before. There are, of course, some restrictions on what I can and can’t eat with my stoma, but nowhere near as many as before. 

It’s odd, but this surgery really has given me a new lease on life. I know I’m still recovering and need to take it slow to ensure I don’t overdo it, but I can feel myself improving, if only a little, each day.

Had my stitches out this morning and the nurse said I don’t need my dressings anymore so, aside from my bag, no more annoying things stuck to my tummy!

I’m having some tea and biscuits (I’m not old, I promise!) whilst browsing YouTube and enjoying the sun outside.

thisturtleisneon:

I remember being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in the fall of my junior year and thinking it was a death sentence. Not immediate, but eventual. I remember also thinking that having a colectomy was the worst thing that could possibly happen to me; that any medicine was better than surgery, no matter the side effects, and that I wouldn’t be a complete person without a colon. Which was stupid because a) it meant I made the decision to undergo multiple hospitalizations and endless drug treatments over two and a half years and b) as Clare put it, “whoever said you needed a colon to kick ass was sorely mistaken.” The ostomy bag isn’t forever, and it took a lot of getting used to, and it still weirds a lot of people out, but I consider it another step in the long list of steps that I’m doing an impressive job of conquering. I’d rather have a bag of 💩hanging from my abdomen than bright red blood in the toilet, excruciating pain, anemia, fatigue, weight loss, hopelessness, colonoscopies, infusions, blood tests, and up to 30 pills a day with fun side effects like immunosuppression, anxiety, moonface, weight gain, hair growth, white blood cell loss, osteoporosis, and more. Hey, it isn’t pretty, but it’s what I’ve dealt with and there’s nothing shameful about anyone’s body or what anyone has to go through to get to happiness. So here’s the colitis patient / ostomate body positivity post that no one asked for but everyone secretly needed. Only two more surgeries to go!

Having just been through my first surgery, this was really good to read. I hope to get used to my bag and be back to “normal” before long so I can continue to live life to the fullest!

Source: thisturtleisneon

Stoma check went fine. I didn’t realise they change your bag but they have spares at the health centre. The nurse said my stoma looks healthy and I’m doing all the right things at the moment (eating the right stuff and drinking plenty). My next check up is in two weeks and, provided all’s ok then, I’ll have a check up every month.

Also, I’m having my stitches removed tomorrow morning. I’ll probably be a little soar after so I don’t think I’ll be doing much. I’m having a friend over for a bit later in the afternoon but that’s about all I’ve got planned.

Got my first stoma check-up today. I’m not sure what to expect but I’m sure it’ll be fine.
I changed my bag this morning with no problems and, even though I know I didn’t cut the whole too small because I measured it twice, I’m still paranoid because of what happened Sunday. I know it’s fine because my stoma is making the usual happy noises it does when it’s working so it’s just my silly paranoid brain.

On another note, it’s really sunny outside. I’ve started to go for short walks around outside my flat to build my leg strength up again so it’ll be nice to be out in the sun if only for a little while. I can’t wait to be able to go out for longer; I really need to buy new clothes because I’ve lost so much weight and it’d be nice to get out of the flat for a day. Unfortunately, I get tired quite quickly at the moment so walking around shops is not something I can manage yet. But I will soon, I’m sure. Got to keep positive.

Starting Easter off with pain

Had a bit of a scare this morning; woke up about five thirty to my stomach cramping badly enough I started crying. I had no idea what was wrong so I went to the bathroom incase it was just that I badly needed to pee. It turns out that when I changed my bag yesterday, I cut the hole a bit too small and my stoma was being squeezed a tiny bit. I’ve changed the bag with a slightly bigger hole and it feels a lot better. I think I may have also had a slight blockage as a result but I think that’s starting to clear now.

I need to be a bit more careful when changing my bag; my stoma is still pretty swollen and will be for the next six weeks or so. I also need to be careful with my food intake; I’ve over-eaten for the last two days which probably hasn’t helped. I’m going to try and stick to my recommended daily calories from now on and not allow myself to go over as much as I have. I know I need to put on weight but over-eating is clearly not the way to go.

Monday update

I’m doing better today. My pain is fairly low at the moment so I’m on oral paracetamol, and my movement, although still a little stiff, I no longer need someone to help me around.
As for my stoma, it’s a little swollen but they said that’s normal. I’m used to emptying the bag and changing it is becoming easier. The nurses said they are impressed with how well I’m doing and the doctors said I may be able to go home by the weekend.
Fingers crossed because I really would like to be back in my own environment soon.