Leaky bottom

Today I have had a lot of stool passing out my back passage. Because it's passing through my pouch it gives me terrible tummy ache. 

Now before you wonder whether a miracle has occurred overnight I need to explain how this happens. 

I generally tell people that in my next operation I will 'get joined back up' but in actual fact I am joined up right now. 

The picture shows the 2 different types of ileostomy or stoma that I have had (sorry about the picture, nicked it from a google search! It must be of a man cause there's a lot of hair shown there!!)

The end ileostomy was what I had for 4 years after my large bowel was removed. Everything that goes in your mouth passes out the end of the stoma. 

In a loop ileostomy (which is what I have at the moment) a piece of small bowel is pulled through the abdominal wall and it has 2 openings (imagine splitting a hose pipe open)

The majority of stool passes through one opening and goes into the stoma bag. Some stool can pass through into the second opening and then passes through the rest of the small bowel, into the j pouch and out of the rectum. 

In my next operation (or takedown as it's technically known) this stoma will be pushed back into my body and the hole sewn up meaning that everything I eat comes out in the same way as 'normal' people. 

So that's why today I've had a leaky bottom and tummy ache. I don't know why sometimes it passes through and other times it doesn't but hey, that's the mystery of having insides outside! 

To help with the leaky bottom situation I have to use tena pads. Luckily a friend had a huge supply of them after her Mum passed away so she gave them to me which has saved me from having to suffer the embarrassment of actually buying them in Tesco!

The kids call them 'the Mummy nappies' and they think it's quite funny that I have to wear them. I have to say though they are much better than the ones they give to you in hospital. 

To give you an idea of sizes the photo below shows the hospital pad, the tena pad and a normal sanitary pad. 

Can you see the things I have to put up with! It's not just about having a stoma bag but all the other things that go with it. I often say that they took my dignity along with my large bowel as things like this become part of normal conversations and daily life. At least they left my sense of humour though cause without that this would really be unbearable!

NB x