Hello, I'm new to this forum, but I have had Crohn's for 14 years. I'm facing my first surgery in two weeks. They are going to remove my large intestine and hook up my small intestine to my rectum. I just had a colonoscopy that showed some inflamation in my rectum, so I'm afraid I will have to have a temporary ileostomy for a while. I'm 33 and I work as a corrections officer. Is there anyone else who works in law enforcement on here or someone who has a job where you have to get "physical" now and then? Will I be able to return to work? How do those of you with an ostomy bag deal with emptying it at work? How long does it take to empy? This is so scary for me. I HATE THIS DISEASE! You would think if we have the technology to clone a human being that we would have a better solution for crohn's than rerouting our poopers out of our stomachs and into ziplock baggies. Grrrrrr!:grumpy:
Ileostomy and returning to work
- Thread starter Kris
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Hi Kris,
Yes, it does seem unreasonable to poop into a bag on the stomach. If you have Crohn's and already have inflamation in your rectum, I would advise that you reconsider hooking up your small bowel to your rectum. I guess you would have an ostomy while your rectum is rested so it can heal. But, I would think that inflamation will just return there, making your life miserable.
I assume your surgeon discussed all this with you and this is your plan. I would just hate to face a strong chance of more surgery down the road.
I'm 44, married with 3 young kids, office job, and the ostomy is easy to deal with for me. The ostomy lets me choose when I need to use the bathroom - no more urgency and making a run for it. Getting physical should not be a problem for you, but you'll have to watch how full you bag gets. If very full, you would not want to mix it up because it might burst or come off.
It takes about 2-3 min to empty my bag. No problem at home or work.
My surgery removed my colon, rectum and anus - very hard recovery, but I'm in 100% remission now (9 months now). And I never have to worry about those parts again!
Yes, it does seem unreasonable to poop into a bag on the stomach. If you have Crohn's and already have inflamation in your rectum, I would advise that you reconsider hooking up your small bowel to your rectum. I guess you would have an ostomy while your rectum is rested so it can heal. But, I would think that inflamation will just return there, making your life miserable.
I assume your surgeon discussed all this with you and this is your plan. I would just hate to face a strong chance of more surgery down the road.
I'm 44, married with 3 young kids, office job, and the ostomy is easy to deal with for me. The ostomy lets me choose when I need to use the bathroom - no more urgency and making a run for it. Getting physical should not be a problem for you, but you'll have to watch how full you bag gets. If very full, you would not want to mix it up because it might burst or come off.
It takes about 2-3 min to empty my bag. No problem at home or work.
My surgery removed my colon, rectum and anus - very hard recovery, but I'm in 100% remission now (9 months now). And I never have to worry about those parts again!
Terriernut
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Kris, I had my surgery on the night of the 22nd of December. I have a temporary bag. It takes no time to empty it. For me, I have to empty at night or early morning hours, and very little during the day. No time at all! Very simple. It's getting back to work that is difficult as the surgery can take alot out of you. Here in the UK, they estimate 4-6 weeks after surgery. Also, the insurance companies wont always allow you to drive in that period after major surgery. As for the physical part of your job, you may not be able to do that during the first 3 months, but I would guess, after that period, it shouldnt be an issue at all! We have folks on here doing marathons etc within that time frame. As you are also alot younger than me, no doubt you will heal up faster as well. Chin up mate! You will be fine, and you will also find alot of support here for all the difficulties you are facing.
I'm guessing you will find that you will suddenly be spending ALOT LESS time in the loo than you did before. The bag empties easily for me, and it takes me much less time than the other way.....
Good luck on your surgery and keep us posted!
Misty
I'm guessing you will find that you will suddenly be spending ALOT LESS time in the loo than you did before. The bag empties easily for me, and it takes me much less time than the other way.....
Good luck on your surgery and keep us posted!
Misty
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Hello there,
I also had the two kinds of bags. Sorry I always forget the names for them. I had them for 3 months each one at a time. I also worked in an office and I had vetry little problems. I also played hockey with mine. Like it was said before just be careful when the thing get full otherwise it's like everything is normal.
Good luck to you
I also had the two kinds of bags. Sorry I always forget the names for them. I had them for 3 months each one at a time. I also worked in an office and I had vetry little problems. I also played hockey with mine. Like it was said before just be careful when the thing get full otherwise it's like everything is normal.
Good luck to you
Hockey is a contact sport for sure. That gives me hope. As a Corrections Officer we sometimes have to restrain inmates, and I worry about getting kicked in the bag/stoma area. CDad, The surgeon told me that a lot of times the rectum gets inflamed when the large intestine is in bad shape. It helps to let the rectum rest for a couple months or so before it's connected to the small intestine. I've never had inflamation in my rectum until the last few months. My large intestine is at it's worst ever right now. I hope it works for me. I know I'm probably going to end up with a permenant bag down the road, I just want to put it off as long as possible. I'm glad to see others who feel it's easy to live with though. I know you must have felt like me at first. It makes me feel hopeful that I can adjust.
Terriernut
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I eat normally during the day. Stoma nurses tell me to eat little and often. But I just eat like I always did. They have given me some 'mini pouches' for during the day when I return to work. They are not at all visible under clothing! Yeah!!! I empty tiny little amounts twice a day during the day. Thats it! And thats only when I would be normally just going to the loo anyway. It genuinly is not an issue. In fact, I am very grateful as before I would go to the loo 20 times a day. So for me, it's ALOT better! I think alot of people here are like me and mostly go evenings and mornings. But everyone is different of course. How you would 'normally' process food is how you will probably remain I would guess. I mean before flare ups that is.
Please dont be afraid of 'the bag', it can be a life saver and a blessing. It's all how you look at it. If I hadnt had surgery, I'd be dead. So, for me, I'm happy to be typing and alive and can live with the bag even if it is for life.
Good luck with your surgery, the recovery is the hard part, not the bag!
Misty
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I'm going to guess that you have a Colostomy Terriernut. Typically, Ileostomies are emptied about 6 to 8 times a day. That is about what I do.
I have read that you cannot really control it by eating little, that just creates more gas (but I have not tried). The gas can be annoying because it will inflate the pouch making you aware of it. It's hard to tell of course, but it seems like food can take 4 to 7 hours to make it's way through. The only time I can really count on no or little output is until about 10am.
I have read that you cannot really control it by eating little, that just creates more gas (but I have not tried). The gas can be annoying because it will inflate the pouch making you aware of it. It's hard to tell of course, but it seems like food can take 4 to 7 hours to make it's way through. The only time I can really count on no or little output is until about 10am.
Terriernut
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I've had a Hartmann's proceedure actually. My sigmoid has been removed and my bottom stitched up. (I really miss farting normally actually! LOL) Anyway, at least I have some colon left for the time being yes. It was supposed to be a full Ileostomy for me, but they felt some of my colon could be saved for the time being. As for BM, I never did too much during the day before flare ups, so I'm behaving 'normally' for me. Drs and nurses say here that that is pretty much what most of us do after recovery. As for eating less, it only makes me more gassy and more liquid so I dont buy it either. As for gas....oi vey. Bag becomes balloon. NOT nice! And also for controlling output, no, gosh I wish I could!
But for surgical recovery, I'm told 3 months to 'back to normal' as average for major abdominal surgery. If you're younger and healthy, maybe a bit less. I'm going back to work in a week, at least part time in the sales office, and working some more from home. That would put me at 6 weeks post op. But I got infections from careless district nurses who didnt like to wash their hands! I could be 4 weeks for the lucky individuals that dont have that issue!
Good luck,
Misty
Just an update. I had my surgery on the 15th. I got home from the hospital yesterday. They removed all of my large intestine and about 2 inches of my small. I was given a temporary ileostomy. Hopefully only for 6 months. After my surgery I was doing great until they started me on oral pain relievers. The first two made me sick and my blood pressure was too low. Finally found a pain reliever that worked and didn't make me want to puke. The ileostomy has been difficult to manage. I've had no problems changing it or emptying it. It’s just either has too much liquid or is backed up. Hopefully I can find a happy medium when I stop the pain meds and eat more. What foods do any of you who have had the bag recommend eating?
Hi glad yr ok Iv had my ileostomy for a year now and will be getting it reversed maybe at the end of this yr it didnt take that long to get used to and I empty mine about 6-8 times a day, I just hate it on a morning when it is full of air and ready to pop, anyone got any advise on that?
Terriernut
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I've got little pellet filters I can put in my bag. It's supposed to thicken the stool and keep the gas down. It does make the bag harder to empty though, so be warned! Are you still seeing a stoma nurse? Ask them for the pellets to help if they can get them. I didnt like them. So I am trying to figure out what I'm eating that is causing the gas in the first place. If you have to, keep a food diary. Shreddies are a no-no for me! Peanut Butter causes me the big D,but all of us are different!
Misty
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If you are not using a filter - call and get some samples. They really improved the quality of my life by letting me sleep through the night and not having to burp or release gas much during the day.
I tried all three major brands and the Hollister filter worked best for me. If you don't use Hollister, try your brand's filter pouch. For me, when i tested the other brands, they did not work well for me. Hollister has a different filter design that protects it more from getting clogged. And it does not need to be covered in the shower like the other brands.
But the filter will get clogged and stop working. That is why I am changing my pouch every night now. Since I have to deal with with an ostomy, I decided to treat myself well and get the extra pouches.
I tried all three major brands and the Hollister filter worked best for me. If you don't use Hollister, try your brand's filter pouch. For me, when i tested the other brands, they did not work well for me. Hollister has a different filter design that protects it more from getting clogged. And it does not need to be covered in the shower like the other brands.
But the filter will get clogged and stop working. That is why I am changing my pouch every night now. Since I have to deal with with an ostomy, I decided to treat myself well and get the extra pouches.
Well, I started back to work this week with my ileostomy. I waited 8 weeks before I returned, because of the nature of my job. If I had a desk job, I could have went back much sooner. I was pretty nervous my first day back. It went really well this week. I was able to take the breaks I needed to in order to empty the bag. I was very self conscious about it though. I was always feeling my stomach to make sure it wasn't getting too full. I wanted to make sure I kept it fairly empty in case I had to get physical with an inmate. Overall, I think it went well and I'm sure it will get easier and I won't be so aware of it.
Terriernut
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Kris, so glad you are doing well! Fatigue was/is my biggest issue at work. (besides the fact they want to fire me for being absent due to crohn's!)
Take it carefully! Hope you are now 100%!!!
Misty
Take it carefully! Hope you are now 100%!!!
Misty
ameslouise
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Hey Kris - Glad things went well your first week back! I know how you feel... I am constantly reaching down to see the status of my bag. Especially during the night!
- Amy
- Amy
Thank you everyone
Misty, I feel like my energy level has returned to normal. It was so nice to come home from work and not feel completely wiped out. It used to take me a couple of days to recover from one 12 hour shift.
5-0, I'm so glad something I have said or done motivates you. We all need that once in a while. Since my ileostomy is temporary, I could have easily made the decision to stay off work until my reversal. I just didn't want to do that. I wanted to prove to myself that I'm in control, not the Crohn's. It's kind of a big F.U. to this disease to push myself back into life. I was so scared my career in law enforcement was over before I really got going in it. The job I do now is a stepping stone to where I want to be. I've worked so hard to get where I'm at and it just killed me to think it was over. Now I know that it is just a minor setback and I can continue in this career and succeed. I'm ready to kick ass!
Misty, I feel like my energy level has returned to normal. It was so nice to come home from work and not feel completely wiped out. It used to take me a couple of days to recover from one 12 hour shift. 5-0, I'm so glad something I have said or done motivates you. We all need that once in a while. Since my ileostomy is temporary, I could have easily made the decision to stay off work until my reversal. I just didn't want to do that. I wanted to prove to myself that I'm in control, not the Crohn's. It's kind of a big F.U. to this disease to push myself back into life. I was so scared my career in law enforcement was over before I really got going in it. The job I do now is a stepping stone to where I want to be. I've worked so hard to get where I'm at and it just killed me to think it was over. Now I know that it is just a minor setback and I can continue in this career and succeed. I'm ready to kick ass!
Hi, Kris,
I've worked with an Ileostomy. Not to the extent of "getting physical", but where I've required to be in full view of the public on most occasions. The best advice I can give is to basically get a routine going. I found best to have a big breakfast in the morning to get my bowels moving, and then not eat again till my work shift is finished. Saves emptying the bag every hour or so, which is basically what I was doing after eating little bits here and there at work.
I've worked with an Ileostomy. Not to the extent of "getting physical", but where I've required to be in full view of the public on most occasions. The best advice I can give is to basically get a routine going. I found best to have a big breakfast in the morning to get my bowels moving, and then not eat again till my work shift is finished. Saves emptying the bag every hour or so, which is basically what I was doing after eating little bits here and there at work.
