OOOUUUUCCCHHHH! :( I am currently up at my most favorite place - The Mello's in VT. I arrived yesterday and am loving every second of being here - well almost every second. So since last weekend I've been having a little, how should I say it... a little lower digestive trouble! I've started getting slightly constipated. Now I had been warned this could happen for one of many reasons. High protein diet, all the multi vitamins I am taking, the iron supplements, lack of fiber in the diet... Now most GBS patients have drastic changes in their bowel habits after surgery. We eat so little each day - there's not too much to digest each day!! So most people only go every 3 or 4 days - I was right along in this category - sometimes even more often than that! So.... this past week it's been a little longer than usual and a little more difficult "to go." So yesterday I was VERY VERY constipated.... and last night I really really had urges I could not ignore - so off the to the potty to go. Needless to say... I was there - for.... a long while. And ended up with the most MAJOR and painful hemorroids. So bad that sitting hurt, standing hurt, walking hurt - even peeing hurt. :( I went to bed around midnight, took until 1 ish for me to fall asleep... at 4:15 AM - I awoke to excrutiating pain. I laid awake until 7:30 AM not able to fall asleep. So at 7:30 I climbed carefully out of bed, grabbed Brenna's car keys and drove down to RiteAid to stock up on some hemorroid treatments.... tucks, preparation h, epsom salt. After easing the pain slightly enough so I could take a couple hour nap, I headed to the AWESOME jacuzzi tub of Dave and Terrie's and took a little sitz bath with epsom salt. I am feeling a little better.... still in pain - but not as much as in the middle of the night.
So while I was laying bed waiting for the meds to kick in, I chatted with Paula and commisserated together about hemorroids - it was nice to have someone who knew EXACTLY what I was feeling like. I was also on the forums for GBS trying to see what others said about Constipation and hemorroids. Here's what I learned... even though our doctors tell us to take fiber supplements like Benefiber or Metamucil... we shouldn't - unless we drink AT LEAST 120 fluid oz of PURE water a day (not counting protein shakes, crystal light, milk, etc...) Since benefiber is water soluable - it soaks up water... if you aren't getting those minimum of 12o oz... it will take water from you - ie - from your fecal matter - making it VERY hard... and large. Well wouldn't you know - about 2 weeks ago I began Benefiber because I knew i wasn't getting enough fiber since I mainly eat protien. And I am NO WHERE near 120 oz of water a day.... so problem solved (hopefully) no more Benefiber for me! For now its Milk of Magnesia, Tucks, Preparation H and some sitz baths and lots of prayers to get me through this retreat weekend without being in horrible pain! Prayers welcome!! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment