Hello again
Thanks Patrick and John for your answers
Here is a update how it is going with my bowel program.
After several changes and training of my caregivers and follow-up of the hospital, I have found an bowelprogram that works really well.
But I still have a hard time accepting it, despite the fact that I have virtually no accidents anymore.
I get my bowel program done every morning,
They changed the suppositories two Enemeez Plus.
Now I get two Enemeez after my caregiver has removed the anal plug and stool from the rectum. Next, my second caregiver starts with abdominal massage. When they can feel and hear sounds from my stomach, they start the perineal massage to relax my sphincter muscles, pressing two fingers on the area between the anus and the scrotum in the direction of the anus and continuing to push in pulses of 3 seconds each.
When enemeez works, my other caregiver starts digital stimulation, inserts the finger 2.5 inches and moves in circular motions for three minutes at one second per turn.
While I have bowel movement, my caregiver takes over the perineal massage, and instead of pushing pulses in, they maintain a pressure on the area. They hold the pressure while the bowel movement is going on.
When they feel stool coming down, they move their finger to one side and wait for there is something. When that happens they continue the perineal massage. If it does not come by itself they perform manual evacuation of my bowel. Sometimes they add another finger to make it easier to dig it out. My caregivers starts with another three minutes of abdominal massage, perineal massage and digital stimulation after 10 minutes, up to five times if needed. Unfortunately as you say John, it's require a long time. And yes typically over an hour
After the last time, they perform a rectal check, and if the glove is clean, my caregivers know that my stool is done. They finish my bowel program with inserting a new plug.
During my evening routine, when I have gone to bed, I get the plug changed, and my caregiver does a rectal check and removes the stool that should have come during the day. They end up inserting a new plug that I sleep with during the night.
Both my caregivers and I can feel a great improvement in my bowel program. And I'm happy to no longer have accidents.
On one hand, I'm really happy to have had help adjusting my bowel program so I can once again have weeks between accidents. And thankful that my caregivers are involved in the changes. They can also see the improvements. And happy to have the opportunity to let the hospital help with optimizing my bowel program so I have almost no accidents.
On the other hand, it has been hard to accept my new bowel program because I can feel it all.
I'm surprised that it takes so much constant stimulation for me to have a bowel program that works well.
I lie and listen to music or reading during the bowel program, to think of something other than the bowel program. My caregivers have good contact with me and can see if I need a break.
But I still think it's a lot of simulation for a bowel program, and ind the first month, it feels wierd that the hospital was doing a program, with so much stimulation. But it has proven to work.
Thanks for your reply John
It eases me that you say it's acceptable medical practice. I have thought about that a lot.
The nurse at the hospital also told me, that my new bowel program would be a bit different, than it is described in many places on the internet. Especially the long digital stimulation along with the perineal massage was hard to get used to. And thought about why there should be two of my caregivers to do my bowel program. It seemed of a bit much. But as the nurses trained my caregivers, I could well see that two were needed.
For the first few months, my muscles tensed up in different places in the body due to all the stimulation, but over time try to relax more in the body and thought of something else.
I need some advice on how to get used to my new bowel program. If there are any of you who have or have had your caregivers to perform your bowel, which includes different types of stimulation. How do I get to the point where I accept that this method should be used now and in the future. And how do I accept all that stimulation?
I'm sorry if I'm too direct again, but it's something I've been thinking about for a long time.
Thank you for listening to me and hope you can make me a little clearer.
Thanks
Nikolaj