Tag: working with an ostomy

Coffee Morning!

I went to a Crohn’s & Colitis UK coffee morning today with my mum. It was good to meet new people, we talked a lot but there’s never enough time to speak to everyone. I hope to go to the next one near me though. I met someone who has had a jpouch for around ten years now, and I spoke to someone who came with their mum (like me) and who both have Crohn’s. A couple of them were also at the IBD open day last weekend too. I’ve always thought that these meet-ups are a good idea, they give you somewhere to talk freely and feel safe, as well as being part of a community that understands and doesn’t judge because they’ve been there. I know they’re not for everyone but I enjoy it.

In other news, I saw my surgeon last week and he’s very happy with how I’m doing. He said he doesn’t want to do anything now for at least another year, which is fine by me (two surgeries is more than enough for this year, thank you very much). He said I’ve got three options though; 1) I can have my stoma closed and try the jpouch again, 2) I can have my jpouch & rectum removed, a permanent end ileostomy formed and have a barbie-butt, or, 3) I can stay as I am with jpouch & rectum intact and loop-ileostomy. I am quite content to stay as I am for now, but eventually, I will want to go for option 2; permanent stoma and barbie-butt. I don’t want to go back to the jpouch because not only is it ulcerated, but I still have the perforation near the entrance, both of which make me not want to risk it failing again and having to have yet another surgery. I could stay as I am indefinitely but I think I’ll always feel like it’s not finished and I just want this to be sorted once and for all.

So, that’s it for now. Work is going well and I feel able to do more things and for longer. My appetite has returned with avengence so I’m eating like a horse at the moment. My weight is very slowly increasing so all good from where I’m sitting.

Just a little update

Sorry for the radio silence recently, I’ve just not had anything to report. I’m still waiting on a date for my take-down, and even though I’m meant to be seeing my GI Tuesday afternoon, because of work, I need to move the appointment. It kind of feels like they want to wait until after Christmas but I would prefer it to be over as soon as possible. I’m getting frustrated with it and my bag and stoma cause a bit of anxiety because I’m having to wait.

I’m back to full-time now at work which has been going fine. My new manager (who started about two weeks before I went off for surgery in June) seems to e getting the hang of how our team works and our two newest colleagues are doing well which has made the atmosphere a lot less stressful and bitchy. This has helped me get back into the swing of things but I think because I know I’m going to be off again soon, I don’t want to get too comfortable. Despite having worked there for over four years now, I still feel like I need to prove my abilities to everyone because I have had so much time off. And I still feel this sometimes even after my manager explained how much he valued me as a member of the team. I’m sure it’ll all settle down once I’ve had my take down and have returned to work again, I just can’t help but feel a little inferior sometimes.