This topic is about someone who is experiencing challenges two weeks after having an ileostomy reversal. They are dealing with sleep issues, rectal pain, and dietary frustrations. Here are some insights and advice that might help:

- The person is having trouble sleeping, waking up every hour due to frequent bowel movements. This is similar to when they had the ostomy.
- They find the low-residue, low-fiber diet unappealing, and the acidic liquid stool is causing severe rectal pain, described as feeling like "pooping glass."
- Over-the-counter creams are not providing much relief, but they hope a new bidet might help once the area heals.
- They are considering returning to oxycodone for pain relief, as tramadol and acetaminophen are not effective.
- Feeling mentally exhausted, they are hesitant to go back to the hospital but are preparing to visit the ER as advised by their surgeon.
- They are seeking tips on how to restore sleep and reduce pain.

Additional concerns and information include:

- In the ER, they worry about the possibility of needing a permanent ostomy again and plan to ask for prescription sleep medication.
- Hospital tests have shown a GI infection, hemorrhoids, fissures, and re-activated perianal Crohn’s, with severe pain at the anastomosis site. They are on IV hydromorphone (Dilaudid) for pain control and are relieved to avoid an NG tube but still find eating difficult.

Here are some pieces of advice and insights that might be helpful:

1. Consider asking the doctor for a prescription sleep aid like Temazepam to help break the cycle of sleeplessness.
2. Remember that a stoma can be recreated if the reversal does not improve quality of life, but it's important to allow time for healing before making any decisions.
3. Insist on stool testing for Clostridioides difficile to rule out infection, as undiagnosed C. diff can cause severe rectal pain and frequent bowel movements.
4. Discuss with the doctor the possibility of using motility-slowing agents like loperamide (Rx Imodium) once infection is excluded. Some people take loperamide before meals and at bedtime to reduce nighttime trips to the bathroom.
5. Try to avoid eating several hours before sleep to reduce overnight bowel movements.
6. For perianal skin care, Calmoseptine ointment, which contains menthol for cooling relief, is recommended for fissures, hemorrhoids, and raw skin. It might be hard to find, but it's worth searching for in pharmacies.
7. Although it may be unpleasant, sticking to a strict low-residue, low-fiber diet is usually the first step to protect the anastomosis and reduce complications. It's important to persevere until the surgeon allows dietary progression.