Day 2

   Today marks the second day with my ileostomy Bag. I'm quickly beginning to learn how to use one, even though it's only been a part of me for a few days. I'm still in a small amount of pain, but the pain is coming from the the surgery. I have about five different small openings, that were closed using a type of medical glue, rather than stitches. The bag I am currently using fills up with waste quickly, but it's easy to drain.
   I have just been cleared to eat real food for the first time since Sunday. This morning for breakfast, I was given a beef broth. It wasn't very good, so I didn't eat much. For lunch, I will be having a small portion of chicken parmesan, with pasta. They will also be throwing in an Italian ice, which should be enjoyable. For dinner, I will be having roast chicken with string beans and mashed potatoes. Hopefully these meals will be delicious. My parents also brought me Carr's Table Water Crackers. They are very plain, but you shouldn't be eating anything too crazy after surgery. Your body is still getting used to the new ileostomy bag, and eating too much may cause pain or vomiting. Even though its hospital food, it will be the first food I've had in a week. I will go more into the foods that are okay to eat in a later post.
   It took awhile for me to gain the ability to urinate on my own again. After surgery, I had a catheter attached to my Penis. This was quite unpleasant, and I actually didn't know I was going to have this until minutes before the surgery. They removed it yesterday afternoon, and it took me about a day to release urine on my own again. They told me that if I was unable to urinate on my own, that they would need to reattach the catheter. I think that scared me into urinating. It was a great feeling to urinate on my own again, and a large pain in my stomach went away. TIP: If you get surgery, do not drink too much until you are able to urinate on your own again. If you are unable to urinate, you will get very backed up, cause large amounts of pain in your stomach, and ultimately end up vomiting. It is very unpleasant, and you may end up causing damage to your body.
   My stoma has been releasing a lot of gas, which is a very good thing. It also has been producing a healthy amount of waste. I would say that I have a nurse emptying it about every four hours maybe. It can be kind of uncomfortable when there is a lot of waste sitting in the bag. The bag I am currently using is a hospital bag, so I assume that when I buy my own bags, that they will be more comfortable.
   As stated in my last post, I have been looking at some cool products. I will link them here.
Ostomybagholder.com
Sensura Mio bags

Be Well
Johnny.