Day 32 – ‘The beast from the East’

Bbbrrgggghhhhh Il say again bbbbrrrgggghh

It is decidedly cold, in fact positively Baltic. I am just thankful that I am 30+ days post op and not recently home from hospital. I just don’t think I could have physically coped with this level of cold.

But, I can and I have. Getting out of bed a respectable side of 9 in the morning is still not happening but when the outside temperature is -4°C the duvet is oh so welcoming.

The Beast from the East did cause me to cancel my appointment with the Stoma nurses at the hospital, what would have been a foolhardy journey to an already overstretched hospital was considered to be deferrable until next week.

I do need to see them nevertheless, if nothing else I want them to check over Little Simon just to give me the assurance that all is well.

One of the things they will be doing is to check the size using a sizing template.

Sticking Little Simon through the appropriate whole will determine whether he has shrunk, and whether I need to adjust the whole I cut in the bag.

The thought of sticking a hard plastic template over him makes me shudder, however there are no nerve endings in the stoma so it won’t hurt ‘no sense no feeling’

The check by the nurses will also give me piece of mind that there are no other complications such as necrosis, hernia, or any other nastiness. The thing bleeds when you clean it, not loads but fresh blood nevertheless. This is very disconcerting but apparently normal and actually a good sign. It’s when it does produce fresh blood that you need to worry (and a change in colour). This generally mean that the little blighter is dying (definitely bad news bears if this happens)

I have noticed that there is a direct correlation between periods of abdominal pain and certain food types. I’m getting braver with what I eat, what’s the worst that can happen? A blockage that’s what. Trust me I never eat anything off the ‘verboten’ list that can cause a blockage but certain food types which are frowned upon I am beginning to flirt with. Nothing too racy mind you, ooh no, I’m talking ‘cabbage’ or ‘onion’. I know , i know how to live.

That is not to say I haven’t had minor ‘blockages’ when little Simon has something he finds particularly challenging you can feel the pressure building up like a coiled spring, then….

‘Pop pop pop’ like a Gatling gun the offending item is ejected into the bag (thankfully), it is still a source of entertainment for us, the volume of which can be easily heard above the television.

Undeterred by the weather I am still dutifully doing my ‘circuits’ mainly as I’m too tight to turn in the heating during the day

I’m sure that is against the law?! 😂