Zod wrote:Y'all,
I had my ileostomy from Feb 2019 reversed last week (Dec 11). Surgery was simultaneous with curative-intent liver resection plus hernia repair, so 3 surgeons in one go.
Wonder what advice I can get regarding relentless fecal incontinence that started 2 days ago. I will usually get no warning that I need to poop and will within 5 seconds be soiling whatever I am wearing. I'm using an makeshift rig of urinary incontinence pads, wads of toilet paper, and tight shorts for now - and not leaving home.
My original surgery removed all of the rectum and was barely able to be sphincter-sparing.
I've started doing kegel (pelvic floor muscle) exercises but those can take months to work and may not work in any case according to my research.
My colon doctor recommends low-residue diet which I am following.
I searched these forums for "LARS" (lower anterior resection syndrome) and am reading some of those threads.
Thanks.
Zod
I use CVS brand male diapers - I like them better than Depends as they are woven so that they breathe.
I put in three female pads (Always 4 or 5 in Ultra-Thin). Ideally I don't soil any of them but they are easy to replace if I have to.
If you need time to do things without going to the bathroom, you'll want to figure out how to get the "cleanout". There are a few ways to get the cleanout and it means that you can go about your business without worrying. I like to run, play tennis and do other things and the cleanout makes it a lot easier to do this without worrying. Fiber can help add bulk - that is so you don't have to go to the bathroom every 15 minutes for four hours.
I had pretty good success fasting three to four days a week but it's pretty difficult to maintain.
I've kind of adapted but it restricts me or slows me down.
I assembled a kit which helps - it's a small medical bag and I carry six peristaltsis bottls (for cleaning with water as a lot of toilet paper can be irritating), two diapers with pads, 11 pads, small waste bags and a brick of Kirkland wipes. I have not had an emergency that this kit couldn't handle except for one really bad time when I took Imodium with a small bowel obstruction.
Imodium is an OTC drug that can slow things down a lot if you need to do something for a while where you won't go to the bathroom. I recommend avoiding it if you have a Small Bowel Obstruction. SBOs can develop from scar tissue several months after surgery.
I have the superlong pads (7x30 inches), Abre' San (really big pads but hard to secure to underwear). When things are going well, I just put a pad in my shorts or underwear and that gets the job done.