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Slow Ilesotomy???

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Posted 8/21/2007 7:30 PM (GMT 0)
I have had my Ileostomy for less than a week.  I have noticed that when I eat something my bag stays empty for 5-7 hours after I eat (I am still eating a low residue diet).  My meals are really small and I am not sure if that is a factor or if Ileostomies are slow to react right after surgery.  I thought my bag would begin to fill about an hour after I ate not 7 hours after breakfast.

Does this sounds normal? Has anyone else experienced this after surgery?

Thank you,

Amey

Posted 8/21/2007 11:16 PM (GMT 0)
I remember after my surgery i didn't have to empty it all that much in the first month or so. After a while you understand you can pretty much eat what you want ( for the most part) and you'll notice that it will work a LOT faster. Depending on what i eat it's usually around 1 to 2 hours, maybe less. I probably empty it more than i need to though.
Posted 8/21/2007 11:30 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Slice, I was starting to worry that I am doomed to a low residue diet.  I am glad to know that this was normal for someone other than myself.

Posted 8/22/2007 6:17 PM (GMT 0)
Amey,
My output is very little during the day. It all seems to happen overnight, which is fine with me. :-)
Hope you're feeling better each day,
Cecilia
Posted 8/22/2007 11:00 PM (GMT 0)
Cecilia,

I am feeling better each day. Thank you for thinking of me. When I first got home (four days out from surgery), I pushed myself to walk .8 of a mile. Last night (6 days out), I was able to walk a mile and a half. I was very proud of myself.

My output does increase at night...I have the dirty sheets to show for it <<giggle>>. Last night I had to change my bag twice and my bed twice! I turns out I cannot use ConvaTec stomahesive wafers. My stool eats through the wafer like paper. I am trying a ConvaTec durahesive now and hopefully I will get 3 - 4 days out of it and give my skin rest. I have changed my bag 6 times in 3 days and I skin is extremely irritated. My No-Sting and Holister Powder came in the mail today so I put both of those on too.

I am hoping tonight will be better. I did not realize this was such a learning process; I am learning...slowly but surely.

Take care..
Posted 8/23/2007 12:37 AM (GMT 0)
I have more output at night too. It's usually pure water and it is like acid. It just eats through the part surrounding my stoma. I guess it's because I sleep on my side and everything gathers around the upper part of the bag and wafer. Luckily I haven't even come close to having a leak though.

The first few weeks were tough. But I'm 3 months into it now and my body has literally adjusted to the busy schedule at night. My body gets me up about every 2 hours. I sit up and feel the weight of my bag. Sometimes it's half full by that time so I get up and go empty. Go back to bed and about 2 hours later my body wakes me up again. It goes on like that the entire night. My brain just knows that it's time for me to get up and empty. Even if it's not half full I empty anyway since I'm already woke.

The up side is that I get no leakage because I empty on a schedule. The down side is I get very little sleep at night.

Another thing is I use the "pink tape" around the edges of my wafer. That helps ALOT.
Posted 8/23/2007 1:40 AM (GMT 0)
Amey,

Way to go on walking a mile and a half so soon after surgery! You go, girl!

I'm so sorry you're having trouble with leaks. You might want to put a towel underneath you to save you from having to change the sheets in the middle of the night. The wafer I use is the Coloplast Assura Extended Wear, and I haven't had any trouble with it leaking. I also use these greasy little adhesive remover pads to get the wafer off, so my skin doesn't get irritated.

Hang in there, you're doing great!

Cecilia
Posted 8/24/2007 2:21 PM (GMT 0)
I have another question...

My ilesotomy stool is suppose to be watery liquid but instead it is like a thick paste and is hard to get out of the bag. Is this because I am not drinking enough water? I do not have any colon left so I am not sure why my stools are so think.

Thanks,
Amey
Posted 8/24/2007 10:50 PM (GMT 0)
I know you should be drinking more water after you lose the colon.
The stool, i don't remember every being told it would be all watery.
It was always told to me it would be more like " oatmeal". Oh how yummy.
Posted 8/25/2007 11:50 PM (GMT 0)
Drinking more water will help soften things up.
Posted 8/28/2007 2:15 PM (GMT 0)
Amey, Have been reading your trials and troubles and sympathize totally! One thing to do to thin it up is drink some coffee...that will do the trick fast. I need to thicken mine up more than thin. It usually depends on what you are eating and as time goes on, it will get more predictable. Have you tried going to a local ostomy group..they help a lot! Mine is in Houston and been active for 50 years!!!
Laura Beth


Amey said...
I have another question...

My ilesotomy stool is suppose to be watery liquid but instead it is like a thick paste and is hard to get out of the bag. Is this because I am not drinking enough water? I do not have any colon left so I am not sure why my stools are so think.

Thanks,
Amey

Posted 9/2/2007 1:15 AM (GMT 0)
Amey, when my stool is thick like oatmeal or paste, I add some water to the pouch and squish it around a bit. This will help it drain out of the bag better. Also, my ET Nurse told me that I should double my water intake because I could get dehydrated since the ileom does not absorb the water into the body like the large intestines does. Hope this helps.
Posted 9/2/2007 3:37 AM (GMT 0)
Yep, I always have a bottle of water or gatorade with me, and if I'm gonna be gone for more than a couple of hours, I throw a few frozen bottles in my lunch cooler
Posted 9/2/2007 1:38 PM (GMT 0)
I take a liter of IV fluid everyday. I had previously gone through dehydration episodes and subsequently developed kidney stones. The IV helps, I have a PICC line, but I also drink a lot of water. This seems to have done the trick. My output has gone from pasty to liquid and oatmealy. I think if you can accomplish this by simply drinking more it would be a good thing. Good Luck.
Posted 9/3/2007 11:59 PM (GMT 0)
I drink approximately 60-80 ounces of water a day. Is this not enough. I am never thirsty so I know I am not dehydrated (the first sign of dehydration is being thirsty).

Thank you for your previous comments. They have been a huge help!
Posted 9/4/2007 3:02 AM (GMT 0)
that is what areg person should drink, we are supposed to drink more than that!
Posted 9/4/2007 4:24 PM (GMT 0)
OIC, Thanks Summer....I will go chug another bottle of water. It's 12pm and I have already had 30 ounces. I guess 20 more won't hurt. :o)
Posted 9/4/2007 4:30 PM (GMT 0)
I do remember being told to DRINK PLENTY of water after my surgery.
Water, pepsi, orange joice...whatever.  Ok, maybe not the pepsi.
Posted 9/4/2007 5:31 PM (GMT 0)
For me, one meal generally pushes out the last one. It gets a little off track if I have a snack but I empty roughly 4-5x a day unless I eat a lot of meat then its more like 8-10x/day....all the meat I can handle, especially chicken and steak (ensure that they are NOT over cooked). I do drink about 12-16oz of coffee in the morning and dont usally eat until around noon. Using water to rinse your pouch is a great idea only AFTER you get your leakage under control, otherwise it will only get worse.

Good Luck, K
Posted 9/8/2007 7:55 AM (GMT 0)
I had the same problem right after surgery. In fact , my small intestine wouldn't "wake up" for a few days. Now, it usually empties within an hour after eating, and stays fairly empty until I eat again.
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