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New to bowel program - what has worked and not worked for you?
BelieveInBailey
Member Posts: 18 ✭
My son was injured January 15th - L1 Complete, and was hospitalized for 12 weeks. He was receiving PT and OT the entire time, and was taking Miralax and Colase. He was originally being given suppositories, but the Urologist then said that with his type of injury, suppositories don't do anything - so they took him off them. He has a BM at random times; when being turned on his side, being moved with the lift, or just laying. If he didn't go every couple of days, they'd give him an enema. He transferred to inpatient yesterday, and they want to immediately start a bowel program again. The DR said that the suppository will be used for a short time, and after that, he will automatically have a BM at the same time every day, with no unexpected BM's during the day.
Has this strategy worked for anyone? We do like the idea of him having a BM at the same time each day, but I'm thinking it's a stretch to expect a BM at the same time every day, with no accidents or unexpected BM's during the day. This is the same program he was on for the first 8 weeks, with no success. Is it likely he will have such different results now?
If not, what has worked for you?
Has this strategy worked for anyone? We do like the idea of him having a BM at the same time each day, but I'm thinking it's a stretch to expect a BM at the same time every day, with no accidents or unexpected BM's during the day. This is the same program he was on for the first 8 weeks, with no success. Is it likely he will have such different results now?
If not, what has worked for you?
Comments
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BelieveInBaily Hello!
I'm with you that sounds almost to good to be true, but I'm not a Dr.
Here's what I do know...when my son Zack who is a C-4 incomplete Quadriplegic was injured he started BP at Rehab hospital was there 9 weeks when we got home it was Too Much for me to do daily, with his care and 3 younger kids, so we started doing his BP every other day around the same time using a suppository. It worked! Did seem strange at 1st but in 8 years! Zack has only had a couple accidents and those were due to other reasons. It's made life much easier! He stopped taking the Miralax and Colase when he got home from hospital too. I know everyone is different it's ok to experiment and find what works for his body and life style. Hope this helps! -
@ambercollie
Thank you! They are doing it every day. The nurse that was with him last night that was doing it was very snotty! They had changed the suppository and took him off Miralax and Colase, giving him senna instead. I asked what the reason was for this, and she gave me attitude. I was so put off by her. My son has autism, so things are very black and white for him. Changing things is very difficult for him, and when she didn't want to explain why... whoa!
It sounds like Zack is still using the suppository for his BP. They are telling me that we won't need to - that his body will just go at the same time, with no accidents, without a suppository. That's the part for me that is really far fetched. -
Yes does seem far fetched maybe someone else has experience with that?
point is; if suppositories work use them! Learn what you can at the hospital then find your own way. Sorry about the insensitive nurse we had a bunch too, Mama Bear comes out! Haha at least there are Kind nurses as well. -
@ambercollie
He talked to staff today about that nurse. I talked to him at lunch and he said ‘Mom, I don’t know how to say this, but that nurse doesn’t like you. She kept asking me why you were asking questions!’
whaaaaa??? What parent, or patient wouldn’t ask questions? That blew my mind. He talked to the nurse he has today and told her he doesn’t want the nurse from yesterday to be his nurse again. She took it to her manager, and the manager came in and talked to Bailey about it. They assured him she wasn’t to act that way, that he’s to be comfortable, and never made to feel that asking questions is bad.
He handled it well! -
You should be proud!
and that nurse needs to change her attitude!
Ask as many questions as you need! -
My husband has switched between daily and every other day; he feels more comfortable on the daily routine. He used suppositories for years but when he found out that the enemeez work a lot faster he switched to those. Now the whole routine only takes about an hour. And yes, as long as it's about the same time every day, his incontinence episodes are rare (usually due to spicy food or the like).
SandraPeer Mentor for able bodied care giversWife of T7 Complete Para -
Thanks for sharing I like hearing what works for others!
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@skosills
Thank you! The program isn't working for him as they expected. They've now changed the time, but he's still 'going' several times a day. -
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@ambercollie
He's not gone only once a day since his injury. There have been days he hasn't gone at all, but he typically poops 3-4 times a day, in the hospital bed. -
@BelieveInBailey
Does he know he's going? Does he have feeling? -
@ambercollie
No, and no.
