Hello ladies....
First of all, Hodaya, I am praying for you and hoping for a quick and speedy recovery. Cannot wait to here from you when you are up and feeling ok. We will miss you while your healing, but listen to the wise and let yourself heal. Love you sweets.
Jenise- Biofeedback is kinda like what you explained. I have it 1-2 times weekly and my PT specializes in Pelvic Floor disorders. She manually does some rectal strengtning and then a probe is inserted in the rectum and two sticky things on the belly. It is all connected to a screen. You watch the tone of your rectum at rest and then do some squeezing a bearing down exercises. The goal being that when you tighten your abdominal muscles, your line measuring the retal probe drops below your resting tone. This shows the ability to bear down and relax the rectum to stool can pass out. Before my ileostomy I tried with no success. I am already miles ahrad of where I was at that time. I never used to have a perianal bulge and when I contracted my abs my rectum would never relax...my tone was off the charts and that was when they diagnosed me with anismus (inability of rectum to relax). My resting tone has dropped, it is no longer painful, and when I contract now, my rectal line will drop. I am just working on it dropping even more, but am happy it is dropping :) I do not know if this makes any sense......
As far as food, I can definately not eat what I used to....especially since my ileostomy. I recommend staying on a low residue diet and even more so if you have some pelvic floor dysfunction. I eat crackers, chicken, turkey, mashed potatoes, and very little dairy, except I do love sherbet. I had gained 20 lbs when my colon stopped working....with my first surgery, I lost 20 and then with the ileostomy I lost over 20. I was down to 99 lbs and now I am 105 ish. I am a good weight for me, but if and when I have surgery for the reversal I do not know what will happen. I wish you the best in your upcoming decisions. I know how fearful you must be of having a bag and I am not going to lie and sugar coat it....its been the hardest four months of mylife. I will pray for your peace in decisions.
Jusy- YEAh for the stent removal!!!!! So happy for you and I will pray that the tests are all ok. You have been through so much with it all. I am glad things seem to be working in your favor, you deserve it!!!
Marisa- My belly still bothers me daily.....I think its normal and can take up to a year for you to have realy healing....glad you had a relaxing vacation. Thinking of you and praying for your continued recovery daily.
I am doing ok. I am not sleeping more than 3 hrs a night and its affecting me big time. I have been on xanax for sleep, but it only seems to work half of the time. My mom gave me some lunesta to try tonight. I am up at least every hour with my back pain. The new med tramadol they tried is not working and this weekend was probably the worst. I felt like I could not breathe, but my MRI was ok. I have horrible skin breakdown from my retracting stoma again and yeast infection on my skin....its never ending and as soon as it starts to heal the ulcerated skin starts all over again. Very frustrating......just want it gone and want my skin back. Anyways, hope everyone else is well.
Thinking of you.
Lizzie