Unraveling

After a two hour drive, the hubby and I have arrived in Indianapolis for our much-needed getaway night. There's just one problem: I look down and my bowels are coming out of my stoma - my ileostomy has prolapsed.  A frantic call to the doctor and we are headed straight back to UofL's emergency room.  I am unraveling in both an all-too literal and figurative way.

My stoma generally sticks an inch out of my belly at the most, but I've got six inches pouring out of my abdomen.  It's kind of unsettling to see and it's accompanied with intense abdominal pains.  They think I'll need to be whisked away to surgery in the morning, but thankfully, by then my stoma has swallowed the intestines back in (the human body is nuts. That's the only word for it.) and has reached its normal size. 

I'll spare you the nitty gritty of it and just say this: two nights in the hospital and one ileoscopy later, I tell my doctors it's time to part ways with my colon; it's time to get the surgery that will make my ileostomy irreversible. 


I get asked all the time if I want to reverse my stoma and go back to having my bag-free belly.  Heck no, people! Why would I ever want to go back to running to the bathroom twenty (or more) times a day, never quite knowing if I'm going to make it, and sometimes not?  No, thank you.  I'll take pooping in a bag any day.  So, it's scheduled.  December 17th will bring another life-changing surgery, although with this one there's no going back. 

In light of the long recovery time ahead, I have made the executive decision to "get fit" beforehand.  I might be skinny, but let me tell you, I get winded walking from one side of the food court to the other.  And that is not conducive to a speedy recovery!

So, three days before my surgery will be another life changer: my first 5k.  I might be crazy.  My brain might be unraveling, too. I started training today, power walking for twenty minutes through the park with Dash, running intermittently for 45 seconds.  It was kind of miserable.  Pathetic, I know. 

While I'd love to become one of those annoying running addicts, the main goal is to get this temple as healthy as can be pre-surgery so post-op is smooth. If I end up enjoying running in the meantime, so be it (although at this point, I don't foresee that happening!).

My journey to health and - good heavens - FITNESS begins today! Any tips for a first time (non) runner are welcome.   

"Why are you still walking? The playground is back there"