Hey There! PamelaJayne
First GOOD LUCK on your May 19, 2006 surgery. I had a subtotal colostomy. At first, I was shocked to see that I ended up with an ostomy bag. It took alot of time to get use to it. I worried about getting an infection. I did everything my surgeon instructed me to do as well as my ostomy nurse and my home visiting ostomy nurse. My stoma decreased in size big time after having it for three months. However, I had skin irriation around the stoma under the flange. It kept leaking under the flange and just irriated my skin aroung the wound to no end. All I did was follow the instructions from my surgeon and prayed that I would have this reversed in no time. It certainly took alot getting used to it. I had my husband sleep in the spare bedroom because I didn't want him to bump me or kick me during the night please I had weird sleep patterns and I haven't worked since the initial operation in Sept. 2005. I am always fatigue and running to the bathroom, losing weight, and just stopped losing my hair. I eat six times a day (small meals) because I do not want to encounter an obstruction. However, I have been experiencing terrible hemmorhoids off and on. I believe it is from what I eat. I don't eat red meats just seafood and turkey breast lunch meat. I do drink weight gain drinks with water because since my reversal I have become lactose intolerant. I cannot drink soda, beer, or juices that contain acid such as Orange Juice not even butter, peanut butter, mexican or chinese food When I have a BM, the stool is foamy and burns my bum as well.
My surgeon told me I would have 7 to 8 times a day BMs but it would simmer down to 2 times a day in about a year or two. He said I must be patient. I learned from these forums to log what you eat and mark down the reaction to what you eat. It will help you in the long run. I have not returned to work yet because I still have not been able to control my BMs not knowing if it is going to be gas or an actual BM. Some people return to work in a matter of three months or better. But everyone's recovery period is quite different. I could not drive a car for almost three months because I was weak and didn't know when I would have a BM. Right know I cannot go anywhere for long period of time. 99 percent of the time, I am home either in bed or running to the bathroom. I am positive about my recovery and hope to live to be 90 years old. I am glad I had the surgery and I know you will do just fine. Meanwhile, if you should experience a sore bum, I took warm baths, vaseline, and calmine lotion. It helped better than the doctor's prescriptions.