Hello Everyone,
It's been a long time since I've been on this board. I had a horrible year and 1/2 with this dern Crohn's and illeostomy. I had been in UNC for months, and had 3 surgeries in 1 year. I had to get more of my small intestines removed, and the worst part, was they didn't stitch me back up, they kept the incision open, and I was in the hospital for about 1 week, and I had to be sent home with an open wound. It was horrible. I had to change the wound, pack it, you name it. There is a lot more that I've been through, but you name it - it happened. I cried every single day thinking being so miserable. God surely pulled me through those dark times.
Once I was home, the Dr's told me it'd take a year or longer to heal. I had lost lots of weight, and mentally and emotionally I was doing terrible. It took forever for me to finally gain some weight back. I know dealing with Crohn's, and for me having an illeostomy at times depresses me, the Dr's put me on Remeron, and that has seemed to help me gain weight, and also manage the depression I was dealing with. I'm not back to my normal weight, but am not where I was during recovery. But currently I am happy with the weight I am now...
So, now it's been a year since my major surgery, and I am doing extremely well. I have had some issues with the stoma, and I didn't like how the surgeon re-did it. It would sink back into my stomach, and cause more accidents than before. I've had Page (her name lol) since 2004, and in Sept with consult with my Dr. he re-did the stoma, and she's now better than before!! However, there is a small dent, which is just the shape of my stomach, on the side near the stoma,where i find l get a lot of leaks. So, I've got to shape the Eakin Seals the right way in order to get a good tight seal. The Ostomy RN tells me I don't need a convex wafer, but for my condition and how my abdomen is sinking in I know I need it. It just annoys me when they think they know better than us patients do. Anyone else have that issue? I know if I go back and talk to her and tell her Im getting more and more leaks she will give me convexity.
I'm 34, and have had an illeostomy since 2004 - I have a lot of fears since having this - like acceptance by guys, not necessarily friends that are girls, but just fear of not being liked. I know it doesn't define who Monica is, but it is something i think about alot. It did save my life, and I wouldn't be here had the Dr's not given me the illeostomy. But I struggle with acceptance, being a single woman - wondering if guys would even want to date me. Maybe some of y'all can kind of give me some advice, pointers, etc. I did date 1 guy before, in 2005, and he was just so glad i was alive and he did all he could to help me to get better - so I know there are guys out there, but it's just a concern of mine...anyhow...
now that I am all better and back on the road to recovery - I just got back from my favorite place, Walt Disney World. I had the best time and I felt super while I was there!
I also want to be more active on this board and make new friends who have Crohn's, and also have illeostomy's or colostomy's. We are the ones who understand what we all go through when those of our friends don't. This is a great site. So glad there is a place we can go to to make friends, vent, cry, laugh, etc!
It's been a long time since I've been on this board. I had a horrible year and 1/2 with this dern Crohn's and illeostomy. I had been in UNC for months, and had 3 surgeries in 1 year. I had to get more of my small intestines removed, and the worst part, was they didn't stitch me back up, they kept the incision open, and I was in the hospital for about 1 week, and I had to be sent home with an open wound. It was horrible. I had to change the wound, pack it, you name it. There is a lot more that I've been through, but you name it - it happened. I cried every single day thinking being so miserable. God surely pulled me through those dark times.
Once I was home, the Dr's told me it'd take a year or longer to heal. I had lost lots of weight, and mentally and emotionally I was doing terrible. It took forever for me to finally gain some weight back. I know dealing with Crohn's, and for me having an illeostomy at times depresses me, the Dr's put me on Remeron, and that has seemed to help me gain weight, and also manage the depression I was dealing with. I'm not back to my normal weight, but am not where I was during recovery. But currently I am happy with the weight I am now...
So, now it's been a year since my major surgery, and I am doing extremely well. I have had some issues with the stoma, and I didn't like how the surgeon re-did it. It would sink back into my stomach, and cause more accidents than before. I've had Page (her name lol) since 2004, and in Sept with consult with my Dr. he re-did the stoma, and she's now better than before!! However, there is a small dent, which is just the shape of my stomach, on the side near the stoma,where i find l get a lot of leaks. So, I've got to shape the Eakin Seals the right way in order to get a good tight seal. The Ostomy RN tells me I don't need a convex wafer, but for my condition and how my abdomen is sinking in I know I need it. It just annoys me when they think they know better than us patients do. Anyone else have that issue? I know if I go back and talk to her and tell her Im getting more and more leaks she will give me convexity.
I'm 34, and have had an illeostomy since 2004 - I have a lot of fears since having this - like acceptance by guys, not necessarily friends that are girls, but just fear of not being liked. I know it doesn't define who Monica is, but it is something i think about alot. It did save my life, and I wouldn't be here had the Dr's not given me the illeostomy. But I struggle with acceptance, being a single woman - wondering if guys would even want to date me. Maybe some of y'all can kind of give me some advice, pointers, etc. I did date 1 guy before, in 2005, and he was just so glad i was alive and he did all he could to help me to get better - so I know there are guys out there, but it's just a concern of mine...anyhow...
now that I am all better and back on the road to recovery - I just got back from my favorite place, Walt Disney World. I had the best time and I felt super while I was there!
I also want to be more active on this board and make new friends who have Crohn's, and also have illeostomy's or colostomy's. We are the ones who understand what we all go through when those of our friends don't. This is a great site. So glad there is a place we can go to to make friends, vent, cry, laugh, etc!
