Hello all. Just a bit of venting on my part. I'm just two weeks away from having my reversal surgery. I thought my complications were over after the skin around my stoma healed up and all my stitches dissolved or were pulled out.... boy was I wrong. After a month of wearing high-waisted clothing and maternity wear that wouldn't irritate my incision site... or my 'scar' as I refer to it, I decided to switch back to regular clothing. After all, I'd be living with the ileostomy for a while more yet and the ostomy nurse supposedly put my stoma in a good place so I could wear jeans. BAD FREAKING IDEA. 1) I was irritated to find I couldn't button or zip my pants as my pouch was in the way. "Can wear regular clothing" my ass. 2) My incision didn't like my normal low-rise and started to thicken and get wider. Not a big deal, I can deal with a small splotchy scar. WRONG. 3) My incision site therein started to grow more painful to the point I was back in nightgowns and laying down because sitting hurt... 4) Surprise surprise! That part of my incision site had not only been irritated, but was infected. Ladies and gentlemen, behold the negative side effects of an abscess. Pus and everything.
Luckily I've dealt with cystic acne before and found the most painful point of my incision site, and used a diabetic lancet to poke a hole and drain it myself. I massaged the painful tissue and applied my usual lavender oil (a natural topical antibiotic, it doesn't sting and is pleasantly pungent), and covered it with a cute little bandage. Awesome. The docs called me in, said I did a lovely job draining it and put me on antibiotics.
Problem solved, right? I thought so too.
Not two hours later the site goes black and green, and flakes. I automatically have nightmarish visions of necrosis and go to the emergency room since, hell, urgent care clinics here know nothing of ostomies, and the doctor on call was less than helpful. Luckily only the first layers of skin had died and after a swift and slightly painful debriding, I went home.
Now I'm just laying around, sleeping 14 hours a day with zero energy, a constant headache from one antibiotic, a bad taste in my mouth from another, and vomiting because of both. I think I preferred the abscess. It had the manners at least to not cause me to puke all over myself in the middle of the night.
I swear, if one more thing goes wrong, in the mere 2 1/2 months with an ostomy, I'll wave a white flag and just settle myself in the ER permanently. At least there I'll be drugged up enough not to care, or at least enough to feel a bit more like myself again. To be honest, I can't imagine living with an ileostomy for much longer than I am, it's so exhausting. I applaud and sympathize with anyone who has a permanent ostomy. I thought I was strong after battling severe total UC, but this? This is far out of my league. Hell I can wave off pneumonia, crippling menstrual cramps, or a colon that is completely ulcerous, even my 3-year war with c.diff... but this is probably my personal hell. I probably am too self-conscious of my bag and that is what makes it so hard. It was much easier before. With UC, I could become accustomed to pain, running to a toilet, even worrying over incontinence. Now I worry about all of the above since my jpouch is active, blowouts, stoma dermatitis, an embarrassing sound coming from my red tummy friend, and feces leaking onto my clothes when I decide to get out. Seriously, to all with ostomies, and all those on ostomates... I don't know how we make it day to day.
Well... I suppose I do have one or two good things to put out there. 4 days without my hydromorphone for pain. No withdrawal symptoms or nightmares from it. And I'm finally off prednisone for the first time in 5 years. Yay! I will be so happy once I'm recovered from my reversal and can start up school or a job. I know school is important but I'm so tired of being a big financial burden to my parents. Being 20 without disability, a job, or a degree, is not a very good thing.
Thanks for listening guys, I just have had too much on my chest lately.
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Urinary tract infections can still occur after urostomy surgery.
Learn about some basic diet and ostomy pouch routines that can help prevent them.
Learn about some basic diet and ostomy pouch routines that can help prevent them.