Ok, something scary happened tonight and I need to know if this is a real problem. I had squash and noodles for dinner which was dumb because the output was REALLY super thick and would just not come out of my cath. I squirted a good deal of water into my pouch to help thin it out. I got this kinda odd sensation then a little bit of stool and gas leaked out of my stoma while the cath was in. Did this just happen cause my pouch was full and the valve was open? Or is this the first sign of a valve slip??
I'm quite scared, as you might imagine. My hands just won't stop shaking. I know its not an emergency type thing, just the idea of having surgery again so soon terrifies me.
Please, any thoughts, advice?

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katie

Hi Katie,

I have a Kock pouch and I too know that it is scary if you think the valve has slipped.

But in your case tonight, I think that as you say - your pouch being full and then when you put the water in with the cath in, a little gas and stuff comes out. This can happen from time to time and means nothing.

You will be alright.

Katie,
It's also possible that a piece of something was caught in the catheter. Did you take the catheter out and check ? Sometimes that happens to me and once it's "unclogged", things flow again as usual.

sometimes if the stool is especially thick that will happen to me.

also I asked Fazio about the gas coming out of the stoma while the cath was in. He didn'tseem to be concerned.

THANKS guys, for your replies and reassurances!
I feel much better now I will just have to force myself to drink grape juice daily now and keep the stool thinner.
And also, now I will not freak out if it happens again!

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katie

katie,
i've had this very same thing happen before. (i'm assuming you mean the catheter was in and you pushed water in and the water and some stool came out around the cath)
it did sorta freak me out at first, but my theory is the cath wasn't AALLLL the way in (i.e., past the valve, but maybe only the first hole was all the way past) and also the pushing of the water into the pouch (and pouch being full) caused the cath to sorta slip out a bit as the water went in, and therefore the water (and some resulting stool) got out.
no biggie. it's not cool, of course. but i just know that unless the cath is completely all the way in, i don't push water through.
(i've noticed that i can start emptying my pouch once the first tip of the cath is in, so it's not as deep in as it can be...at least, i think)
not ideal, i'm sure. i mean, i'd prefer for the cath. to be in farther, but sometimes it cant be helped)

Kaydbird,

Your post described EXACTLY how I felt the first thime that happened to me. It still happens once in a while when, like cynnycal said, the tube isn't all the way past the valve. I've noticed that since I started losing weight, I don't judge as well how far in it needs to be. But then again, I'm still rather new at this, being a year and a half with my K pouch.

Take care,

Les