It’s Sunday and I’m still in the hospital. I’m still having too much output from my ileostomy and it’s keeping me dehydrated and dizzy. My blood pressure overnight was great, but it bottomed out again this morning. In general, having an ileostomy leaves you at higher risk of dehydration because out is so liquid. Mine got all screwed up with surgery and bowel prep and it’s a struggle to get it back under control. Between my urine output and my ileostomy output, I’m losing too much fluid for me to manage the dehydration risk at home. I also can’t have the good pain meds until my blood pressure gets up over 100. That is because the pain meds can send my blood pressure down too. If my blood pressure gets too low, it can lead to respiratory distress.

I am now on both Metamucil and Imodium to bulk up my stool and slow it down. Bulking it up means I lose less liquid. I’m also getting two bags of fluid this morning. Unfortunately, the first bag only sent my blood pressure up by a point.

Since surgery itself went so well, I figured I was in the clear and that for once, I’d done things the easy way. As it turned out, I spoke so soon. I’ve had post surgery issues no one expected. My mind is all muddled and I hate it. The nurses won’t let me walk the halls with my dizziness, in case I were to fall. It’s like trying to think through molasses. That’s more disconcerting that my pain level. I can’t wait until I can go home and sleep in my own bed.