Tomorrow is world IBD day part 2
To cut a long story short I had a horrific weekend. The hospital was closed due to noro virus so I couldn't have visitors, I hadn't seen my little girl since I came in and I was being monitored in case my colon ruptured or burst!
Monday was d-day....Ian came in to talk to the stoma nurse, but by the time they started talking the consultant and surgeon were already talking about ops and the danger of leaving my colon where it was any longer! It clearly wasn't responding to the steroids. I really had no choice whether to have a colectomy or not.... Indeed I suspect really the decision had been made on the Friday when the stoma nurse drew a cross on my tummy!
Monday night was much worse for Ian than me! I was under anaesthetic having chunks of my bowel removed.... He was sitting waiting for me. We'd been told the op would be short.... Not sure who thinks a 6 hour op is short!
But there we go... That was it my faulty colon was removed and I was left with a stoma, something else I'd never heard of until two days before! Generously the surgeon left my rectum! In case I fancied having a reversal!!!
So there you go.... Barry the burbling stoma became part of my life! He does burble... Usually at quiet moments! I have a plastic bag stuck to my skin to catch what ostomates call "my output" ..... In other rods my poo! We had three days from diagnosis to op, almost zero counselling and virtually no choice! But it's a definite improvement from life before Barry!
Post op I was at time emotionally overwhelmed by the whole experience, Barry misbehaves at times, in fact I have no control over him, but over the last year he has become a very welcome member of our family! Barry has given us our life back! We can go out, I don't have to stay close to a toilet, we all get sleep!
IBD is horrible, no one talks about it... It's embarrassing as an adult to admit that you can't control yor bowel movements or have "accidents". But it is a reality of life for many people! Nobody ever knew i sat through parents evenings having just had to leave knickers in the sanitary bin! Poo and bowls are a bit taboo.... But hey.. Tomorrow is world IBD day so maybe just for a day, or for this month w might all talk about it!
Monday was d-day....Ian came in to talk to the stoma nurse, but by the time they started talking the consultant and surgeon were already talking about ops and the danger of leaving my colon where it was any longer! It clearly wasn't responding to the steroids. I really had no choice whether to have a colectomy or not.... Indeed I suspect really the decision had been made on the Friday when the stoma nurse drew a cross on my tummy!
Monday night was much worse for Ian than me! I was under anaesthetic having chunks of my bowel removed.... He was sitting waiting for me. We'd been told the op would be short.... Not sure who thinks a 6 hour op is short!
But there we go... That was it my faulty colon was removed and I was left with a stoma, something else I'd never heard of until two days before! Generously the surgeon left my rectum! In case I fancied having a reversal!!!
So there you go.... Barry the burbling stoma became part of my life! He does burble... Usually at quiet moments! I have a plastic bag stuck to my skin to catch what ostomates call "my output" ..... In other rods my poo! We had three days from diagnosis to op, almost zero counselling and virtually no choice! But it's a definite improvement from life before Barry!
Post op I was at time emotionally overwhelmed by the whole experience, Barry misbehaves at times, in fact I have no control over him, but over the last year he has become a very welcome member of our family! Barry has given us our life back! We can go out, I don't have to stay close to a toilet, we all get sleep!
IBD is horrible, no one talks about it... It's embarrassing as an adult to admit that you can't control yor bowel movements or have "accidents". But it is a reality of life for many people! Nobody ever knew i sat through parents evenings having just had to leave knickers in the sanitary bin! Poo and bowls are a bit taboo.... But hey.. Tomorrow is world IBD day so maybe just for a day, or for this month w might all talk about it!
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