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Pneuma Springs Publishing - Grahame Howard

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84 pages

English

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Description

Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease are serious bowel conditions that affect many people of all ages throughout the world today.This is one man's account of suffering the debilitating UC for 10 years before undergoing stoma surgery for a permanent ileostomy.Pain, humiliation, loss of dignity and anger were all part of the author's life prior to being told he would need surgery for a colostomy. Hardly had this begun to sink in before, the operation was changed to a permanent ileostomy leading to further psychological issues.This is an honest account of how Grahame Howard survived the 10 years of UC and coped with the knowledge that stoma surgery was inevitable. Grahame's Christian faith was the mainstay in his survival and played a big part in his recovery, especially receiving a healing miracle while in hospital.The book is autobiographical in style but also gives the reader tips on what to expect prior to surgery and how to live with a stoma and the many psychological battles attached to this.Grahame says "Life is never easy with bowel conditions and when surgery has to take place in order to survive, it can promote anxiety and frustration as answers are difficult to find."This book is a 'Must Read' for people associated with a stoma but will also encourage people who are undergoing personal life issues. There is a better life out there. It's a matter of finding it.Book reviews online @ www.publishedbestsellers.com

Informations

Publié par	Pneuma Springs Publishing
Date de parution	28 février 2009
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781782281368
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0195€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

All
Bagged
Up

Grahame Howard
Copyright

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
First Published in 2009 by: Pneuma Springs Publishing
All Bagged Up Copyright © 2009 Grahame Howard
Kindle eISBN 9781907728624 ePub eISBN 9781782281368 PDF eBook eISBN 9781782280460 Paperback ISBN: 9781905809479
Pneuma Springs Publishing E: admin@pneumasprings.co.uk W: www.pneumasprings.co.uk
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Published in the United Kingdom. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. Contents and/or cover may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the publisher.
Introduction
As a sufferer of Ulcerative Colitis for 10 years, Grahame Howard is well qualified to write about the humiliation and distress that this disease causes individuals on a daily basis.
Autobiographical in style, the book is written with the intention of reaching people with bowel disorders in such a way that they can relate to what they read helping them to realise that there are people who understand how they feel.
Ulcerative Colitis is described in detail, together with its possible causes, the medication used and its side effects. The book shows how the author lived and coped with the illness prior to major surgery for an ileostomy.
From thereon the emphasis is switched on to colostomy and ileostomy operations. Grahame Howard shows how he copes with the news that surgery is required and how he gradually learns to accept this news with many of the psychological battles and arguments occurring before being able to face up to the facts. There is also a section on people who have to undergo this type of surgery following an accident without receiving any prior warning.
Grahame’s social work background comes into play as he deals with the issues of transition. He uses his coping skills and learns to accept the situation by facing the dilemma head on.
Heavily referenced with scripture references, together with explicit details of colostomy and ileostomy issues, Grahame explains in detail, the pros and cons of such a lifestyle with the intention of helping fellow sufferers realise that whatever has happened there is life out there for the taking. He takes the reader through such matters as changing appliances, what to look out for and ideas to help benefit them in their new life.
Throughout the book, the author’s Christian faith shines through and he quotes many scriptures in an attempt to help the reader grasp how important and vital his faith in God is for his survival. He also shows how God performed a miracle in the hospital, helping him pull through the process of surgery.
Tension, frustration, anger and pain are all featured, as the author attempts to provide the reader with an honest but encouraging account of the life of an ileostomist.
Contents
Preface
A shock
Tensions mount
Job’s comforters and a further shock
Mixed emotions
Off to hospital
From despair to miracle
Back home
Working through the hang ups
Accepting the changes
Dare to accept it’s for life
Where’s the carer’s support? By Hazel Howard
Was it all worth it?
Counselling and alternative therapies
Keeping fit
Life is what you make it
Useful Information
Preface
When I knew I would have to undergo stoma surgery, I set out to find more about what this entailed. Unfortunately I found the information somewhat limited. Apart from booklets about Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and colostomy and ileostomy surgery, there didn’t appear to be anything written about the emotional trauma of coping with the drastic change in circumstances. There was also nothing about how ostomists, that is, those who have had either an ileostomy or a colostomy, managed their day-to-day lives living with a stoma, the artificial opening leading to the intestine.
I therefore decided to write my own account of how I managed as a UC sufferer for ten years, and how my Christian faith was very important in helping me face up to the reality of having a permanent ileostomy. Although initially difficult to manage, I found that once I had recovered from the operation the stoma immensely improved the quality of my life.
My main intention in writing this book is to assure anyone facing an ileostomy or colostomy that there is life after stoma surgery.
There are a few words used frequently throughout the text that need to be clearly understood. I explain them below.
Colectomy
A colectomy is the surgical removal of the entire colon, otherwise known as the large intestine. If only part of the colon is removed, the procedure is called a hemicolectomy. Following the removal, there may be a need, at least temporarily, for an opening to the intestine through the wall of the abdomen. Intestinal contents drain from this opening into a sealed pouch, a bag. The opening is known as a stoma, formed to replace the anus, and two types of operation to create a stoma may be performed, either a colostomy or an ileostomy. A proctocolectomy is an operation where part of the rectum and colon are removed and a panproctocolectomy, which is what I had, is where the entire rectum and colon are removed. The latter operation requires either a permanent opening of the ileum, the name for the last section of the small intestine, or the construction of an ileal pouch.

Colostomy
The word colostomy derives from the words ‘colon’ and ‘stoma’. It is a surgical operation in which part of the colon is brought through the abdominal wall and opened to drain or decompress the intestine. The operation is designed to help the digestive system work normally, thus bypassing any damaged or inflamed area within the bowel. The colostomy may be temporary, eventually being closed to restore continuity, or permanent, usually when the rectum or lower colon has been removed. Surgery is used to divert waste into a stoma bag that is usually placed on the left-hand side of the abdomen, the part of the body that contains the digestive organs (better known as the belly), just below the belt line.

Ileostomy
The word ileostomy derives from the words ‘ileum’ and ‘stoma’. An ileostomy is formed when the open end of the healthy ileum is diverted to the surface of the abdomen and secured there to form a new exit for waste matter as a stoma. This is usually on the right hand side of the abdomen, just below the belt line. An ileostomy is performed when waste matter has to be diverted away from part of the colon or rectum. This diversion is usually permanent if the large bowel and rectum are removed. There are, however, some occasions when a temporary ileostomy may be formed.
A colostomy operation may possibly be carried out by keyhole surgery, where only a very small incision is required and where the surgeon would be guided by a monitor screen for accuracy. Even if part of the colon had to be removed, it would not be nearly so serious an operation as an ileostomy.
With a permanent ileostomy keyhole surgery cannot be used. To remove the complete colon and rectum, the surgeon would need to make about a nine-inch incision. This operation is not reversible. There is a long recovery period required and there are very important psychological implications to be considered. It is a very major operation.

Ileo-anal pouch
With this operation, the diseased bowel and all or part of the rectum is removed but the sphincter muscles and anus are left in place. A pouch is constructed from the ileum and attached to the anus, so that it is still possible to defecate through the anus, but the use of the toilet will be more frequent. There will be a need for a temporary ileostomy while the newly-formed pouch is healing, but the stoma will be in place for only a couple of months.
1. A Shock
‘I really think the only way forward is surgery,’ said Dr Derwent, my consultant. ‘We’ve tried every medication I can think of to help you, but sadly nothing has. To provide you with a better quality of life and to give your rectum a rest, I think a referral to Mr Rogers, the surgeon, would be a positive move, so that he can perform a colostomy operation.’
There was total silence in the consulting room, as I, along with my wife Hazel, tried to take in what Dr Derwent had just said. To say we were shocked would be an understatement. We felt devastated. Devastation, panic and fear mingled with a touch of disbelief, all rolled into one.
We had never considered surgery as an option. I had always believed, as a Christian, that I had already been healed according to God’s Word (1 Peter 2:24), and that all I needed to do was to await the full manifestation of His healing in my life. Christians believe that Jesus heals people physically with the presence of the Holy Spirit. I believed that through my faith I would receive His healing and was waiting for the miracle to happen. To be faced with information that appeared to conflict with my belief was extremely distressing.
Problems had started about ten years previously. After many months of pain, distress and tests, I had been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC). This was an inflammatory bowel disease that meant I urgently, and sometimes frequently, had to get to a toilet. I also had abdominal pains and a risk of other health problems.
As early as 1966, aged 20, I had experienced an occasional pain in my abdomen and the need to dash to the toilet. It hadn’t worried me at the time, however. There had been no sign of blood or diarrhoea; not that I noticed anyway, it was just an annoying inconvenience. At that time I was working as a tool-setter on a twelve-hour shift system in a very busy factory. I never really had the time to think about what was happening to me. Perhaps because I was living in the fast lane I missed an early diagnosis. The problem appeared to settle down and only oc