Sometimes Garfield Minus Garfield says it best. Some days with our diseases just don’t turn out as we expect.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
Archive for October, 2009
Accident in Bed
October 29, 2009What exactly is going on in this Garfield Minus Garfield comic? It seems to me that Jon has had an accident in bed.
I’ve been there before.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
Misleading UC Video
October 28, 2009The folks over at Living with UC, which is really just a corporate site for Remicade, have a new advertisement they’ve been airing on TV. Maybe you’ve seen it. It features hockey player Fernando Pisani talking about ulcerative colitis.
I like Pisani and think he helps out the IBD community a lot, but one thing I found funny about this ad is the symptoms of ulcerative colitis that they list. The only symptoms mentioned are: fatigue, abdominal pain, and weight loss.
Really? Those symptoms are pretty general. They left out my favorite symptom–bloody, urgent, frequent, and uncontrollable diarrhea!
Maybe saying it like that doesn’t make for a catchy ad.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
My pouchoscopy failure
October 26, 2009The video about my first pouchoscopy attempt is finally available! A pouchoscopy, for those who don’t know, is a procedure for people with J-pouches. It’s like a colonoscopy in that the doctor can check out the overall health of the pouch plus take any biopsies needed to check for cancer or other diseases.
My first pouchoscopy didn’t exactly go as planned.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
Question: Have you had a pouchoscopy? How did it go? Reply to this post for all to see!
Prolapsed ostomy videos
October 23, 2009I recently met a man on YouTube who has uploaded 10 videos about how to care for a prolapsed stoma. If you don’t know what a prolapsed stoma is, you’re in for a treat. Sometimes, in his case, when surgery is done very quickly and in emergency situations, the stoma doesn’t get secured as well. Over time, the stoma can unfold on itself, or “telescope” out. Think of taking a sock off your foot so that it’s inside out. John had a loop ileostomy that does just that, and from both sides. So the producing end telescopes out a few inches, and the nonproducing end telescopes out nearly eight inches.
In this video series John shows how he changes his ostomy appliance. He does it a little differently than I did. First, he lies down when he changes it, and second, he stays lying down for nearly two hours to ensure a good seal. I’m not sure if this is necessary but that’s the routine he goes through.
I’m not embedding the videos directly because I’m not sure how long they will remain unflagged. If you are in for something gross, check out videos 6 & 7. In video 6 John takes off his appliance and shows the world his prolapsed stoma. And in video 7, John pushes his prolapsed intestine back inside his abdomen. It’s truly disgusting and I like I said these two videos will surely be flagged (meaning you need a YouTube account that says you are over 18 to watch them). I was even disturbed watching this process. But it’s also very enlightening about the kinds of stoma complications there are in this world.
John tells me the prolapsed stoma isn’t a serious medical problem, and since he’s having his takedown surgery in roughly five months, the surgeon is just leaving it for now.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
UOAA: Living with an ostomy
October 21, 2009The United Ostomy Associations of America have a new video posted about living with an ostomy. This 16+ minute video is a little long but full of many great encouraging stories from ostomates. The people talk about what they thought of ostomies before they had surgery, how they came to accept them, and how the ostomies do not limit any aspect of their lives.
It’s a very uplifting video and I suggest you watch it all the way through. You can find the video here.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
J-pouch spasms
October 19, 2009For the first month or so after my takedown surgery, my J-pouch frequently had spasms that reminded me very much of the intense urges I used to have with colitis. While the feeling may be the same, what’s happening is very different. This video explains my experience with this unexpected phenomenon.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
Question: Have you experienced these spasms? Answer below!
US celebrates World Ostomy Day today
October 17, 2009Today the United States is celebrating World Ostomy Day, and to raise awareness Uncover Ostomy is heavily promoting the pictures of Jessica Grossman, ostomate extraordinaire. I think the UOAA and IDEAS are fine with you passing these images around to whoever you know.
Also, another fun facet of the Uncover Ostomy campaign is the companion Facebook page. Nearly 1,000 others are fans, and many have started to upload their own photos “uncovering” their ostomies. More provocative pictures of ostomies if you are into this sort of thing.
Here’s the world famous photos of Jess.
Keep fighting, especially those of you with ostomies,
~Dennis
IBDu: First diagnosed with IBD
October 16, 2009IBD University has a new video about that uncertain period of first getting diagnosed with IBD. A lot of people are embarrassed by these diseases but it’s important to let people know what’s going on in the beginning. It goes a long way in making the situation better than trying to survive it on your own.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
IBDU: Being in college with IBD
October 12, 2009IBD University has a great new video about attending college for the first time with IBD. For those who have been living with IBD as a child or teenager, being on your own for the first time puts a lot of responsibility on you for maintaining your health. Your parents aren’t there to hold your hand anymore.
Keep fighting,
~Dennis
