I am one of those people that cannot stand to deal with unexpected bowel movements and having to change my bag several times a day. I found out that I am a candidate for irrigation and was interested in doing that; however, it is time-consuming and I do not have time to get up in the morning and irrigate before I go into work. I get up for work at 4am. There were times when I had plans to go on trips but did not want to stress over having to deal with bag changes. If I take a couple of laxatives the day before my trip, it seems to clean me out enough so I do not have to change my bag for a couple of days. Of course, I would not do this every day. But have any of you tried this instead of irrigation?
Dee H
veejay
Don't know anything about laxatives but I do know if you have a colostomy you can irrigate, then my advice is to do just that!
I get up every day to do a paper round (4am too), so I irrigate at night. In some ways, it's better. I am not rushed.
Once you get into a daily routine, you won't look back. Do not miss a day!
Merry Christmas to all.
V.J.
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mild_mannered_super_hero
Seriously... it takes about 1 hour... there are 24 hours in a day... the results last about 48 hours. I find it strange that you cannot invest 1 hour to reap the benefits.
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Dee H
Your right. An hour is really nothing and is worth reaping the benefits. I guess I am just a little nervous about the idea of putting something in my stoma and looking for excuses not to. But after looking at YouTube videos of how to irrigate, it does not look that hard to do. In the long run, I could save money by doing this. My health insurance does not cover ostomy supplies. So my New Year's resolution will be to stop feeling crappy and start to irrigate. Happy New Year!
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Bill
Hello Dee H. I'm with Veejay in that I irrigate at night and leave the sleeve on whilst I'm asleep so that it acts like a bag. I do spend a bit longer than MMSH but like him I consider it well worthwhile and I am pleased to thiink that you are going to give it a go properly. Best Wishes and let us know how you get on. Bill
veejay
Great New Year's resolution, Dee H.
Once you get the hang of irrigating, you will wonder why you were reluctant.
Your stoma, like everyone else's, is dead. The very moment the surgeon did his handiwork, it died. It has no feeling, so don't be frightened of putting something in there. You won't hurt it.
Irrigating does take some practice, but persist and you won't regret it.
Then it will be a "Happy New Year". Guaranteed!
V.J.