Ana's Irrigation Log

[Murph00]

Hey Ana,

This is where that patience thing comes into play. You're still in the experimental stage and your body needs time to get used to the process. Please don't drop it now. Stick with it! Try not to get hung up on going through the process too fast or for multiple days between irrigating. You may find that your system just won't accept that. Once you get a routine down irrigating everyday isn't so bad.

Like Lee, I always question those people that say they can go several days without irrigating. If you have to change your diet considerably or take meds to aid the irrigation process then it's hard to judge how well its actually working for you!

As for the symptoms you experienced I can't say. When I first started I experienced cramps, bloating and all sorts of different sensations for weeks on end. It literally took me several months to get a routine down. Even still after 4 years, I always feel like, well, shit, for roughly 1/2 hour after irrigating. Late returns up to an hour aren't uncommon for me either but I can usually tell when that's going to happen and I work around it.

Take your time. Keep trying different things and it will all work out in the end.

Murph

[[ Ana+Alex ]]

Heyllo,

Thank you so much for your reply.
After so much expectations months on end I thought it would be easier for my bowels to get used to irrigation.

I was WRONG

I irrigated today again in the morning and I'm feeling really uncomfortable. Cramping and bloating, nausea. And it has been two hours already... I'm really asking myself if it is worth it...

Until it gets better it is difficult to do anything else.. take care of my daughter or go to work...

I'm going to switch do daily irrigation as you guys suggested and I'm going to drink more water during the day and prior to irrigation.

And I hope it helps.. I really wanted to master this for me. It felt so good in the couple of days when it actually worked.

Nothing good comes easy, does it?
Argh... Patience.

Have a nice Sunday you all...
And thank you so much for your tips and help...


Love,

Ana

[Jimbob]

Good Morning Ana;

First let me say RELAX.......do not stress over irrigating. The key is to make it work for you.

Let me make a suggestion for what it is worth.

First stop irrigating for about ten days. Then start irrigating every day for ten days. Then experiment with frequency. Use a little more water than you normally have been doing and after the first infusion and some output infuse again. But relax while doing this.

Now you said you have a child to look after so sitting for 30 to sixty minutes is not going to be realistic for you so after your infuse clip the end of the sleeve, fold it up to a manageable length, put on a bathrobe and go about your normal routine while waiting for output. The moving around will often stimulate output. If you do it knowing you have to be finished at a certain time you will create a stress for yourself. do it after work, not before.

And you are right, you need to keep yourself well hydrated.

It is frustrating to sit on the toilet waiting for S--- to happen when you have other things that you could be doing. If fact while I am sitting here at my computer writing this I am waiting on output.

But most important RELAX and do not rush yourself.

[steiconi]

Ana, before you started irrigating, when did you have the most output? Morning, noon, night? That's probably the best time to irrigate, when your body wants to go. Later on, you can gradually change.

I would suggest irrigating every day for at least 3 weeks. Didn't your grandma tell you, "Three weeks makes a habit"?

I often get a little cramping early on while infusing; I remove the cone and let the water flow back out of the stoma for 30 seconds or so; there is often harder fecal matter that comes out then. After, I resume the infusion, and keep going until I get a slightly uncomfortable full sensation. That seems to be just right for me.

Bending, twisting, and massaging your belly (especially the left side) can help get the outflow going. Sometimes I shave my legs while waiting; that involves a lot of the helpful kind of movements, and counts as multitasking.

[ot dave]

I agree with JimBob. You need to get a consistent routine in place before you start experimenting with trying to go days in between irrigations. With my metabolism, diet, and activity level, I get the best results with daily irrigation. With changes in diet and some other adaptations, I can go up to 48 hours without needing to irrigate, but I prefer to irrigate daily for the most consistent results. Figure our your daily routine, then start to see if you can/want to make adjustments.
I irrigate early in the morning before the rest of the family wakes up. Works best for my lifestyle. Try to find a time that works best for you and stay consistent with that for a while.
Another tidbit that I read was water temperature. For me, I like to use really warm water. If I can stand it on the back of my hand, then I will use it. I've done it with cold water in the past with poor results. It's kind of a physics lesson if you think about it. Peristalsis is initiated by the expansion of waste in the colon. If you make something cold, it contracts (gets smaller). If you introduce cold water, your colon is going to contract and not initiate the movement needed to move the waste, thus requiring more water. If you introduce heat to objects, they expand. So, if you introduce warm water to the colon, it's going to expand and then initiate the movement needed for successful irrigation. I don't have any studies to back this up, but from my experience, cold water has been harder to use and have good results. I get best results with warmer water.
Hope that helps.

David

[Pupuce]

Hello Anna- your log is great for me. I started irrigating in the morning a month ago very two days - but I always have output the SECOND day, but never big quantifiés. It's disheartening. I switched To irrigating inthe afternoon for one week . Previously I used to have bowel movement in the mornings and very often after lunch , so I thought that may work better. But I switched back to morning because it's more practical for my life style. Anyway - I am a bit down because I am not staying ''clean'' for two days - I have an appointment with my stoma nurse on jan.5. We will see. I infuse 800 cl. I am in France. I am afraid to do it everyday. Isn't that tiring for thé bowels - they have been thru so MUCH!

[Murph00]

OK? I'm scratching my head! If you regularly get output on day two then your system is telling you, you need to irrigate daily. I don't understand why people capable of irrigating, and having a near normal life, need to ask/expect more by going 48hrs. The two day thing just isn't for everybody!
Irrigating daily will not harm your bowels. There's people out there that have been irrigating for 10-20 years or more.

We are a very, very fortunate to be able to irrigate! Think of what others that can't irrigate have to go through on a daily basis! Yeah, sometimes it's a pain in the ass to fit it into your daily routine, but it's better than the alternative!

End of rant,
Murph

[Jimbob]

Murph.....I think you done broke the code!!!!!!!

[Murph00]

Ana, Pupose, Jimbob, et all

Please accept my sincere apologies for the above post. It was not my intention to offend or upset anyone. I seem to have a knack for unwittingly reacting before thinking it through. This board is intended for support and learning, and not for rants such as mine.

Best,
Murph

[steiconi]

Murph--
you said what I was thinking!

We have to learn what our bodies can do, and make that work for us.

[Jimbob]

Murph. When I said you broke the code I meant you hit the nail on the head. Summarized irrigation perfectly.

[Murph00]

Thanks Lee, Jimbob,
I was truly troubled by the thought that I had gone too far. In hindsight, given that Ana and Pupace are new to the forum and in particular irrigation, my delivery could have been a little more subtle. Sometimes I let my frustration get the better of me and I forget that "tough love", isn't always the path to a higher understanding.

Hopefully they continue to come to this forum for advice, and someday give advice to others.

Murph

[[ Ana+Alex ]]

Oh! My dearest Murph! Rant away!

I think I understand what you feel when you are confronted with our insecurities and beginners worries.

I only have a Stoma since 7 months, but when I hear someone saying that they don't want a colostomy and would rather die I have to control myself not to explode in their face. But that's another story.

You didn't hurt my feelings and sometimes one needs a clear communication without b@&#;hit and you nailed it! That said, thank you so much for posting your thoughts and recommendations.

I'm sorry I didn't come back in a while but I was getting very frustrated and needed to wait it out the situation in my dark hole. Thankfully, I am a stubborn person and I followed your recommendations..

So now I'm irrigating daily with warm water (between 38 and 39 C), with more water (750 ml) and i think my bowel finally got used to it.

I think I could go more than 24 Hrs. But I start to feel uncomfortable, so I prefer to do it everyday in the morning.

At the beginning it took me an hour, but currently I'm ready in 30 minutes... I drink an humoungously big cup of tea and eat my breakfast during the procedure.. that does the magic for me!

I'm really happy I didn't gave up.. although I had some really rough days.

So for all have you starting... don't give up!

And for the others..
Thank you SO MUCH for your experiences and for seeing me through this process not feeling alone and more confident!

I wish you all a super cancer free 2018 with lots of healthy and adventurous times!

Love,
Ana

[Jimbob]

Just keep on keeping on Ana, Stick around and help others. We are all in this together.

[ot dave]

Good deal Ana!
Glad to see you found the routine that works for you. Enjoy the freedom.