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Is this normal?

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Posted 12/10/2009 4:26 PM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone!!!!!

Oscar (my ostomy, the colostomy!!) is doing great but I have a question: He keeps giving me "nuggets of goodness" ie: soft, 1-2 inch long nuggets of poop. They aren't big enough to go into the bag but rather hang out around him and as such, im having to peel the pouch off and wipe them off. Is there anything I can do to promote a normal poop? Is this the normal course of things since it's only been 17 days since surgery? Im not bloated, feel fantastic and for the first time ever am not worrying about where the next washroom is. Just a little concerned at this stage.

Thanks!

-Allie

Posted 12/11/2009 12:05 PM (GMT 0)
I think it is because you are still early in your recovery...my friend had similar questions with her colostomy, and it does get more 'normal'...you can even irrigate colostomies so you don't have to wear a pouch :-)
Posted 12/11/2009 6:51 PM (GMT 0)
Seriously???????????????????????????????? Wow....This just keeps getting better and better!
Posted 12/11/2009 7:09 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry to say this, but for many people with Crohn's like myself, irrigation is not an option. You'll have to check with your ET nurse and or Gastroenterologist.
Posted 12/12/2009 7:24 PM (GMT 0)
Im not going to look into it for at least another 3-4 months. It's still too new, but im glad there is a posssibility that I can irrigate. My home care nurse took a look at Oscar and he needs a concave wafer so she came over this morning and we changed out the wafer and pouch. He has shrunk quite a bit since surgery! She told me that throughout life he will need to be re-assesed and sometimes he will be larger and sometimes smaller and gaining and losing weight like I do will change things as well. There is so much to learn!!
Posted 12/12/2009 11:12 PM (GMT 0)
I couldn't agree more!!! Back in '89, no one told me it wasn't an option for those with Crohn's, so I gave it a try. I bought that giant pouch, and spent and hour waiting for it to work, and it never did! Even if it took and hour and it did work, IMHO...it wouldn't be worth the time.

I remember reading about a priest that would irrigate in the morning and then only wear a stoma cap for the rest of the day. I remember thinking to myself.....even if it worked 99.9999% of the time for him....I'd hate to be that poor guy stuck in the confessional with him the rare times it didn't work!!!
Posted 12/13/2009 12:40 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the info...I though if the colostomy was in the descending colon irrigation was possible.
Posted 12/15/2009 2:26 AM (GMT 0)
The irrigation sounds kinda scary but I can tell you that I have had a colostomy for about 6 months and I normally only go in the morning when I start to move around and the evening when after I eat dinner. Although if I eat something that doesn't agree with me then its well just bad...
Posted 12/15/2009 10:40 PM (GMT 0)
In the articles I have read and in talking with my surgeon and ET nurse, people with crohn's who have had a difficult time with diarrhea before surgery are not good candidates nor are some people who have have cancer. My output has always been watery so I can't do it...

Sounds like a lot of work, but it would be worth it on SOME days though!!!
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