Posted 1/23/2013 11:07 PM (GMT 0)
Congratulations on your upcoming takedown! You've made it this far! :) I had my takedown done last May (8 months ago already!) I hope some of my answers to your questions can be of help to you.1) I had three staples on my ostomy incision site and it healed beautifully and without problems- and it looks nicer than my midline incision.
2) I don't have a bidet. The first couple of months after surgery, I kept a spray bottle of water next to the toilet to clean my bottom before using either baby wipes or extra soft tp. Also, at the beginning I had a lot of butt burn/irritation, which Nupercainal helped with quite a bit. Calmoseptine is also amazing!! I still keep some on hand though I rarely use it anymore.
3) I did kegels like crazy before takedown, and have had no issues with control. Others don't do them and have no issues either, though.
4) The only leakage issue I had was in the hospital at night while sleeping. I was worried about the same thing happening at home, and so took extra precautions for awhile. Fortunately, I never had anything happen. The biggest "danger" of leakage for me was passing gas. For awhile the only way I could safely do so (when I wasn't on the toilet) was to lay on my back and tilt my pelvis in the air, which allowed the gas to escape with leaking anything else. This has not been an issue for several months now and I no longer need to pass gas this way.
5) At the beginning I was very aware of the feeling of "holding" something in when my jpouch would begin to fill up. It was not uncomfortable, but I was conscious of the fact that I was delaying using the bathroom. As time went on and my body adjusted, I no longer thought about or felt it the same way. Now, I will feel what is best described as a "fullness" in the area of my abdomen that the jpouch is once it becomes full. Also, sometimes I will have the urge to go, but can hold it and the urge disappears for a while.
6) I have never taken immodium or lomotil since takedown. I don't use fiber supplement either. I keep track of what foods thicken or thin things and adjust my diet accordingly. Some people do use immodium, lomotil or fiber supplements and they help them greatly, especially in the beginning when stool is thinner and the jpouch is still learning how to do its job.
7) I guess I sort of shared my diet tricks already! But, to be more specific, I like bananas to thicken things, though be careful with these at first as they can cause gas and bloating. I started out trying a third of a banana at a time and seeing how it went. At the beginning I ate a lot of pastas, breads, etc. to thicken my stool. Now I eat a varied diet, though I try to even things out- if I eat a salad or something especially fiberous, I will eat something less so later on. Also, drink lots of water! We are more prone to dehydration, and I also feel like my pouch does its best when I am well hydrated. Coconut water is something I love, which has lots of electrolytes in it.
8) It depends on the day, what I eat, etc., but mostly my stool is fairly loose. Occasionally I'll have a really watery day, but most days it is loosely clumped together (hopefully I'm not being too graphic, lol). I don't like it to get too formed because then it is hard to pass; likewise, I don't like it too loose either, because then it irritates.
9) I go probably 5-8 x per day. If I am at home I go more often (it's more convenient, haha.) I almost always go first thing in the morning, and then not again until early afternoon. Most of my bathroom use is in the evening. I always try to go right before bed, and usually don't get up at night. Maybe once a week I will, and that's usually because I had been eating late. Also, right after takedown I was going 10-12 x per day. Probably by month 4 I was down to 8-10 x per day.