So - this is a major feat for me! For those who read in my ex-husband John Elder Robison's blog that I almost died in March, I'm getting better every day. My guts are now completely attached and I no longer have any unnatural holes in my integument. I can eat almost anything I want, as long as it significantly contributes to the 25+ grams of fiber that I most consume daily. For the uninitiated, 25+ grams of fiber is a tremendous amount - your average salad has about 5 gms - and it makes up the bulk of your...poop. Since I cannot ever let myself get constipated again (that's how diverticuli are formed), I have to consume lots of fiber and plenty of liquid every day, to allow my digestion to just slide along, right up to the end.
Fiber is all of the connective tissue in meat, all of the shells of grains, and the shells and connective tissue of fruits and vegetables. There isn't enough connective tissue in meat to count, so I have to eat LOTS of vegetables - and I was never a big vegetable eater. I eat some grains; I eat Cheerios with a banana and nonfat milk for breakfast every day, as a big bowl full is about 10 grams and it fills me up until lunch. I've learned to like edamame - cooked soy bean seeds - another food that is high in fiber. But my favorite fruits and veggies are still off limits - I'm still afraid to eat the tiny seeds in raspberries and corn is outright terrifying!
Sorry for getting graphic about my bodily functions, but I've been as fixated on my digestion as any new mother - what did the baby eat? What color and consistency is its poop? When was the last time it pooped? Good baby! You pooped and it didn't ooze all over! Except - I was the baby, too! I couldn't control my pooping while I had the bag, and now that it's gone, I'm so happy, I have to tell everyone!
You can only imagine how horrid the bag was - some relatives were concerned about my ability to tolerate its lack of esthetics, but heck, everybody poops. The bag glued over the opening in my side where my intestines terminated. The bag itself was unpleasant, but I had no problem emptying it once I was up and about. It wasn't any worse than wiping yourself after a loose movement, unless the bag leaked. THAT was nasty! Unfortunately, I had a hard time getting bags that fit properly and didn't leak. Leaks could be catastrophic.To make things worse, I was allergic to the glue that stuck the bag onto my side, so I constantly itched and, if I neglected the spray myself with steroids when changing the bag, I broke out in a rash that looked like poison ivy! I could have tolerated a well-fitting bag indefinitely, but the nonstop itching drove me insane (or more insane that I usually am).
The last straw was the location of the hole (technically, the ostomy) - right at my waist, so I had to wear elastic-waist pants. I HATE elastic-waist pants! I'm so happy to be reconnected! Even now, almost two months after the surgery, I still can't tolerate anything rubbing on the scar, but I don't have to wear sweatpants in public any more. I can wear cargo pants that are two sizes too big, so the waistband doesn't touch the scar. I'd better get a pair of suspenders pretty soon, or I'm going to drop my drawers in public - they ride pretty low!
OK - I've complained enough for now. I'm totally grateful to all of the people who helped me while I was sick - John; Jane (who cleaned out my kitchen and refrigerator); Bob and Cynthia fetched me home (twice!) and stocked my refrigerator; my neighbor Marcia brought me delicious meals that I could actually eat despite my digestive problems; Matt made a six hour round trip to bring me a giant sack of novels to keep me entertained in the hospital; coworkers from The Springfield Renaissance School sent flowers and offered to cook more meals; Linda, my mail-lady, even moved my mailbox so I didn’t have to go up and down any stairs to collect my mail; and my girls at school, Lucii, Totiana, and Karenia, kept me entertained and informed via texting about the happenings at school and home. Then there were the total strangers who emailed their prayers and good wishes. I'm SURE I've forgotten some people, so please, accept my sincere THANKS!
