Colostomy: A Patient's Perspective (cont.)
So You Made It Home
Now that you are home keep walking regularly
(often). It is just as important to walk at home as it was in
the hospital. The more walking that you do the sooner you get
to feeling better. Take any medications when you are supposed
to, the doctor didn't prescribe them as an exercise, he prescribed
them because they are part of your recovery therapy and he expects
you to take them.
Once you start feeling a little stronger you
might try backing off the pain pills a little so you don't become
too dependent on them. You will find that after a few weeks you
won't need them and if you have been doing your exercises, you
are getting around pretty well. It seems to take about six weeks
for everything to feel OK. I have my own business and I didn't
have the luxury of taking time off of work so I had to work lightly
after I had been home for about a week. After two and a half weeks
I was working at about 80% and after five weeks I was working
normally. Again it is important to not over exert yourself and
when you get tired, take a rest or a nap. Your recovery attitude
will dictate your recovery speed for the most part. It seems
like it was about 2 1/2 months before I went through the whole
day and didn't think about any aches and pains. After about 4
months I felt really good (normal). I understand that with such
a serious operation it probably takes about a year to really recover
and for everything to be normal.
You may notice that your incisions leak or bleed
a little. This is not unusual and it should not last long, but
always consult your doctor if you are not sure or you are
uncomfortable
about it. Always keep your incisions clean.
By couple of weeks after your operation your
doctor will remove your sutures or staples. You may notice that
the area around the incision is hard and irregular. Don't worry
about this, time will take care of it. After a few months, the
lumps and irregularities will even out and the hard area will
become less hard. Like the saying goes "Time Heals All
Wounds",
there is a lot of truth to it. You can try a lotion with vitamin
E and lanolin to help soften the skin and reduce itching.
Next: How To Deal With Your Colostomy Bag »
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