If you get your gallbladder removed and your surgeon says it could cause diarrhea for a while but your discharge papers say take stool softener because of the pain medication? Listen to the surgeon.
It hasn’t been a fun couple of days.
Thank you for reading my very short rant. Back to the bathroom!
Idk if you’ve considered it but you could get some adult diapers, I know it’s not a thing of pride or whatever but they exist for a reason.
There’s also moisture proof pads (or you can get puppy pads super easily) to save your furniture, even if you towel on top. When my mom died she had some… bleeding and accidents (cancer is horrible) and that shit soaks into furniture fiercely. Had to replace all the soft parts and reupholster the whole thing (was antique, very expensive, ugly as sin, but we couldn’t match the fabric). Moisture proof pads will potentially save you a lot of money if this is ongoing. Plus having them around for whenever is always good. You never know when you’ll get food poisoning or something.
I’ve considered it, but yeah, I don’t know if I could handle an ego hit like that. I’d feel like an old man and I’m only 46. Sitting on towels seems to have worked so far.
In that case at least consider the moisture proof pads, if you don’t already use barriers like matress pads that block moisture from the mattress itself and the like - everyone should be using them anyway because it extends the life of the mattress by a seriously significant amount, especially if you sweat at night, but most people apparently don’t, and frankly I don’t get why that barrier isn’t just built in… when it’s required for warranties… one urine accident is enough to permanently ruin a mattress, no matter what you do, and those happen all the time.
Anyway if you use a pad, they provide a barrier that is more independent of pride. If you can sit on a towel, it’s no different, but better for your stuff. You can buy puppy pads and nobody will know they are for you, but you won’t have the super negative consequences of no barrier.
I’ve just seen what happens long term and I’m sure you don’t want that on top of the issues you already face. That’s no fun. None of it is, but why let it get worse, you know?
Either way, I wish you a super speedy recovery from all of it! At least the gastro distress, if nothing else.
Yeah, I get what you’re saying. I think I could handle sleeping or sitting on a pad like that. A diaper though… I realize it’s totally not rational, but I just can’t face aging like that. Not yet. Anyway, thanks for the advice and the good wishes.
Rationality doesn’t factor in. There’s a reason my mom asked for pads and not diapers, even though diapers would be easy to come by and the pads weren’t.
Literally dying, escorted to toilet, sponge bathed… refused diapers.
She was an RN and worked hospice for a long while so she knew her options and chose the prideful ones.
And that’s ok. You have to live with yourself today and tomorrow and for however long after. Do what makes you comfortable, but please get some moisture barriers before you get to the “omg this cushion is full of mold” stage.
Fair enough. We actually have some puppy pads around and I’ve already put them down, so I appreciate what you said.