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Support for dealing with incontinence
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 07, 2018 4:41 pm 
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Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2018 4:00 pm
Posts: 4
Hello all. I am a 57 year old male who was just released from the hospital recently after having my ileostomy reversed. I had a tumor on my large intestine, near my rectum, which was removed by a lower anterior resection (LAT). That surgery was 2 months ago, and I was on the ileostomy to allow the repair to heal.

Unfortunately, I found I have no control at all. I don't have urinary incontinence, so that is a big relief, although I did get sexual disfunction :(

Due to the LAT I have very loose stools almost all the time. That is a big problem as it is causing so much pain and discomfort, not to mention the mess.

I have been doing days of research and found only this site where there is an actual forum to discuss this problem. I am trying to remain upbeat, I am alive, and I am off that bag, but it is a challenge. My only relief is that I found that my colon usually empties by nightfall, so I can sleep without incident and if I don't eat in the morning, can go much of the day without a mess. Of course that changes the minute I eat anything.

I am busy reading this board and every post in it for tips. My big question right now, is there any other forum or resource out there where I can get information? I really need to find internet resources as I am an American expat living in Japan, so there is nothing here locally where I can turn.

Thanks for letting me into the community.


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PostPosted: Sat Jul 07, 2018 6:24 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2015 9:13 am
Posts: 397
Hi Mike
Welcome to the group, you will find a lot of support and info here from the members


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PostPosted: Sat Jul 07, 2018 9:51 pm 
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Joined: Sun Oct 01, 2017 8:16 am
Posts: 220
Location: Ohio
Hi Mike, and welcome! Sorry to hear about your issues. You will find great information and support on here to help you deal with it, as well as help pick you up during those inevitable downtimes that we all seem to have at times.

_________________
"When you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness. So I got that goin' for me, which is nice."


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2018 12:06 am 
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Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2014 2:50 pm
Posts: 687
Location: Oklahoma
Glad you found the site. It has greatly help me cope and give me tips on how to handle situations.


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2018 2:10 am 
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Joined: Mon Aug 16, 2004 2:00 am
Posts: 515
Location: Indiana
Welcome to our little family here.
Im sure that you will find your answers here on the forum, There are lots of people here :D :D

Schoppy


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2018 2:35 am 
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Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2014 3:46 am
Posts: 374
Location: UK
Welcome lots of good folk here to help I would not be able to cope with my life without it.

Additional resources can be found here!

http://www.incontinentsupport.org/primer_index.php

Greenbank


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2018 6:37 am 
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Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2018 4:00 pm
Posts: 4
Thanks everyone for the warm welcome.

I decided to try Imodium for the diarrhea, but there is no good (often conflicting) information on what dosage works. I eventually started with 4 x 2mg pills per day and have seen a vast improvement almost immediately. I still have no control, but at least it gives me more time to get to the toilet and reduced my accidents (and resultant cleanup).

I also read about that peristeen plug, that has me very interested, so I asked my Dr, and he wrote me a prescription. I ordered the small one and will give it a try once it comes in. If it actually works like I hope it does, then I may at least have some "normal" time during the day, which should allow me to go to work without fear.

I am surprised they don't have more of these types of devices on the market. I saw they have one from renew, which looks like it could handle liquids. That company says you can leave it in all day and night. Interesting, but I will try the peristeen one first as it seems to be the easiest of the two.


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2018 10:00 am 
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Joined: Wed Jul 09, 2014 3:46 am
Posts: 374
Location: UK
Mikeintokyo wrote:
Thanks everyone for the warm welcome.

I decided to try Imodium for the diarrhea, but there is no good (often conflicting) information on what dosage works. I eventually started with 4 x 2mg pills per day and have seen a vast improvement almost immediately. I still have no control, but at least it gives me more time to get to the toilet and reduced my accidents (and resultant cleanup).

I also read about that peristeen plug, that has me very interested, so I asked my Dr, and he wrote me a prescription. I ordered the small one and will give it a try once it comes in. If it actually works like I hope it does, then I may at least have some "normal" time during the day, which should allow me to go to work without fear.

I am surprised they don't have more of these types of devices on the market. I saw they have one from renew, which looks like it could handle liquids. That company says you can leave it in all day and night. Interesting, but I will try the peristeen one first as it seems to be the easiest of the two.


For diarrhoea my Doctor stopped me from taking Imodium immediately and instead put me on a regular intake of Flapjack and to replace the trace elements lost Full Fat Coke Flat (by flat no bubbles or gas ie leave the top off) and also banned any dairy in my diet till the diarrhoea had stopped for at least good three clear days.

Hope this is of some use!

Greenbank


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2018 10:42 am 
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Joined: Sun Oct 20, 2013 3:45 pm
Posts: 1943
Location: North Carolina - Raleigh area
Welcome Mike. You have come to the right place. :D

I am double incontinent and wear diapers 24/7. After a lot of trial and error I now manage my incontinence fairly well. I have nerve damage to the pelvis and have lost most of the nerves used for "early warning" in detecting an approaching bowel movement and nerves controlling the muscles of the anal sphincter. To manage my bowel incontinence, I use two things.

First, I use old-fashioned red rubber bag gravity-fed enemas (approved by my gastroenterologist). An empty colon cannot have a bowel accident. Note that these are not the Fleets enemas. Enemas are extremely effective in controlling fecal incontinence. Of course, this is not for everyone. Feel free to ask questions about this. Mike, don't try enemas before first checking with your physician.

The second thing is the Peristeen anal plug. I use, and have had success with, the Peristeen anal plug. However, not everyone tolerates it well. Of course you must find the correct size by trial and error. The notes below come from my draft book on managing incontinence.

The Peristeen anal plug absolutely must be positioned correctly by being inserted deep - past the internal anal sphincter - or it can be rather uncomfortable. Don’t be tentative in inserting the Peristeen anal plug. Apply lots of lubricant both to the anus and the plug. Then insert it deeply in one smooth motion to get it past the internal anal sphincter. If you use too little lube, it may stop halfway. After a few seconds the outer film will dissolve and the plug will begin to expand. It then may “stick” and it will be too late to reposition it (or at least very difficult). If the insertion is too shallow it will be rather uncomfortable. If this happens, it is best to remove it, discard the used plug, and start again with a new one. This happened to me when I tried to insert my first plug, but my second and later attempts always were successful.

For some users, their fingers may not be sufficiently long to insert the Peristeen anal plug deeply enough for comfort. In such an instance, a makeshift “tool” may be necessary. Choose a narrow object with a smooth and safely rounded tip (definitely not pointy) for use as a “pusher.” I have used a flexible nozzle designed for Barium enemas as it is safe to insert and easy to clean. After manually inserting the anal plug, I uses the nozzle to nudge it inward about another ¾”. I found that this made a significant difference in comfort and tolerating the plug. When inserted deeply enough in this manner, I found that I could not feel the plug without deliberately contracting the sphincter muscles.

I hope the above helps.

Good luck. Ask questions either here or send me a PM.

--John


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PostPosted: Sun Jul 08, 2018 3:42 pm 
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Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2014 11:45 am
Posts: 1836
Add my welcome to those above. Although we are both bowel incontinent, my situation differs so much from yours that I doubt that anything I type would be useful to you. My situation is largely caused by GI paralysis, which involves different medications and procedures than would be appropriate for you.


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