Bowel Prep with Ostomy: Tips and Humor

Hello Friends,

     I’m sitting in the calm of a sleeping house all prepped and ready for surgery. It’s currently 1am here in Washington state. We’re a tad behind the rest of the world. 😉

     I’m not sure if a bowel prep is better with or without an ostomy. I had the grand pleasure of putting 2 Liters of soapy (go figure 🤷🏼‍♀️) water into my stoma. I have a loop ileostomy, so there’s the output portion, and the part still connected to my hiney. You can probably imagine the rest, lol. If anyone needs advice with this particular prep, I’ve done it twice now. I’m just waiting on my t-shirt in the mail. 🤦🏼‍♀️
     I check in for surgery at 5:30 am. I know I have a recto vaginal fistula repair to start, and possible reversal. I want to thank all of you for your friendship, laughter, and support. I will update as soon as I’m lucid. Although it could be more fun if I’m still doped up. 😂

     I can’t wait to chat with y’all while I’m recovering. Laughter is after all the best medicine. Much love to everyone!

-Rae

Best of luck Rae, sending you virtual hugs and all the positive vibes 💜💛💜💛

All the best wishes. Walk out of there soon.

Sending so much Love & Light your way my friend! ❤️🙏✨

Big Big {{{Hugs}}}! 🥰🌷🦙🌞❤️🧸

Hi Rae, I hope you're getting a nice deep snooze to keep you rested and relaxed. I didn't realize you had a fistula!! 💚...it will be great to get that pain in the ass fixed!!

Yea!! Start texting while you're still doped up, now that should be funny 🙂. LOL...if you trust the people doing the deed, that's half the battle. So get back to us with all your news, Sweetie, as soon as you feel up to it.

Much love and hugs your way, Rae.💚

Eamon ☘💚

Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

Good luck, Rae. I hope all goes well and you have a speedy recovery.

Good luck and I hope you get everything fixed up and recover quickly.  I’d prefer you wait til you’re not doped up, I’m not sure I’d survive altered answers from you. 😁

Just kidding ☘... you will be in no mood for texting for a while. Concentrate on sleep and getting better, Rae 💚

I hope all goes well and I wish you a speedy recovery.

Wishing you all good things going into hospital!  Sending lots of positive energy and good vibes.  Can't wait to hear how things go, but do get the rest you need!

You know you've got lots of people pulling for you.

Terry

Praying for you!!

     Hi beautiful friends! Everything went well, including my reversal. I am exhausted, and in a fair amount of pain. I will hop on tomorrow and hang out with y’all more. I love y’all!

-Rae

So glad all went well. ❤️

Excellent news Rae!  Rest up and take all the pain meds, sending all the love and best wishes up over and across the pacific! 🥰😊💖

Pray you continue to do well. Best wishes

Good for you. 

Excellent news Rae!! Heal quickly!

Congratulations on your outcome. It's nice to hear. Best wishes on your recovery!

     I get to come home today! 🤗

Good for you. 👍 Enjoy Easter with the family. BTW, remind us all on how wiping your butt is. 😁 

Wonderful news! 🥰

     So far, I haven’t had the pleasure. Apparently my system is a little sleepy, lol. I will keep you updated as things progress. Would you prefer a diary type log or bullet points?

😂 I guess I didn’t realize I could have you describe it multiple ways. Bullet points would be fine. 😁 I’m glad you’re doing ok. 

Bullet points are fine but would deffo prefer excruciating detail 💩 💩 😂 . Seriously though, I’m so happy for you, so glad you’re doing ok, and hopefully your reversal is more successful than mine was - my reversal had to be reversed, that’s what my op was in early March, a proctectomy. I now have a barbie butt. Is it weird that I actually miss pooing now? That satisfaction of passing a really really REALLY big one, and you feel light as a feather afterwards. I kinda miss that. And my bum muscles do as well, they don’t like that they’ve effectively been fired from their job 😂.  When I’m on the toilet having a wee and emptying the bag, sometimes my bum muscles will let me know that they wanna have a piece of the action as well, which when your anus and rectum no longer exist, well……..

But anyway, I really hope you’re one of the many people this works for, my thoughts are with you, fingers crossed you have a speedy recovery and bounce right back super quickly 💜💛💜💛

PS - Happy Easter Rae! 🐇🪺🐣🐇🪺🐣

Meadow,

     You make me laugh so much! I am really sorry your reversal wasn’t successful. I can’t imagine how frustrating, and disappointing that must have been. 
     I completely get your phantom butt pains. Lol. I am glad you’re safe, and part of this amazing community. ❤️
-Rae

Congrats, lovely lady ☘👍 so happy everything went well for you. Now you better stock up on TP before the next shortage... how big is your garage!? LOL... now you can write graffiti on the walls while you do what normal people do... Sit!! I have a new moniker for you. To borrow from the wild and crazy guy Mel Brokks, your new name is... "A,B Normal." ☘😜

Stay safe, I am so happy for you, you will always be one of us, like it or not!! And no pinching the cute butts of those cute interns... go ahead, this is your last chance to get away with it ☘

Eamon ☘

I'm so glad things went well for you, Rae! I'm glad someone else mentioned it first because I was thinking of asking you what it felt like to poo like regular people again! You'll have to let us know. There will be challenges, of course. You won't be able to poo while eating dinner or shopping, or going for a walk, but I'm sure you will be able to make the adjustment!

Terry

Okay, it's time for some bullet points to honor Alex, and to paint a lovely picture for everyone. 😂 These messages have made me laugh so much recently. ❤️
• My procedure was a little nuts, but I wasn't surprised tbh. My surgeons cut out a small piece of bowel to repair my fistula, and used skin, glue, and staples. I think I'm akin to Frankenstein's monster up there. 😂

• My ileostomy was reversed successfully, for which I'm grateful. I do want to stay with y'all, as no one else will ever understand the journey. I also miss my stoma. 🥺

• Today is the first day I feel more lucid. I'm still on pain meds among other things, but my brain feels clearer.

• Does anyone want to see nasty pictures? Before my guy friends get excited, they're of my poor tummy. Lefty button and all. 😂

• Food hasn't been delicious yet. My roster is yogurt, protein shakes, scrambled eggs, and Life cereal. Everything else makes me want to hurl. 😅

• I can't answer the pooping questions thoroughly yet, as all I've been able to expel is surgery stuff. Mostly blue dye. A lot of blue dye. 😂

• I can still feel my stoma ‘breathing,' so that's comforting. Lol

• My grandbabies are unimpressed that I won't drive them anywhere. Apparently, I look fine. 🤷🏼‍♀️

• We have recliners on our sectional, but they're not automatic. I can't stay home alone if I'm using the recliner. I'd be stuck for hours. 😂

• Henry, the cat, is equally unimpressed with me. I'm not on my game for opening doors or putting fresh food in his dish. He has food, but he needs to see it go in his dish to eat. 🙄

• My tummy feels like WWIII inside, so that's probably positive? Lol

• My stoma site wasn't closed, so I get to clean and pack it for the next 4-8 weeks. I didn't have any plans anyway. 😂

• I still check my bag all the time. ❤️

I'll add more exciting news when my brain formulates it. 😂😂😂

Love y'all! Rae

Packing! Ugh. I don't mind surgery, recovery or hospital stays. But I freakin' HATE packing. 

Sounds like things are progressing nicely for you. I'm glad and hope that trend continues. Thanks for the update and condolences on the packing.