Admission Day 2

After a fabulous weekend in Cardiff for the Rugby, i've had the biggest stoma nightmare ever. Returning on Sunday evening we decided to have a Chinese. Chow Mein, pancake rolls and chilli beef.

Monday I had no issues until I ate spaghetti bolognaise for dinner. Whilst eating it, I had huge amounts of watery fluid pour into my bag. A couple of hot and cold sweats later i'm thinking I have a stomach bug. Not great timing I know but still, I hoped it would be over by the morning or maybe the following evening. No. I have eggs on toast Tuesday morning and again, water pours out. Bearing in mind that i've had to get out of bed every hour to empty during the night, even after taking some immodium.

I decided to contact the stoma nurse at the hospital. When she called me back I explained everything hoping that it wouldn't effect me going in today. No pain, no vomiting and no real nausea apart from the slight sweats and a little sickly feeling which lasts only a few minutes at a time. I think i'm blocked which is why I called. It can be dangerous and a partial blockage means you get a high watery output and get very dehydrated. No pain, no vomiting. Stoma nurse is as baffled as I am and advises me to take immodium and drink lucozade and thinks that my ileum is over acting. I still think I have a blockage, but I take some immodium anyway. It has no effect whatsoever (although it probably does internally). Ending the phone call, I tell the nurse that I will see her at the end of the week. Clearly this needs to be sorted before as she said, well, lets get you sorted first and call back tomorrow if nothing changes.

Wednesday comes and each time I eat, more and more water comes out. I can't keep up with the fluid loss. I'm frantically looking on the internet for solutions to blockages. Hot tea? Nothing and the more I eat, the more water comes out but at the same time, i'm getting more and more blocked and making everything worse. By Wednesday evening, my stoma is about 2-3 times it's normal size indicating that it is swollen due to a blockage somewhere. The blockage apparently is usually right near the stoma and it can unblock by placing your finger inside. I feel sick just writing this now but I decide that I have to give it a go. It certainly wasn't the nicest experience i've ever had, that's an understatement. But it doesn't work. I can't feel anything. I didn't really eat dinner as I was getting quite worried about today. Returning home, removing my bag once more, I get in a hot bath hoping it will get things moving. Nothing much comes out. It's quite watery and I try the finger method once more.

Placing my third bag of the day on around 11:45pm, i'm worrying more and more. I can't get to sleep but about an hour later, I start feeling a little uncomfortable. I realise that solids are coming out. Not much, but some. Due to the shape of the stoma and the fact that part of the blockage is clearing, my skin is showing and starting to itch due to burning. I contemplate changing my bag yet again, but I can't. My skin is so sore. During the night and early morning, some of the blockage clears. I have no idea if the whole blockage has cleared or not, but I can only assume that three days worth of food, has NOT come out.

I'm on my second cup of tea this morning and haven't really had much output. I have no idea if it is because the blockage has cleared completely and I didn't really eat last night. I'm going to shower without the bag on and see what happens.

Jodi is picking me up at 12:15 so we can have some lunch before we go in. Hopefully this time tomorrow, the ileostomy will have gone.