Fourth Week after reversal

I am feeling very well. My bowels are operating almost normally. I have control. I have some issue with some leakage and the consistency of the stool is like glue and seems to almost wick out. I can blot myself when cleaning up and just use a lot of toilet paper. I do find that washing my bottom from time to time helps reduced the burning sensation. I use that new micro-cloth. It is soft and not at all abrasive like a terry cloth wash cloth is. It also resists stains and fecal matter from clinging to it so it is not as disgusting as terry cloth.

I have been taking an Immodium prior to going to bed at night. It seems to prevent the need for me to get up numerous times in the night. It doesn't seem to block the need to go, but reduced the false trips to the bathroom.

I returned to work last week and that went well. I do have some episodes and the morning seems to be the time for frequent trips. I may have three to five trips in the morning depending on my food intake. However, I have much more control that I had before and can actually wait a while before visiting the porcelain shrine.

Things are going along well. I still get some stomach upset when I eat certain foods, but I don't notice it except for an increase in gas output. There is no pain, no bloating that can't be relieved and not a great deal of discomfort. I try to watch what I eat, but I am expanding my food types. A couple of weeks ago I tried some dry roasted peanuts and had a stomach rebellion. However, last Saturday I had a couple of hand fulls and everything was fine.

So far I am extremely pleased with the outcome.

Day 20, just at 3 weeks

I almost feel guilty I feel so good. My bowels seem to have reset and I almost have a routine. I eat breakfast in the morning, within a half hour to two hours I may have one or two BM's. After dinner, the last three night right about 8 PM I have about an hour and a half episode of three to five BM's, usually toward the lesser number.

My stools seem to have formed up, the burning sensation while not completely gone is hardly noticeable and I have control like I have not had in the past four plus years. Like I said I almost feel like I don't deserve to be so normal. However, it is only three weeks after surgery to reverse the iliostomy. Could I have a set back, I suppose so, but it is hard to imagine. The tumor is gone, the colon was resectioned over twelve weeks ago and had ten weeks to heal before it saw any activity. The joint where the small intestine is stitched seems to be OK, after all that is now three weeks and there has been no sign of discomfort or pain. I hope nothing goes back ward. I do end up asking my self the question Do I deserve to be normal? The answer, "You bet your sweet ass I do."