Home with A Poop

Ellie's ostomy has been behaving for us overnight and we were discharged ahead of noon today

She is old enough to ask for home these days which makes it extra hard to keep her here any longer than we need to. Home is a very good thing and she will probably sleep for a long time now that she is on safe ground.

The most exciting part of today was how I was awakened this morning:

"Dad. Come. Dad. Come."

"uh huh. I'm awake."

"Dad. come. Big Poop!"

And that is how my day kicked off at 5:20 this morning. Ellie (with the cooperation of her colon) decided that today was the day to start pooping on her own again. Now this may not seem like a big deal but it has been many weeks if not months since she has pooped for us without the, er, stimulation, of a glycerin suppository.

This was such big news that Abby even got a call at home with the news. Again you may be asking yourself, 'he called her at 5:25 in the morning to tell her that Ellie pooped?'

Yes. This gets a call home with the required 'all clear' when she answers the phone.

We hope that this may be a sign that her colon is kicking into gear and working like it should once again. We have been concerned about her bowel being an underachiever and this may be a sign that it just needed the right conditions and time to get in gear. You have no idea how glycerin has ruled our mornings for the last few months and to think about having unscheduled poops again is exciting. I'm sure that other short bowel parents will tell us to be careful what we ask for since 6 unscheduled poops a day may not be better than 1 well timed movement, but for now we like to think about things working on their own and maybe living without the daily ritual.

It still gives both Abby and I a case of the willies to give the suppository. It just feels wrong to do it even though we know it is necessary.

so we are home with only an adjusted TPN dosage to show for it. Hopefully a day of rest will give her gut the chance that it needs to reset.