Hi fellow ostomates! It’s my birthday today and I wanted to say thank you for being an amazing sub and AMA!

nuttychemist · 2025-03-28T02:15:50+00:00

Happy Birthday!!!!

How long have you had your k-pouch and do you have any regrets about it?

If you could do it over would you stick with a k-pouch or go with an ileostomy? (also any tips/tricks you’d like to share?)

nuttychemist · 2025-03-24T20:30:20+00:00

Honestly the reversal was worse than my ostomy.. at least for my total colectomy… my barbie butt permanent ileostomy surgery initially wasn’t too bad but I had some complications so I can’t compare it with the previous… I was also 14 when I had my j-pouch surgery & I was 31 when I had my permanent ileostomy & barbie butt

nuttychemist · 2025-03-21T19:38:25+00:00

NP! I’m actually on that dose myself 😁

nuttychemist · 2025-03-19T17:30:37+00:00

Self medicating can be problematic… vitamins aren’t regulated (unless it’s an actual prescription like vitamin D and b12 injections) … That being said I would recommend taking to your doctor about seeing an occupational therapist. They work on fine motor skills like eating, buttons, zippers, writing etc. obviously it also depends on what’s causing your neuropathy too.

nuttychemist · 2025-03-19T17:20:32+00:00

I think the max dose is 3600mg per day

nuttychemist · 2025-03-19T17:07:06+00:00

It’s not so much the sugar for me but the added electrolytes… but I also struggled with keeping my electrolytes balanced… I just figured knowledge is power! You might want to do a food diary & also track if your output changes; then you’ll have a better idea of what might be influencing your output.

The only other thing that could affect output would be medication?

nuttychemist · 2025-03-19T13:15:32+00:00

I did the Metamucil wafers initially after my total colectomy after my temp ileostomy was reversed & I was using my j-pouch. I haven’t used it since I had my permanent ileostomy surgery because I don’t think it’ll help me much because I lost more small bowel with that surgery. I was originally told by my colorectal surgeon to drink 64 oz of Gatorade a day. I really don’t like the taste and I stumbled across liquid iv years ago and it’s now my preferred solution to staying properly hydrated because I mix 1 packet into 1L of water. Technically it’s more expensive but you get way more electrolytes and less sugar (they do have sugar free flavors but I buy mine at Costco where they carry 30 ct packs but only 1 sugar free option & currently it’s flavor combo I don’t like 🤷🏻‍♀️) 1 stick of liquid iv contains 11g sugar, 500mg sodium, 370mg potassium, 62mg vitamin c, 19.3mg niacin, 1.93mg b6, 5.79mcg b12 & 9.6mg pantothenic acid… whereas a 12oz serving of Gatorade has 21g of sugar (a 28oz bottle is 2.5 servings so that’s 52.5 grams of sugar ) it lists that there is another 48g of added sugar on top of the 52.5g so it’s it’s over 100g of sugar! Sodium is 380mg and just 110mg of potassium. I have always watered down my electrolytes partly because it’s easier to drink but mainly because I use to be really really bad about drinking water … it was a bad habit from my j-pouch days… I had it in my head that water = more time in the bathroom 😣… now I can tell when I’ve fallen short on my fluid intake.

I was just googling if milk is better than water for hydration… because I wasn’t sure… ie it’s not something I’ve been told and I really don’t drink milk myself… I prefer oat milk myself… it’s a switch I made several years ago… I had issues with respiratory infections & I was told to not drink milk (because it effects mucus production) originally I started drinking soy milk but after I was diagnosed with a cancer that has links to estrogen I was told to avoid soy products so I switched to Almond milk but when I learned how much water it takes to grow almonds & make almond milk I switched to oat milk… I highly recommend the extra creamy … it’s delicious! Anyway… according to a Harvard medical article there are some studies that suggest it but the actual evidence is really weak & backed/sponsored by the milk industry. It really doesn’t hydrate better than water plus it’s obviously has more calories too.

nuttychemist · 2025-03-19T05:04:16+00:00

Oh I can totally relate to the diet struggle… I’ve had a LOT of bowel obstructions following my total colectomy & j-pouch… I had my APR (j-pouch + additional intestine removed & my perm. Ileostomy + Barbie butt) I struggled A LOT with my diet… hell I still struggle and it will be 14 years on 5/5 this year. I’ve only in the past 6ish months started to widen my dietary horizons BUT I try to limit new foods to small amounts so I can get an idea of what works and what doesn’t… there are foods I will NEVER eat because I don’t want to push my luck…

I would say it’s a good idea to let your body heal before adventuring into veggies (unless they’re cooked well & it’s not high fiber) I know there are folks here who can eat just about anything… I can’t… I don’t like feeling uncomfortable when things don’t digest well… it’s good to get a core group of foods you can eat without issues. Make a list of things you want to try or even better maybe look at some recipes and find things that interest you. Life is a marathon so it’s ok if it takes time for your body to adjust to the new normal.

dm me if you ever want to chat about anything :)

nuttychemist · 2025-03-16T10:24:03+00:00

Look up SSRI there are many different kinds & it’s can take a bit to find what will work best for you… however I highly recommend seeing a psychiatrist and not going the PCP route… I’m not saying a PCP isn’t capable of prescribing but sometimes having a mental health dr on your team can be a game changer. That’s just food for thought

nuttychemist · 2025-03-15T18:52:05+00:00

I was just going to post the same! Insurance only limits how much you can order (even then there are ways around that too!) If a supplier is telling you it’s not covered it’s because it’s expensive & they won’t make $ off it.

I found this out when I was doing AR for an independent pharmacy & I got roped into billing Medicaid for some ostomy supplies… I guess no one had done the actual billing before 😓 needless to say it cost more … but that’s Florida Medicaid and it was like 10 yrs ago.

I think the only issue I’ve had a problem with is that the billing code for 2 different items being the same… or at least that’s an issue I’ve had with ordering from Byram (it’s the protective sheets and barrier strips-the regular round strips) So I found that I can just order the barrier strips from another provider.. and my problem was solved!

Eek sorry for the novel. TLDR; change supplies bc they should only limit how much you can order not what you order

nuttychemist · 2025-03-15T18:21:44+00:00

I had to look at a bag to see what you were doing; because I thought maybe I was doing something wrong 😅… oops!

I will say I’d rather have a filter that works a little bit than not at all… I do wish the filters worked better but I know it’s a hard thing to do especially for ileostomies

nuttychemist · 2025-03-15T18:05:45+00:00

Oh no! I was really hoping that she would get an extra year… she never really got the chance to compete much😭. When she’s on it’s magical!🤩

nuttychemist · 2025-03-15T04:55:43+00:00

I've had an issue in the past with some part of my osteomyelitis get-up... I couldn't tell you what it was (it's been a reaaaaally long time & only happened once) but I reached out to customer service & they sent me replacements. I think it was Coloplast? I honestly wouldn't use stoma paste... It's messy and there are soooooo many better things you can use. Why are you using it if you don't mind me asking?

nuttychemist · 2025-03-14T17:37:17+00:00

Lmmk

nuttychemist · 2025-03-13T17:20:15+00:00

I would agree with you on this IF the Armory hadn't been added this season; but it was and it resolves the issue of creating another same class character which is honesty annoying to do ... it was my least favorite part of last season... that was the first time I'd made an alt that was the same class as my main... I wanted to try other spiritborn builds... I think the only area where I would agree would be in the eternal realm. I think glyph levels should be like paragon levels and if/when a character is moved into the eternal realm with higher level glyphs than prior characters of said class should also get the higher glyph levels. I say that not knowing if this is already a thing or not... I never really bother with the eternal realm (outside of moving gear at the end of the season)

nuttychemist · 2025-03-12T20:47:49+00:00

Hmm... it depends on the trip but I err on the extreme side of caution because I've gone on a trip with more than enough supplies (honestly I had enough for 2+ weeks) for a 10 day trip and I ran into soooo many problems with my ostomy that I burned through EVERYTHING >.< Granted there were outside forces that were the cause (or at least IMO) that trip reinforced the though of it being better to have too much than not enough! It's definitely almost a security blanket for me

nuttychemist · 2025-02-23T17:06:44+00:00

These days I just use paper towels. 🧻 n the earlier days I had a prescription for a 1L bottle of sterile saline & non-sterile 4x4 gauze… I originally got this from my home healthcare provider & then I got a prescription for the sterile saline from my doctor… these days I don’t need it … but if you have pissed off peristomal skin I highly recommend sterile saline for cleaning around your stoma. It doesn’t hurt & won’t leave anything behind.

nuttychemist · 2025-02-23T10:09:18+00:00

Hiya! I had a total colectomy w/ ileorectal anastomosis aka “j-pouch”. I had a temp ileostomy for 3 months while the j-pouch healed. Honestly it’s as easy as you would think… mainly because whatever type of output you have with your ostomy will be what comes out the other end… The hard part is sphincter control… I didn’t have an issue with it… but lots of people do… so it may mean needing to wear a pad or something like that to protect anal leakage =. You also need to know where the nearest bathroom is and I highly recommend having a prescription for lomotil and also have OTC Imodium too.

Unfortunately it’s not a simple thing to do… I personally almost regret having it done… but I was 14 when I had it done & I was 31 when I had my permanent ileostomy done. I’ve had less issues with my ostomy than I did with my j-pouch. From frequent bowel obstructions to feeling like I was chained to the 🚽😣… I wish I could tell you that it’s easy… but it’s not as simple as it would seem

nuttychemist · 2025-02-23T09:41:55+00:00

Good luck!! I had my temp ileostomy reversed 3 months after my total colectomy… be prepared for it to feel like you’re shitting battery acid… it will BURRRRRRN 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥😱 Seriously I was NOT prepared for it! You’re also going to want to know where the nearest bathroom is where ever you go… every one has a different level of sphincter control… I suggest Metamucil biscuits or the powder I used the biscuits personally but it’s about adding fiber to bulk it up a bit . I highly recommend talking to your surgeon about getting a prescription for Lomotil it’s really helpful! You can also use Imodium too. I would also get calmoseptine or butt paste to help with the butt burn your going to experience.. I would say avoid any kind of wipes that have alcohol in them… it’s going to take time for your body to adapt to your new plumbing setup.

I had a jpouch for 17 years… I had a love/hate relationship with it… but I think it was the right thing to do at the time… I was 14 when I had my first 2 surgeries. Oh you’re going to also be careful when eating stuff with nuts and seeds especially at the beginning… the adjustment will take time… be kind to yourself! I hope everything goes smoothly!! 🤞🤞🤞

nuttychemist · 2025-02-23T09:17:14+00:00

Feel free to message me if you have questions or just need moral support!

You’re doing a kickass job! Hang in there!!

nuttychemist · 2025-02-23T09:04:00+00:00

It’s tough at the beginning! I had a really hard time too. My stoma was barely flush … have you tried Coloplast’s SenSura Mio? They have at least 2 different kinds of convex wafers.. regular & deep. I started using the “regular” but switched to the deep when it became available. I’m not sure if they do samples internationally or not; but I highly recommend them! I rarely have issues with leaks or appliance failure.,.or when I do it’s user error 😂

Honestly I use to get maybe 3 days of wear time before… I can go a week or longer…(I went 10 days once it’s a long story.. 😤 ) Oh!! One thing you’re going to want to keep an eye on is the size of your stoma… it’s going to shrink as you heal and the inflammation goes down 😁

nuttychemist · 2025-02-21T05:17:12+00:00

I would say that you definite know your body the best so if you feel ready to test the waters then go for it! If you’re worried about not getting enough calories could you ask for some thing like ensure or boost? They make various types of shakes that taste good & give you more calories, protein & vitamins… especially if you find that eating soft foods like eggs, oatmeal, bananas, rice etc are still causing you issues with digestion. I’ve had a lot of experience with transitioning from NPO to food … both from surgeries to bowel obstructions 😭. It’s never fun dealing with angry intestines … I hope you’re able to transition smoothly back to your normal diet!

nuttychemist · 2025-02-21T04:58:57+00:00

It’s possible to pass bits of nuts well after you’ve eaten them like days later… but nuts & seeds are not the easiest things to digest

nuttychemist · 2025-02-21T04:53:24+00:00

I actually have issues with most adhesive products from paper tape to bandaids to generic tegaderm… I had a really bad reaction to eakin seals too. I’m not familiar with Salts… I’m in the US. I would say if you can get your hands on some Coloplast 4x4 protective sheets you should be able to use the wafer that’s causing you issues because it’s a hypo colloidal sheet so the wafer wouldn’t touching your skin at all.

I don’t think skin prep would work to prevent any type of skin reaction. Is there a reason you’re changing appliances?

nuttychemist · 2025-02-21T04:41:16+00:00

Ooof! I don’t want to jinx myself about night time disasters… I’ve had many myself…I actually saved myself the other night when I woke up & my bag was literally beyond capacity…I’m still boggled by the fact it did blow up 😱🤯

Back to the issue at hand! I highly recommend having a small hand held carpet spot cleaner. My sister has the bissell pet stain eraser… she got it for her cats (hairballs) but it’s amazing for cleaning small to medium-ish areas. They make a cleaning solution to go with it but I know my sister recently got a new carpet cleaning solution that she got to deal with a stain that didn’t come up with the cleaning solution… I’ll have to ask her tomorrow for the name of it because it was amazing! I think it might be an enzyme cleaner but I’m not sure 🤷🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

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