Thank you,  Barbara .

I'm sure that the damage is not permanent.  Easy on, easy off.

I'm  still wondering about weight watcher's. Any suggestions ?

Z, go back a bit here, Nancy wrote something about this.. Z my friend, and your wife, you should enjoy your holidays and the happy events that go along with your religion. I wouldn't call it damage, just got to go easy for a few day afterwards.. Glad you both had a great time.. How nice of you to show such respect and love towards your dear wife!!

I got a call today, my sugar is real high.. More blood tests this Wednesday .. here I go again..... But sure it is nothing.. I can handle it............. (?) to much at one time.. Cant wait until spring!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Kiya, how thing going?  

Support for our Kiya.  Lets give her a big howdy-do and keep that smile of hers going.  Now, she is having a rough time..  :-( Sending prayers to you my dear every day.. And I have your back so remember that.. Hugs, Marcie... 

Hi Kiya wishing you the best with everything you have going on and a big Howdy -Do  as Marcie would say . I'm sure its scary but sounds like you are on top of it .

Also you Marcie wishing you the best also with all you have going on . I know its scary for you too . But you like Kiya are on top of it . Both of you girls are strong and will get through this . And both of you girls have any support I can offer .

Hey Kiya,

Welcome to the club. I have been listening to Marcie and the other guys, but was too busy being "happy family " to chime in.

Lady, you have got GRIT. You have been through HELL and back and the Devil is in your rear view. We applaud you for what you have accomplished so far and we know that you will be a great friend with us fellow ostomates. 

Feel  free to laugh and cry and sigh and hope. Just keep a tight grip on the reality that we all share.

I hope to share my thoughts with you in the future. 

Z

Barbara, So let us all know what is going on now that your home..  You know u have our ear here........ 

 Wow, I haven't been on here for a little while and I am totally amazed at how things have progressed and how things have changed.  Welcome to all of the new people that are here and thank you so much for sharing your journey with us you give us all hope and it's amazing to see the strength that you all have as you carry on through the trials of being an ostomate.  I have been home from the hospital and rehab for a week and a couple of days and it has been a strange experience this time. At the insistence of my son my life has style has changed a bit. Having been in the hospital 5 times in the last year he was very anxious about me and wanted me to have more help than I have. And so he was instrumental in getting me a caregiver.  This may be a longer post than usual but I thought that I should catch you all up on what's going on. As I said I now have a caregiver this has been a strange experience for me. I have been totally on my own for the last 20 years. I was widowed 20 years ago and my children are all grown and on their own with Children of their own. And so I am pretty much on my own and have gotten used to that. No one to tell me what to do or where to go and that apparently has gotten me into some problems. This last bit  in the hospital was not due to problems with mine ostomy although I find my still sell still having the pain of diverticulitis which I thought was supposed to be gone and my anal stump still feels like I have landed hard on my tailbone on concrete. It is been going on a year now that this has been going on. They are blaming the diverticulitis pain on phantom pain. I know a bit about phantom pain my grandfather lost a leg and his foot and was always hurting. I didn't know that phantom pain was possible after losing one's colon. I figured it was just a done deal and it was gone. I don't know what to do about phantom pain it's just there and I wish to have it gone and as far as the stuff goes I have been pressing my surgeon to remove it and at the same time remove what's left of my colon to see if we can get rid of everything that's going on. So far I have been unsuccessful. As I said I've been home for a little over a week. The caregiver her name is Noel has been here for 3 days at 3 hours a day that works out to about 36 hours a month. I'm supposed to have her for 73 hours a month and have no idea what I'm going to do with her. So far we have cleaned out every closet and cupboard in the apartment. Next week I guess I will have her tackle my storage unit. It's a mess rather reminds me of the old Fibber McGee's closet. I learned an interesting thing while I was in rehab. The diet that they had me on was supposedly low-carb but I found that I was averaging approximately 50 carbs per meal which is about 15 carbs higher than I'm supposed to have for my diabetes. And I started having real problems with pancaking due to the fact that the diet was very starchy I ate more potatoes and I've probably eaten in the last 10 years. I thought that I had listened to Eric's video on pancaking and that I had a good idea of what to do about it. However it was just getting worse all the time and I was having to change my Appliance at least once a day and sometimes twice. The pressure would just force it away from my skin and it would be come unglued. So I went back and listened to the video again and right down at the very bottom of it I caught a little thing that I had missed before and that was the trick of putting a sticker over the filter vent in the pouch I thought what the heck. And I tried it it didn't stop the problem completely but it made it a whole lot better I did go around with a bigger bulge in my abdomen cuz my pouch would retain gas but it was a whole lot better than it did been. I was surprised at the amount suction that there was in the bag and how the there was a vacuum that held it flat. It just showed me that I do need to go back and review Eric's videos more than just having gone through them one time at the beginning there and watched a little goodies tidbits buried in there and you don't often catch them the first time through.. anyway I am home I am doing better it's good to be back in my own home in my own bed and with my own things around me. It felt good to go and have my hair done and to get a manicure and get my nails back on. And those two things made me feel human again so things are looking up. I am now at a point where I will try to stay more in contact with everyone. I am still grateful for the help that I get from it and for the time in the effort that Eric to it for us. For those of you who are new and that I haven't had contact with yet welcome you're in a good place as Marcie and others have said to you this is a place where you can cry you can yell you can rent you can Rave and it doesn't matter we've all been there we've all done that and we usually between us have some good hints on how to solve the problems that are making. So hang in there and God bless all of you and I'm glad to be back. See you again soon. Barbara

Robert, THANK YOU SO MUCH !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Marcie. :-)

It has been a full time job today taking care of Stella. She is being a monster today!!

Hi Robert, Z, and Barb, , Bubbles etc........

Yesterday I was taken by ambulance to the hospital..Early Sunday Morning.  Thought I was having a hear attack.. While in the ambulance I asked for a face mask  as they have the flu in the hospitals  (we here in Ct. lost 22 people last week) Shame huh?  Well , turned out I have  pneumonia and the chest pains for 20 hours, and votiming, the chest pains got worse. I ended up with a clump stuck near my treaka. -sp- So after all the x-rays blood work etc. They pounded the heck on my back and I managed to loosen this clump and boy did I sent it across the room.. Felt much better after that. ( Now I know how a cat feels with coughing up a hair ball- I felt like I was at the vets) So on major anti-b's. -- Drove myself to the infusion today and waiting for 2 nurses yes I am getting 2 of the today to help me inject my first Gattex. Lousy way to start my week huh?  It's a Marcie thing......... :-)

Marcie, so glad it wasn't your heart. You have enough issues without playing the ace of hearts card!!  Pneumonia scares the bejeebers out of me.  It was antibiotic resistant pneumonia that turned me into a widow 20 years ago. I shudder when someone has it.  Follow your doc's instructions to the letter!!  Hope they let you go ahead with the gattex injection today.  Wow 2 nurses, you are sooooo special!🤥

So sorry to hear about the pneumonia!  That seem totally unfair. To get fluid in your lungs when you can't keep enough in your body! Yikes.

I am happy you are getting care and best wishes for the Gattex treatment.

Barb, Donna I am doing so much better.. The meds are so strong.. But sure was a weird visit and outcome!! On to better things.. Thanks.. M.

Marcie , 

what a scary event you had . Feel better soon . Hig hugs 🤗.

Bubbles 

Hey Bubbles, YEs, I thought that I was in real trouble.. And I sure didn't want to be in any hospital so I let it ride. Got something else and nipped it in THAT bud.. SO, I am a happy camper. 

Started The Gattex  late afternoon yesterday.  Didn't hurt, Spent 2 hours with 2 nurses, Read and read.. and again.. BOREING..........  I just wanted to get it over with towards the end. IF I remember correctly, it takes 5 steps. Mostly the mixing part and the med's setting for how many seconds, and resting again bl bla bla. I am used to giving myself to needles so that is the worst part for anyone just starting. --that is the biggie... So it was easy for me ... Don't want to pout a hole in my boat here, but I didn't have to get up and empty, and after mid night, no liquids. ------------oh-------I should have not said that, here comes a huge break in my little boat maybe???????  -- SO, lots of write downs of MY information on this Gattex just  for them but you also - us? You will get the whole thing-I just have to write in blanks for them. PLanning on a nice dinner for my family-been out of it for a few weeks, and Tom has been cooking. Best to all. Marcie  

Bubbles,  you were right it was C-diff that raised its ugly head.  This is the 5th time in 2 years or so. It came back Sunday afternoon.  Stella filled her pouch 18 times in 9 hours and i mean full pouches.  Thinking of writing convatec and thanking them for making one heck of an appliance.  It finally started to leak just a bit after number 18.  Was extremely dehydrated and vomiting. I  went to the ER, told them I probably had c-diff and they blew me off.  Said my white cell count wasn't high enough and sent me home.  First thing the next morning they were on the phone panicking because the test was positive .  They wrote a script for vancomycin and told me i could get it st any pharmacy.   Wrong only one compounding pharmacy in town had it but my insurance wouldn't pay for it.  I didn't have 200.00 floating around so couldn't get it. Talked to my doc today and she put me on flagyl.  I see the GI doc tomorrow.  After 5 rounds of it hey are threatening me with fecal transplant .  That idea turns my stomach inside out. Anyone had experience with it? I understand it is also used for other colon disorders (Chrone's,  IBD etc) and c-diff is a form of cystitis.

Barbara , 

I am glad that you got it under control. Dehydration is a killer!

Normal people generally have their hydration under control. We ostomates have too many ways to lose our water balance. Diarrhea is a major one. 

What goes out, must come in. 12 ounces out, drink 12 ounces. 

The c-diff is a difficult disease. Do whatever you can to fight it. But also realise that it is dangerously dehydrating you and ....

Good luck. 

• Z

I figured it was awfully serious when they did 2 IVs and ran then wide open. 😁

Sister,  you were dried out.

How did you let that happen? 

We're going to worry about you until you get your hydration under control!  

12 oz. Out; 12 oz. In.

You can consult with your doctor,  but he/she would say that while the C-diff is his job, you are able to take care of your hydration. Tell me if I am out of line.