Good evening everyone. My name is Sara and I am 31 years old with
spina bifida occulta and a neurogenic bowel which causes chronic
constipation. I have been laxative dependent for about 7 years now.
Only one laxative is working now (fleets phoso soda) and I am having
to take more and more of it to make it work each time. I work a full
time job and only can take a laxative on the weekend (i'm
incontinent, my muscles doesn't work). A few weeks ago I took 8
teaspoonfuls of the fleets on Saturday, 6 more on Sunday morning and
10 senokots on Sunday night and finally had a bowel movement Monday,
so I had to miss work. I am scheduled for a ileostomy on June 2nd.
I would rather have a colostomy, but my doctor said that he wasn't
for sure that it would work because I have taken so many laxatives
for so long. I am really aggravated over getting this. I guess I
really don't know what to expect. He is doing a loop ileostomy by
laproscopy surgery. Is it really bad having a ileostomy? Does it
constantly run into the bag? How often do you have to empty or
change the bag? Can I use a throw away bag instead of emptying the
other bag? I am a social worker and am out in the field a lot, will
this keep me from working? I'm just so full of questions. I hate
having to decide on this myself. All of my other surgeries I was
told that I had to have it done, but this one was left up to me. I
don't want to wait until this laxative quits working and then have to
have emergency surgery. I am also afraid of getting toxic colon
since I have gone up to 2 weeks and 2 days without a movement
before. Can anyone help? Which one is better a ileostomy or a
colostsomy? Thanks

Sara