Coming clean

[Cross-stitch gal]

Do you guys have trouble coming clean after a bowel movement? I notice that each time, it's not terribly easy for me to get all the excitement off me. Sometimes I even end up with some drops of blood on the tp by the time I'm finished and basically end up rubbing myself raw. Do you use anything special to prevent this? I usually use a combo of tp and wipes.

Thanks.

 

[shamrock15]

There are times when things seem a little waxy almost for me as if there is something still not quite out and it is almost like wearing it down a bit at a time. When it happens I have come to the realisation that I probably won't get rid of it all, so I stop and just leave some TP behind to keep it from making skid marks! Not the best solution probably, but better than rubbing myself raw.

 

[FrozenGirl]

Ouch. Sounds painful. I use pads in case I missed a bit I don't have to worry about rubbing too much getting clean.

 

[Cross-stitch gal]

Yeah, I've asked my GI about it and he didn't seem terribly concerned. But, I am. Not every time I rub myself raw. But, it still doesn't seem right somehow...

 

[my little penguin]

DS uses cottenelle flushable wipes
Seems to work much better than even good tp according to him.

 

[Cross-stitch gal]

I have the purse size of cottonelle which I use when not at home. But, we've been getting the kirland brand from Costco for at home. Doesn't seem to matter which type of anything I use sadly...

 

[Dackelmann]

The gentle "Dab-dab" technique- wet wipes- and to alleviate that eye watering irritation afterwards I smear a touch of Rectinol on the rusty sheriff's badge. That stuff is magic, saves having that feeling like you're walking about with fibreglass chips wedged in your date.

 

[Cross-stitch gal]

Hmm. Is that Rectinol hemorroid cream? If so, seems like anything like that might work...

 

[Dackelmann]

Yep- years ago before being diagnosed I used it for what the doctor said was 'anal itch' - maybe because of working in the heat doing manual labouring- he couldn't explain when I wiped I got blood and was always itchy. So many years later I still just use a dab- and it alleviates that uncomfortable feeling and can walk about normally within minutes. Just a mild anaesthetic. I swear by it to get by, esp. when the going gets tough. I presume it can't be bad for you. I haven't developed hairy feet or horns ...yet.

 

[2thFairy]

I haven't developed hairy feet or horns ...yet.

I don't want to think about where those horns would be springing up from. Hahaha!

 

[Dackelmann]

The use of the Rectinol is to combat the feeling of them growing out of my special starfish

 

[Cross-stitch gal]

I don't want to think about where those horns would be springing up from. Hahaha!

2th beat me to the punch!!! I had a comment of my own. But, it's kinda slipped from me. I am a bit concerned about those horns though!!!!!

 

[2thFairy]

Speaking of starfish, my husband wants me to get a tattoo of one around my stoma. Hahaha!

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

Cross-stitch, I have a bidet attachment on my toilet and it's been WONDERFUL. It gets me feeling properly clean back there without having to wipe until I'm raw. My husband loves it too. When we travel or aren't at home, we both find ourselves complaining about the lack of bidets! I want to buy some more and install them on the toilets at work. My bidet seriously is one of the best things I've ever bought, I cannot praise it enough. For me it's been better than flushable wet wipes (I honestly don't even use wet wipes anymore except when I'm not at home!).

We have this one and it wasn't expensive. Here's the link:
http://www.amazon.com/LUXE-Bidet-Vi...TF8&qid=1429107679&sr=8-7&keywords=luxe+bidet

If you search for bidets on amazon, you'll find lots of other ones in that price range. Read some reviews and see if there's one you like. Ours was super easy to install. And actually, our first bidet did break after about a year - we contacted the company and they sent us a brand new one with no questions asked. So I highly recommend both the product and that particular brand as they were great to work with on getting a replacement. At any rate, seriously consider getting a bidet as it truly does help so much with that feeling of not being clean and having to wipe a zillion times.

 

[Cross-stitch gal]

I know that I sound a bit stupid. But, how do you use the thing? It looks like you squirt some sort of water. But, can't figure out exactly how that thing works... :ybatty:

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

Yes, it sprays a stream of water right at your, um, starfish. The water isn't heated but it's not cold either - the one I have uses water from the toilet tank, so it's room temperature and it's actually pretty refreshing (I believe you can get heated ones but they cost significantly more). The dial on the side controls the stream of water - if you turn it just a little bit then it's just a little trickle of water like from a drinking fountain, or if you turn it more then the stream of water becomes stronger and can actually even hurt a little bit (especially if you have something like a fissure or a hemmie). So yeah, it just cleans the "starfish" area with water and then all I do is pat dry with TP. It works great.

Funny story, when my husband installed ours, he was kneeling in front of the toilet to hook it up. Then he decided to turn it on to test it out, but he clearly wasn't thinking, because he was still kneeling in front of it. So he got a stream of water right in the face, hah!

 

[Cross-stitch gal]

We talked yesterday about maybe getting one of those. But, my husband needs to figure out how to install it and what is needed to get it all hooked up. Maybe somehow we can get our husbands to talk. Sad part is I can see my husband doing that too with the water in the face!!!

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

I can ask my hubby what he needed to do to install it - I seem to recall that the box came with all the parts we needed and I'm pretty sure it also came with very clear instructions. My hubby made it seem like it was a very easy thing to hook up - it took him maybe 30 minutes tops from start to finish for installing it. I didn't have any involvement in installing it though so I can't say for sure how easy it is, but I can definitely ask him if you'd like!

 

[jamilea]

Have you ever thought about getting and applying skin barrier cream? We use it at the hospital I work at so that when someone has an incontinent BM, we only have to clean off half of the ointment and reapply. It might be worth looking into in order to keep your skin from getting raw or splitting open.

 

[nogutsnoglory]

Same problem here, get very raw and bleed a bit and itch like a beast. The best thing for me is whole foods baby wipes. They are natural so it doesn't have any synthetic ingredients that make my itching worse.

 

[alice75]

Has any one here had an open wound down there? I had a fistulomy recently and all my old tricks haven't been working. I am at my wit's end. One can only take a sitz bath infrequently when they are home alone with a three year old most of the day.

 

[Lisa]

Yup, I always have an issue getting totally clean.....A lot of times I will get what I can, then go do something (I do throw a small pad on) then head back and wipe again to clean up. We also have flushable wipes, but I hate trying to get my butt to feel dry afterwards!