Hi All,
I'm just over seven weeks out from my takedown and generally feel like I'm doing well.
I'm generally going about 8 times a day, but the trips tend to be clustered. I'll wake between 5 and 6 am to go, then go again when I get up for work at about 7:30. I usually have one more trip to the loo before leaving for work and then go once or twice during the workday, and a few times at home, generally going one last time before bed at midnight.
Some issues and concerns. A couple of weeks ago, I started to have pretty severe gas. At least two or three of my bathroom trips I'd classify as very wet farts. Lots of gas expulsion and small amounts of stool. The gas itself can be painful, and is particularly an issue at night/early AM, though I see its effects during the day as well. My kingdom to be able to dry fart.
Stool consistency varies from semi formed to loose, occasionally more watery if I've indulged in high fiber veggies. I do have control, so I'm not much bothered by loose stools, though a happy medium between semi-formed and loose is sometimes elusive.
I also am having some tailbone pain. It comes and goes, and usually hits when I get up from my desk or from sitting for a while in another capacity. It feels as if the bone itself hurts, right on the end. This appears to be pretty common, based on a search here, but it's pretty severe when it hits, and then resolves quickly on its own. I'm not scheduled to see my surgeon until the middle of January, and if it's still an issue then, I'll speak with him about it.
I do have trouble urinating without passing stool. I can do it if I really concentrate or if I'm REALLY well hydrated or have had a couple of alcoholic drinks, but it requires concentration and effort. I do hope this becomes easier. I've also noticed that a full bladder seems to make the pouch feel full, even if there's not much going on in there.
This afternoon, while urinating, I passed a small plug of mucous from my rectum. It set off UC alarms right away, and I hope it's nothing (and frankly, given my general stool consistency, I wouldn't notice mucous if there was anything else to pass.
Nothing crazy in the world of butt burn, occasionally, based on diet, I may get some, but a careful cleaning with wet wipes eases it, and barrier cream helps if it's really bad.
I do still sometimes suffer from pretty spectacular butt itch after going. It doesn't seem to be leakage, as I'm careful to clean well with wipes, and underwear and sheets show no sign of anything untoward. It's not every time, and it goes away fairly quickly (30 mins or so) when it happens, but it is really uncomfortable. Antifungals don't seem to help much (they did when this first reared it's head, but not much anymore), so I'm sort of lost on this one.
My energy levels are still low, but given the interrupted sleep patterns, and four abdominal surgeries in the last 11 months, I'm not overly concerned about this. I'm also cleared to get back in the gym next week, so I hope some real exercise provides a boost.
So, your thoughts? Should I be overly concerned about any of these issues? Is this par for the course at less than two months out?
I'm just over seven weeks out from my takedown and generally feel like I'm doing well.
I'm generally going about 8 times a day, but the trips tend to be clustered. I'll wake between 5 and 6 am to go, then go again when I get up for work at about 7:30. I usually have one more trip to the loo before leaving for work and then go once or twice during the workday, and a few times at home, generally going one last time before bed at midnight.
Some issues and concerns. A couple of weeks ago, I started to have pretty severe gas. At least two or three of my bathroom trips I'd classify as very wet farts. Lots of gas expulsion and small amounts of stool. The gas itself can be painful, and is particularly an issue at night/early AM, though I see its effects during the day as well. My kingdom to be able to dry fart.
Stool consistency varies from semi formed to loose, occasionally more watery if I've indulged in high fiber veggies. I do have control, so I'm not much bothered by loose stools, though a happy medium between semi-formed and loose is sometimes elusive.
I also am having some tailbone pain. It comes and goes, and usually hits when I get up from my desk or from sitting for a while in another capacity. It feels as if the bone itself hurts, right on the end. This appears to be pretty common, based on a search here, but it's pretty severe when it hits, and then resolves quickly on its own. I'm not scheduled to see my surgeon until the middle of January, and if it's still an issue then, I'll speak with him about it.
I do have trouble urinating without passing stool. I can do it if I really concentrate or if I'm REALLY well hydrated or have had a couple of alcoholic drinks, but it requires concentration and effort. I do hope this becomes easier. I've also noticed that a full bladder seems to make the pouch feel full, even if there's not much going on in there.
This afternoon, while urinating, I passed a small plug of mucous from my rectum. It set off UC alarms right away, and I hope it's nothing (and frankly, given my general stool consistency, I wouldn't notice mucous if there was anything else to pass.
Nothing crazy in the world of butt burn, occasionally, based on diet, I may get some, but a careful cleaning with wet wipes eases it, and barrier cream helps if it's really bad.
I do still sometimes suffer from pretty spectacular butt itch after going. It doesn't seem to be leakage, as I'm careful to clean well with wipes, and underwear and sheets show no sign of anything untoward. It's not every time, and it goes away fairly quickly (30 mins or so) when it happens, but it is really uncomfortable. Antifungals don't seem to help much (they did when this first reared it's head, but not much anymore), so I'm sort of lost on this one.
My energy levels are still low, but given the interrupted sleep patterns, and four abdominal surgeries in the last 11 months, I'm not overly concerned about this. I'm also cleared to get back in the gym next week, so I hope some real exercise provides a boost.
So, your thoughts? Should I be overly concerned about any of these issues? Is this par for the course at less than two months out?