I am another person who uses enemas to go to the bathroom. It has been hard for me to totally embrace that this is what I have to do but it sure beats when I don't do it. When I don't
use enemas I cluster for hours and when I'm not clustering still have sensations that I have to go. When I do use them I get cleaned out and move on. I typically use a quart to a quart and a half
of warm water. It usually takes 30 minutes to empty my colon and that cleans me out for a day or two. I sometimes have some brief feelings of nausea during the clean-out but the discomfort while not fun is short-lived. Expulsion of the stool is loud and can be messy but still better than feeling tethered to a toilet. I am seven months out from reversal
and still working on accepting that this needs to be a routine in my life. It is so nice to be free from BMs and live a more normal life though.
I just returned home after being in the hospital for two weeks having had a bowel obstruction that needed repaired. The colo-rectal surgeons were supportive of my decision to use enemas. I was surprised that the
staff on the colorectal surgery floor weren't more familiar with people who use daily enemas. After this latest problem though, more surgery, it makes the issue of using the enema seem less of one.
Laura