Forgetting to Blog

I keep forgetting to blog, which I think must be a good thing. Not blogging means not having anything to blog about. Not having anything to blog about means life is returning to normal. Normal, healthy people don’t write a sick person’s blog. But I owe it to my 11 dedicated followers to provide an update, so here goes.

I survived my first full week back at work, which included several long days and my first bag blowout, seeming none the worse for wear. Regarding the bag blowout, the most concerning thing was that the stoma/bag blockage caused stool to bypass the ileostomy bypass and proceed through my intestines into (and out of) my J-Pouch. I was concerned because the whole point of a diverting ileostomy is to ensure that waste does not enter the J-Pouch, keeping it clean to allow it to heal in peace. Although it resulted in a couple days of discomfort, with pressure and cramping as the stool made its way through parts of my body that hadn’t been used in months, my surgeon wasn’t concerned as long as I wasn’t running a fever. After a couple days, things were back to normal. No fever, no worries. 

In other good news, my slow–healing wound around my stoma is finally showing real signs of progress. The enzymatic debriding agent has made a big difference, and the skin is now much more pink (healthy and new) than white (dead and dead). It still has aways to go, but it’s definitely getting better, and most of the associated stinging and discomfort is gone.

My lower back pain persists, but it too seems to be improving with the Flexeril I’ve been taking at bedtime.

In perhaps the surest sign that I’m on the right path, I went to my wife’s office holiday party and ate pretty much everything in sight, without any real repercussions (other than a quickly filled bag).

The next step is to schedule the first of my tests and exams, which should happen this week (with the actual tests happening before the end of the year). Until then, I hope I have nothing to blog about.