Ileostomy Dreams
July 7, 2009When I had my ileostomy I frequently had dreams about having an ileostomy that preceded waking up to empty the pouch. You can find written accounts of some of these dreams here:
Can’t Flush the Toilet
Frozen Stool
Labeling My Ostomy Pouch
The Professor Visits
The Auditorium
New Pouches
The Jungle
The Tree on the Man
The Metal Frame
Help with my Pouch
This video features my reflections on this very bizarre aspect of living with an ileostomy.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
Question: What kind of ostomy dreams do you have? For those of you who’ve had the ostomy for years, do you still have these dreams? Comment on this post!
I’m 8 years post-surgery for UC. I never had an ileostomy. The entire procedure was done in one operation in April of 2001.
I can relate, however, to the dreams. A few times a week, I will dream about not being able to find a bathroom in time, or if I do, the toilets in the bathrooms aren’t working, or people are watching, or something along the lines of not being able to get to a safe place to empty the j-pouch. I always have a j-pouch in the dreams though and am very aware of my situation. This still happens routinely and has not subsided.
The way I manage it is to not eat before bedtime. I cut my eating to no later than 8-9pm, so by midnight-1am (my typical bedtime), I will have emptied the pouch as much as possible, therefore eliminating the need to go during the night. By morning, I do have to empty the pouch, but I don’t have the urges during the night while sleeping.
I’ve found it remarkable how many ways my brain can depict the full pouch in a dream. It’s never the same.
Stay well.