traffic jam with the loo

lisa42 said:

It will change
Pete,

I don't have experience with this surgery, a bag, or reconnection, but I definitely have read a lot of people talking about that on this site. Seems like your situation is pretty typical right after reconnection. Hopefully others with experience will chime in but, from what I have read from others in the past, it sounds like it gradually gets better, possibly taking up to a year- I think I read someone who was better sooner than that.
Make sure you are consuming "bulking" foods. My naturopath gave me rice fiber- I mix a teaspoon into a cup of applesauce and that has helped. Also taking other kind of fiber daily like maybe Benefiber, if you have that in Australia, or something like that. Bananas and rice are good things to eat, as well. I think I remember you taking lots of vitamin C? I am told that a high dose of it can cause diarrhea, so something to remember. Coffee has always been a laxative for me- so avoid it (plus it's acidic and you want to stay more alkaline to be anti-cancer). I'm sure you can get more tips on that from your naturopath. Then there's always Lomotil, a prescription for diarrhea. When your poo turns yellow or orangish, it is often a sign that things are moving too quickly through you, then you suffer from malabsorbtion & not getting the nutrients or supplements you take to do you any good, as they just go right through you. So getting the "runs to the loo" under control is really very important. Remember- applesauce, rice, and bananas (which are good for potassium too). I'd definitely try getting the rice fiber. I got mine organic and guaranteed pure from the naturopathic dr's office. Probably it can be found other places too.
Best wishes to you on this journey!

Lisa

thanks lisa, mike and dora
Its a never getting boring on the crc ride.
I will be happy when I am off thee strong antibiotics. fours days to go.
its just great to be home on my supplements, tea and juice.

its nice to be back with wife as well.

hugs,
Pete

unknown said:

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dear gracie
scold away, yes i do over do it.
yes i wanted to swim yesterday but did not. my nurse looked at me after i kissed goodbye and had the sternest look. we went over earlier the do and don'ts.
i promise no vaccuming for at least 2 weeks. i did mop the bathroom and started cleaning the litchen. the fridge had alien creatures living in it. the kids and love chinese take away but tonight i am to cook. its a juggle but wife wants me helping with kids. you know school pickup and drop off and sports. basically that all i can manage with a little office work, she has been so good, i just try and help.

but i know i have to care for myslef, and i had a good morning nap, some lunch. my 2 antibiotics after each meal ( got 4 more days to go) i had my supplements and my juice and my tea. i got a new battery fot the scales i am 104.6kg . really only 10kg to loose. listened to meditation today and tonight with kids in bed.

my lids are tough, i am so proud they want to keeep swimming, its winter here and cold, but today little keith had his best lesson, he is only 5. after his swim, he goes into the sauna to warmup. its so cold some nights here goes in after he is dressed, he comes out after a minute or two all warm andd permanent pressed. i pop his jumper on and he is ready for school tomorrow. The pool closes end of may for 2 months.

no more temps, wound discharge 75ml today 7am, i measure discharge every 24 hours, keeping a close eye on it. as soon as the body made a path for the discharge, its been at least 4 days now the pain stopped and i mean complelely. from a cigareete lighter burning in my gut about to go one morphine again or ndone to nothing in the space of 2 hours. i guess thats benefit of good wound drainage. obviously i was antibiotics at the time as well, so i don't know.

i am going to colorectal support group tomorrow in my little motorhome, and i am setting up a portable loo for it just in case. its an all day thing in that i drop the kids, goto group and pickup the kids abd goto swimming. taking the motorhome is great cause i can sleep and poop when needed.

just light home duties, and some easier sunny walks. its bad news but since going into hospital my neuropathy went off the scale, i hope getting back to my routine of teas, juicing and supplements helps with it. thanks for caring, and feel free to scold away. i know i occaisionally leap before i look and may overdo things. so thanks. they asked how i was getting home and who driving and i did say a friend was helping me, but he only helped with getting my personal gear from the hospital room to the car. i am feeling pretty lucid, but don't wear the seat belt at the moment. these dam numb feet make driving a little tricky for me. but i am taking lots of extra care on the road.

hugs and love,
pete

AnneCan said:

Pete
I am glad you are home, but if you want to STAY home, I think you should listen to "Graci's scold". She makes good sense, that woman!

thanks anne
tomorrow all day at home and relaxing. i am feeling warn out.

hugs,
Pete

unknown said:

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thanks graci, lisa and sundance
Of course we are still friends. In fact better now in a sense.

I have had a relaxing day at home so far.

The numb feet I think are getting better I hope.

When I drove before they never seemed to be an issue.

I think its the level of numbness. When driving home i noticed how I no longer
had the feedback happening that my foot was on the brake or accelerator, until the car slowed or accelerated. the complete absence of touch i guess. A good example of neuropathy and its real life impact. Previously I had numbness, hell I just drove 2000 kms driving on holidays a few weeks ago.

the onc never warned me that I would loose my independence and could not drive as a result of folfox. ah the fine details.

To offset the risk I am not drving like i used too. Now I am driving to the limit, slow and safe and not hurrying. If its going red I stop. Even yesterday it paid off as I had a cop right behind me.

I would not drive if I thought I was dangerous. Not the surgeon or the onc ever mentioned not driving, but I did not ask. I am seeing ONC Monday to discuss asprin and the bloods and my liver and I will ask her.

I thought of getting the bus to school this arvo, but then I thought of not having a toilet as accessible. life is still unpredictable down below. In fact going to the loo has been very unpleasant indeed and am sticking to the low residue diet in detail. I added to much fibre to soon and paid the price dearly. We live and learn from our mistakes. That how I became so wise. haha

hugs,

Pete

AncientTiger said:

Glad you're home
Now just don't push yourself right back in to the hospital.

Your body has been through hell and back Pete... you have to be patient with it as the healing process finishes up. Think of when you were a kid with a scab on your knee and your mom saying, "Pete! It's NEVER gonna heal if you don't quit pickin' at it!"

Same deal... your body needs time to heal properly, and it can't do that if you keep pushing hard and fast. Kick back... read a ton of books... watch the entire FarScape series on Netflix, then watch the entire Battlestar Galactica series (both old and new)... spend as much time as you can possibly stand in that easy chair doing NOTHING and letting your body heal. You'll do better

I hope things "even out" for you soon Pete... I know it's a little disconcerting all the trips to the loo, but it DOES get better. In the meantime, treat yourself to a big bowl of chili with beans and take great pleasure in being able to toot your own horn again!!!! I don't know about YOU, but my post-ileostomy gas was bad enough to take down small game

been pretty warnout today
given up ounting the loo visits.
am resting ancient tiger.
movies sound good
the chilli beans sounds good.
hugs,
pete

plh4gail said:

Pete my surgeon had me
Pete my surgeon had me taking Benefiber after reconnection to bulk things up. I think it helped. And bananas. Maybe you should slow down on the juicing just for now and introduce it back slowly when you've recovered. Try white rice, white toast, tea, and bananas, and the Benefiber my dear. Please?

Love, Gail

PS ...Northern Ultra and the disposible wipes are quite nice also!

thanks gail
dear gail,

thanks so much, been to hell for 3 days here. honestly the worst of the entire crc journey in a sense. still smiling but in agony. micro managing the poo machine is so difficult.

I strayed fromt he low fibre diet in hospital and tried a few dishes which well, simply put sent me straigh to hell. I had some taboli, chicken and salad. Now I chewed this stuff really well thinking my plumbing was working. boy was I wrong. that one dish jammed up the bowels, caused a logged jam that took 24 hours and countless visits to resolve.

anyway once bitten, twice shy. so now I have had my nutritionists calling me, even my surgeon phoned as my misadventures were relayed to them by my onc. so bananas are out. so is benefibre.

I saw my GP primarly to checkout the wound healing and discuss arse troubles. he took a awp as he thinks the wound is infected. ironically I finish oral antibiotics today which also cause havoc with the gut. well he recommended another bulking agent. every few hours I get different advice.

but tonight while having pureed vegetable soup with kids my top nutritionist teresa called and gave me the facts of my new diet. so everything out, just starvation. sounds good to me.

Opps only joking, so now some yogurt is ok, nothing with skins. mashed potatoe, pumkin and carrots with some protien chicken and fish for me. eggs are ok for breakfast. this will do me for 2 weeks and I will see how things settle. she said the goal is 8 bowel movements a day with my resected bowels. teresa is a nutritionist naturopath hwo had crc herslef a few years ago. she knows the real story and most of the naturopathic advice i dish out she has confirmed or provided. her advice about being lean was backed up steve article today. getting thinner, but not the way I intended. basically I be following the low residual diet from mayo.

thanks so much for caring and the advice, will go on to brat when I get diarrhea, which would be a pleasant change from impacted stools. I am also upping my intact of slippery elm from once per day to 3 times per day. also on probiotics.

love,

Pete