Drunk Ileostomates, is this possible?

So I don't drink very often but when I do I drink a lot, like a real lot. I'm a self confessed binge drinker....
I'm honestly not one of those people who will have a beer after work and sit down watch tv and go to bed. I don't see the point (I know many other people do this and enjoy this, my family included), but me, I drink specifically to get very drunk and go out dancing with friends. I love this, it's fun and I love to dance, but I can't dance unless I've had a fair bit to drink (makes me feel more confident & therefore i move more freely etc). If I try to dance without much alcohol of if im just slightly drunk I'm basically just bobbing up and down, I should upload a video of the differences, it's quite hilarious! :p


To my point:

My Stoma Therapy Nurse said that after I have my ileostomy I will not be able to get drunk anymore. She said I can drink small amounts of alcohol (again, I dont see the point) but I cannot get drunk. I believe her reason for this was due to dehydration. I know it's bad for non-ostomates to binge drink, but it's like she was saying that its significantly worse for ostomates to get drunk1


My Question: Do any of yous drink large amounts of alcohol? Has your doctor/nurse told you you can't get drunk?
I know Summerstorm once said to me that "once you are all healed up and off the pain meds, drink away! LOL, however you must shares some drunken stories, i do!" but after my nurses warnings I wanted to check with other ostomates out there? Maybe it depends on if its a colostomy or an ileostomy as the large intestine is what absorbs the water, so it'd be worse for an ileostomate who has no large intestine.... I will be an ileostomate....


This will sound stupid and possibly even imature, but im freaking out more about never being able to drink to my hearts content then the fact that I will have a bag full of poop attached to my stomach!

I'm planning on pressing my nurse for more details at my appointment tomorrow, but was hoping for an indication from other ileostomates as to whether they get drunk?

YES YOU CAN GET VERY VERY VERY DRUNK!!!!

I didnt start drinking until after i got my ileo, and i have no idea why, lol. I dont drink much during the week, maybe a beer type thing, or some baileys in hot chocolate (mmmm, baileys). But alot of times on Fridays i hit the liquor HARD! jello shots are my fav! And butterscotch schnapps with baileys on top, mmmm. At first it didnt take much to get me drunk, cause i had no tolerance, now it takes me more, but i still manage to get sloppy drunk, if i want, lol.
Lets see, you want a story...well one night, in the hottub, i decided i wanted to carve a pumpkin (this is in June) and i was adamant i needed to get a freaking pumpking right then! they said, there is no way you can have a knife, so i went in a got a spoon! I didnt even have a pumpkin! But boy i was gonna find one!
Another night I was at a friends house, i was freezing cold, so i started taking my shirt off! in the living room! I thought that made sense, lol. My female friend ran over there and stood in front of me and stopped me, there were like 10 people there, and she said, what are you doing??? I said, i'mcold,so im taking my shirt off! They busted out laughing at i realized what i was doing,and put my shirt back on!
I got more,but i probably better not tell them...

But you will get dehydrated easier, and so you should drink lots of water, i always have a water with me. And i notice that i get gas sometimes when i drink, so i take a gas-x and a pepcid first. I also usually take some immodium if we are going to a club or something, that way i wont have to empty. But for some reason, regardless of whether i do any of those things, even if i make myself throw up, i always wake up at like 5 (that is if i have gone to bed yet) and 7 with so much gas in my bag its crazy! Then the next day i have a horrible hangover and swear i will never drink again. But i forget that by the next weekend, lol.
However, dont mix baileys and cough syrup, dont assume the baileys is out of your system yet. trust me on this!

<- drinking a Smirnoff Twisted right now, had a double gin and tonic at dinner. I sound like a drunk...Hm. I had my colostomy surgery on Nov.23 and on New Years got good and plastered. You CAN drink and you CAN get drunk. The only difference I have found is I pee alot more.

-Allie

Cheers!!!

haha, love the shirt story!

And this is excellent news from all!

I must ask, are Jello Shots like Jelly Shots? I think Americans call jam jelly though, so that probably confuses my question though, um... http://www.beautyandlace.com.au/vodkaandjellyshots.html !!

I've been making them heaps lately for parties, They are great! I'm a huge fan of shots! Although I mainly do them at home now as shots have been banned in our town within the last few years... :(
I usually drink Vodka, Midori, Malibu and Pineapple juice (all mixed in together). I find that this stops me from getting heaps of gas (I stopped drinking carbonated drinks a year ago) and it also prevents me from getting a huge hangover (Seriously, headache/stomach pain wise, if thats all I drink I'll be fine!!).

I'm heaps more relieved now, I spoke to my Stoma therapy nurse on Friday about it and naturally she said that she couldn't condone binge drinking, she did say that after a year or so (once I'm used to having an ileostomy and know my body better) I'd probably be able to do it providing I am very careful and kept myself hydrated. So that was definitely some positive news!

It's made me feel so much better for my operation thats happening tomorrow (8 hours!). It's actually been quite a good weekend considering whats happening on Monday. One of the best weekends I've had for ages! Went out Friday night on the town drinking and dancing (I'm always looking for more friends to dance with Summerstorm!!), went horse riding with a girl I know on Saturday (my first time horse riding) and then been catching up with all my friends Saturday night and Sunday!

Dark red output sounds kinda scary actually damagedgoods! I know you're not having a go at me :) You're right, everyone is different. Thankfully I've found drinks that I like that aren't fizzy, they are a lot more expensive though, and I often get them given to me with fruit and in cocktail glasses which makes it the butt of a lot of jokes :p

Hmm, I guess when I fully recover I'm going to just have to reassess everything I usually drink (and eat) to test how I am affected so i know what I can and cannot consume...


Anywho,

Operation is tomorrow morning, So I had better head to bed for some rest!
Goodnight all, thanks for answering my questions everyone!

i think that jelly shots are the same. Although here its called jello. Its not like you spread on toast jelly, right? but like a dessert thatkind of moves on its own?
Anyway, what i do, that makes them super yummy, so you know how. Is take like a boy of cherry, boil half a cup of water, mix it with the mix and 3/4 of a cup vodka, then use fruit juice to make up the difference to make it 2 cups. You cant taste the vodka at all!
i dont think i stay drunk as long as other people seem to though, so i just drink more, lol.

Anyway I hope the surgery is going well! let us know as soon as you can!

i haven't gotten truly drunk yet with my temporary ileostomy, but i've been buzzed a couple times and haven't had any problems. i drink lots of water and gatorade during the day though to stay hydrated.

def use caution when emptying while impaired!
EUI is dangerous! My hands tend to not listen once i get drunk and i have to concentrate sooo hard, lol

Hey Ozchronie,

Wow I cant believe you have already had ur op and are talking about going home!!!! You must be very fit to feel as good as you are!! I cant believe ur eating steak already,ur doing so well. Are you happy with where they placed ur stoma and if so have you had any leaks ect????

Also in ur next post could you tell me what product ur using and if it's a one piece or a two piece,just curious. Also its great that they did ur op by keyhole surgery and you got away with not having a total laparotomy which is an insicion from hip to hip or from ur sternum down to ur pubic line,your very lucky indeed my friend and this will make ur recovery much quicker as you dont have to worrie about infection as the chances are nearly nil for what they have done. Anyway all i can say is im very happy for you and if you ever need any advice or just need a good chat please dont hesitate to ask lot's of question's regarding your new stoma and new life ahead!!!!!! Take care and dont overdo thing's ok.

sincerley,

damagedgoods....beverley.....

P>S> when you start solid foods it takes a little longer for it to travel through you small bowel and out of ur ileo!!!!! You will get to know it in time as in when its gonna work and when it wont!!!!!!

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((MANY HUGS TO YOU))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Hey OzChronie,

I didnt have a chance to read all of the responses to your question, but I felt I might be pretty qualified to answer you.

Just like you, I used to be a huge binge drinker prior to becoming an ostomate. I didnt think there was any point to drinking without getting wasted.

Since I got my ostomy, I have cut back drastically. My age might also have something to do with it. I noticed your 22. Im turning 32 this year. I started drinking at 16, and by 22 I was a very heavy drinker. Most of the people my age, all followed that pattern. Drank for 10+ years, then cut back when the wives and kids started joining our "brotherhood".

Anyways, I still like to drink. But because I only drink maybe once or twice a month, it doesnt take much to get buzzed. My main reason for cutting back though is because of the nasty output it makes in my bag. Its already a hassle to empty the pouch on a normal day. When your drunk, and having substantial output, its a hell of a mess. And the lovely side effects last for a couple days after a binge. Everything takes time to settle when you wear an appliance.

So long story short is yes, you can drink if you want to. Just dont be surprised if you quickly decide its not your favorite thing to do anymore.

John

Hi Guys, Sorry its taken so long to reply, the last week or so hasn't been the best... I'm still in hospital and going in for more surgery tonight. But I'll get to that in a minute...


I'm pretty happy with where they've placed the stoma damagedgoods, I've had no leaks yet too. I am currently using a one-piece, but I'm not actually sure what brand etc it is to identify it, but I'll ask my STN when I see her next so I can let you know. I'm pretty confident with emptying the bag and changing it, but cutting the hole where my stoma goes is a bit daunting as I occasionally do it too big and have to do it again (I usually have a nurse here just incase). I had leave from the hospital last week and a friend took me to the beach for a few hours. I didn't swim or anything, I basically just walked along the beach with my feet in the water and sat there... It was really good to get out of the hospital, especially considering that as of today I've been in it for 16 days! I was wearing normal clothes and you couldn't see my bag at all pushing through my shirt. The bottom of it was tucked into my shorts and couldn't be seen as well.

I've gotten to the point where I am sleeping with my hospital bed flat, and I can basically get myself out of the flat bed without using the remote to lift my head up higher then the pillows. I am walking faster and trying to do it with proper posture so I don't make my back worse. But my back has been really sore over the last week or so. It got to the point where I only had 2 hours of broken sleep one night because of the pain. I'm taking pain killers which do generally help after awhile and rubbing 'Deep Heat' into it which helps with the pain especially before bed. Some of the nurses were thinking it may be because I've been sitting/laying down in hospital for a long time, but apparently when I woke up after surgery, the first thing I complained about was my back hurting. My Surgeon yesterday said it could be because I'm really skinny and during surgery they put me on one of those things where your legs are up in the air and apart in order to stretch out the stomach (which probably put more pressure on my bony back). But yer, my main complaint over the time I've been n hospital has been my back, if it wasn't for that the hospital probably wouldn't seem as bad.

I've also been getting a stabbing pain in my chest which appears to be due to reflux. I have never had reflux before the surgery, but yer now I've got it. I'm hoping that after my digestive system settles down the reflux will go away.. (I am taking drugs for the reflux, which do seem to help and so does walking around if its only a minor reflux pain). Did any of you’s develop reflux after having your surgery? I just found it odd because I'd never had it before my surgery...



But anyway,
The Friday I last posted (5th) I was doing great and had an appetite and everything. But remember when I was asking how long it takes for the food to come out of the stoma? Well... it didn't come out. I ended up having a blockage or something. To be honest my whole stay here has been a blur, I'm not sure what happened when, but basically that weekend I was nill by mouth and had to go back on a drip. I remember being in a lot of pain and throwing up a bit. Early the next week they started to introduce me to food again, liquid diets, soft diets etc up to a normal diet, but I just didn't have an appetite anymore. So I basically haven't had much of an appetite for the last 7 days. I try to eat, I do occasionally get hungry and eat something but my hunger goes away pretty fast. I think for the first half of this period my output was too high (>2Litre) but then it dropped to something way too low like 200ml.

I haven't thrown up for 3 days, which is good. I've actually developed a love for those spew bags (kinda like the ones you see in cars/planes), I first vomited into a bucket and well, lets just say it bounced back out hahaha, but for the last week or so I've been sleeping with one of those vomit bags. They're a brilliant invention! When i get out of hospital I'm guna buy some for my car, they're soo handy!! (lame I know but its true hahaha).

Anyway, Had a CT scan yesterday, results indicated that part of my digestive system wasn't working (I forget which part he said). The surgeon said I may have a small blockage somewhere still, or a Lesion or something else. He's not sure where it is but will be having a look tonight. He's guna try keyhole, but if he can't find it he will have to make the cut a bit bigger. Which is quite possible as my insides will be pretty swelled up still from surgery. I had the choice between waiting a couple more days to see if it fixed itself or the surgery tonight. I voted surgery, I'm wasting away as it is and just want to go home. Hopefully if he finds the problem and fixes it, if all goes according to plan... I'll be home after the weekend.

To be honest, I just want to stuff my face with chips& biscuits & cake and all the good food in life! I'm really getting sick of hospital food!

that sucks! you have had a lot of stuff happen! im sorry, hopefully you will get straightend out right away!
about your back, if it hurts really low, like where it feels like it might be the top of your tail bone, your tail bone may be broken. (and i did not know they spready you up on a machine like that, i am totally creeped out now!)
When i had my son i broke mine, which is normal, but then after surgery it started hurting it again really bad, and was told that i probably reinjured it its aparetnly fairly common for that to happen also.
If thats the case, then there is not a thing you can do for it. It just has to go away on its own.

Haha "belly shots" :p

So, I'm going out Friday night into town. I have not drank anything since the weekend before my surgery (4 months ago). So I know that I'm probably going to be even more of a cheap drunk as I haven't had anything for aaages (which is good, because booze is sooo expensive in clubs!).

Anyway,

I'm trying to think of a drink that wont give me gas AND wont make my output watery... ???????????????

I used to drink Jim Beam, Vodka with coke, malbiu with coke... basically "something with coke". But I stopped drinking that years ago as the gas made me always have to go to the toilet.

Then I moved on to pineapple juice:

My trademark drink is nicknamed "puss". Because thats what it looks like. Pineapple juice, Vodka, Malibu and Midori all mixed together (can only have it at parties though as they wont make it at a normal bar). Although when I'm at a club/pub I usually have pineapple juice with one of those 3 spirits. I prefer pineapple over orange juice as I can't stand pulp (yuck).


So,
Coke is fizzy and causes gas
Pineapple juice results in watery output.


I don't have any of those gas-x things, but I am planning on taking a few Loperamide (gastro-stop) things. Will that be enough to stop the watery output from the pineapple juice?


Can you think of any drinks that wont cause gas or watery output?

What about alcohol itself? It'd be alright if I was at a party instead, I'd just drink water and do a lot of shots. NOne of this juice or fizzy drinks to mess up my system! :p (Unless alcohol by itself also gives wind/watery output)