Six Week Update

I can't believe it has already been six weeks since surgery. I have been back at work for a week and a half and am so glad to be back. I am still getting tired very easily, but that is to be expected for a little while. Luckily, I have a two week Christmas break starting next week :)

Life has been getting progressively more normal and I feel like I've come a long way since surgery. Taking a shower no longer feels like a workout, I am able to sleep normally on my side, and the bag has slowly ended up in the back of my mind most days. These are things that seemed really far away right after surgery. I am still a little sore, especially around the incision site. There are times when I'm especially active that I notice some soreness in my abdomen (not just at the incision site). Sometimes, it feels like a "stitch" in my side, or like a cramp when running. I'm not sure if this is because I've lost so much muscle tone in my abdomen, or if it is the tissue on the inside still healing and readjusting to the new plumbing. Today, I was trying to be agile while hopping over rain puddles in the parking lot at school. Later on, I realized that my body wasn't ready for my ninja-like puddle evading skills. I'm definitely sore after that!

I've had a couple of very small speed bumps this week that were a little frustrating, but things could always be MUCH worse! First, I found a bunch of gift cards to restaurants that my students got me at the end of last school year. I used one on Saturday to get a steak from Longhorns (so good!) and decided on Monday of this week to get something from Chilis. I ended up getting some little slider burgers that I have eaten before and enjoyed. I was starving when I got home, so I promptly dug in. I knew the burger had onions (on the list of foods to be cautious about) but I have eaten onions since surgery and had no issues. I wasn't too worried and continued to engorge myself. About 3/4 of the way through the burgers, I suddenly realized something about the burger that was not good: The bun had sesame seeds! Seeds of any kind are on the "do not eat" list, especially for the first couple of months after surgery. I freaked out a little and got mad at myself for not realizing it sooner. I have been so afraid of having a blockage and have been pretty careful for the most part, so I was mostly upset with myself. I quickly drank a lot of juice, to hopefully ensure that the seeds would flush themselves out. Later that night, I ended up getting what I think is my first bout of diarrhea. I had to empty my pouch very frequently and it was very watery (much thinner than normal). I was able to see individual sesame seeds and realized too that the ground beef must have been very gristly (sorry if this is too graphic, but I am no longer phased by talking about my bodily functions or fluids!) because I could see the remnants of that as well. Overall, I made a poor choice for dinner that night, and I paid for it in lack of sleep and peace of mind. Luckily, I did not get a blockage and learned to be more careful about watching what I eat!

My new ostomy supply organizer

The next "setback" I had happened yesterday while changing my pouch. It was the first time I changed the pouch in the morning before going to school (last week I did it right before dinner, so there was very little activity). I was up a little earlier to give myself plenty of time, so I was pretty tired and my brain was not firing on all cylinders. I was testing out some new wafers/bags that Hollister sent me last weekend. I am trying out a pre-cut wafer (as opposed to the cut to fit ones I've had since surgery since the stoma can change) since my stoma has stayed right at 1 1/4" for the last few pouch changes. While preparing the wafer, I applied the paste like I usually do, set the wafer aside, and started working on cleaning/prepping my skin. At some point, I managed to knock the wafer on the ground and it landed adhesive side down (of course!). Fortunately, after some swearing and picking hair off of the adhesive, I was able to salvage the wafer. I set it aside again and continued skin prep when I managed to RUIN this recently salvaged wafer. Last weekend, I bought a small countertop organizer to keep my ostomy supplies easily accesible (up until then, I was using a small, cluttered Coloplast bag provided in the hospital. It was also my "emergency bag" that I take to work in case I have a leak at work. Now, I have a supply that stays at home, and an emergency bag that stays in my car. This way, I don't have to worry about taking the bag to and from work every day). Unfortunately, I managed to open the bottom drawer right on top of the wafer which effectively smeared stoma paste all over the wafer. At this point, there was no chance of rescuing the wafer, so I threw it out and opened the other wafer that Hollister sent (thank goodness they sent 2 - probably for newbies like me!) and applied it with no further hitches.

Writing about these two very trivial things makes me realize that I am really in a pretty good place. I have read horror stories about the complications that people have after a surgery like this (abscesses, fistulas, tons of leaks, etc.), so I am thankful that my biggest concerns are a little diarrhea and a ruined wafer (that I didn't even pay for). God is good and He is definitely helping me through this!

Regarding the new wafer, I think I like it so far. Not having to cut the opening saves a good bit of time while changing the pouch. The other thing about this wafer is that it is a little smaller. Since my stoma is 1 1/4", the wafers that Hollister makes with this size opening have a smaller flange (the plastic tupperware-like ring that holds the bag to the wafer). I'm still not sure yet if this smaller flange is a good thing or bad thing. Because it is smaller, it doesn't get caught on my pants as often. On the other hand, the smaller ring means there is slightly less adhesive between the stoma and the flange. I can't tell yet if this means the seal is not as good, but hopefully I'll be able to tell by my next pouch change.

Finally, I realized the other day that I have not posted any pictures of my incision or scars. I need to find some post-op pictures that my folks took while I was drugged up in the hospital and post those as well. For now, here are some six week pictures of my scar and the ostomy pouch (The little scar on my left side is where the JP drain was placed during my hospital stay). Overall, the incision is healing very well and starting to itch (which is a good thing, I think... it means the nerves are starting to heal as well). I am using Mederma, as recommended by a dermatologist, to try to reduce the size and darkness of the scar (my skin scars really easily, so I hope this stuff helps!).

Part of the scar is always covered by
my pants line

The Whole Scar