I never imagined it would come to this, but my mother and I are sharing the cancer experience together. We've sat side by side in our recliners getting our chemo, carpooled to the clinic, and compared notes on so many cancer related topics. But it's strange that just like at the beginning of my life, when I was an asthmatic infant, and she, a 23 year old innocent, our interests once again revolve around eating, napping and pooping.
The eating--well, we give one another suggestions of what tastes best (or least repulsive), and what stays down. As for napping--we give one another permission to nap as needed--without guilt (So there!)
But the pooping is the one thing that still is the wild card.
After driving us back from chemotherapy at our clinic which is 65 miles away, and we pulled into my driveway, I felt I could finally say what had been on my mind for over half the trip: "I made it home without pooping my pants!" To which my mother replied, "So did I!" It was reassuring to find out that she had packed a roll of toilet paper and an extra pair of panties that she would have been willing to share, had the desperate need become apparent.
The Freudian oral-anal stage is back. I'm once again delighted with a sense of accomplishment by a BM, often regretfully flushing my day's greatest accomplishment, and feeling the need to make a phone call to someone to celebrate. I emerge with a song of joy and dance of victory!
Fortunately, I have a family supportive enough (and odd enough) to celebrate with me. A family to whom I can announce with joy, "I pooped!" and they willingly kill the fatted calf in celebration.
But only I know what has gone on behind the closed bathroom doors in achievement of these victories--the pain, the strain, the unspeakable humiliations.
Stool softeners and milk of magnesia are key components of my survival kit these days, and occasionally hemorrhoidal cream.
As for today, it's going to be a great day--I've pooped!
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It's All About the Poop
- By CarolAnn1
- Posted June 30, 2009 at 12:31 pm · 14 replies
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- By katelynsmamaw
- Posted June 30, 2009 at 1:04 pm
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A poop day IS a good day!! I think we can ALL relate.
- By CATSMEOW
- Posted June 30, 2009 at 1:08 pm
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I know that celabratory feeling after a chemo.Bloated wanting to go, taking all the stuff to get moving, pushing and grunting till that litle tird emerges.I scream with delight, and my family knows not to say anything because mom had a BM and this is my moment.How funny it is to talk about this stuff with our family.or me mostly its with my 14yo and my hubby.That backed up feeling is awful.Iam so glad you and your mom had a moment, those little things in life, as crappy as they may be, are joyful.Keep Positive.
- By koh847
- Posted June 30, 2009 at 6:04 pm
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Funny to read your post...you are very humorous! On a serious note...I did not have any problems as long as I took Milk of Magnesia pills the day before, day of, and day after chemo. Try to load up the day before and see what you think....I will be waiting on the poop report! :)Kim
PS My husband is a gastroenterologist, so as you can imagine, lots of poop talk here! :)
- By youngmom
- Posted June 30, 2009 at 6:55 pm
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When I saw the title of your post, I was expecting the post to be about how important pooping is in removing toxins from our bodies, something I have been obsessing about ever since being diagnosed. All of the books I have read have stressed that infrequent BMs can contribute to the devlopment and progression of cancer (which is why some alternative protocols are big on enemas ). Not to be graphic here, but prior to diagnosis, I only moved my bowels 2 or 3 times a week. That went on for years. My regular doctor told me it was not a problem. Now I've read about how toxins can be reabsorbed into the body from our bowels if they are not removed promptly. Fortunately, since switching to a mostly plant based diet, I usually go at least 1 to 2 times a day without any special interventions. But every now and then if I miss a day, I freak out and end up drinking lots of extra juices to help move things along. Funny how things like pooping have become so incredibly important after having cancer.
- By JC1945
- Posted June 30, 2009 at 8:51 pm
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Oh, how I can relate. I need to get some milk of magnesia to add the arsenal. I've been using stool softeners and miralax along with some prunes. Whoever thought this would be such am important part in our lives :-)
Judy
- By Patricia123
- Posted June 30, 2009 at 10:44 pm
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THanks for the laugh.
After surgery I had to wear depends for about a month and we were escaping a hurricane two weeks after surgery, driving to Baltimore when I was in a truck stop getting coffee and having lost about 20 pounds, had my pants fall down. And there I was in my fluffy depends with my pants around my ankles.
It was the most humiliating day of my life but I started laughing and couldn't stop.
Pooping is very important.
- By Teresa56
- Posted July 1, 2009 at 7:15 am
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If it had not been for a daily dose of Miralax mixed into a Insure Milkshake my Mom would half been full of poop. Oh that sounds so funny now but at the time Mom having a BM was a victory that we called each other and rejoiced over. These are things my siblings and I now laugh about but during Mom's battle it was a major issue. I hope you and your Mom continue to Poop and have such a wonderful attitude about the challenges you face. Huggs, Teresa
- By stldaisy
- Posted July 1, 2009 at 12:33 pm
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CarolAnn you cracked me up! Thanks for the laughs!
Judy too
- By Teresalynne
- Posted July 1, 2009 at 3:04 pm
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I loved your post, my friends and family have talked more about poop than I ever thought was possible. I remember after my first surgery my boss called to see how I was and I shared with him that I had pooped and farted and was going to get home. thank goodness he has a great sense of humor...that was 4 years ago and he still reminds me someimes of our conservation! Good luck on your treatments.
Teresa
- By Marhoney
- Posted July 1, 2009 at 3:46 pm
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Congradulations - on a great =- Poop day! -_-
I know exactly what you mean - I ate a piece of egg the other day and it stayed day - wowowo!
Ahhh,....it's the little things isn't it???! -_-
Love your sense of humor - thanks for sharing and for the laugh!
Cheers~
Rose
- By Marhoney
- Posted July 1, 2009 at 3:55 pm
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oops - sorry - forgot one thing!
PS: I have discovered "Coffee Enemas" - butter nut toffee is my favorite thank you very much - to get - everything - moving!
and also - I found a combo of calium tabs - and magnesium helps moves things along as well as Flaxseed Oil - has lots of fiber in it - plus lots of water - problem is - then sometimes I get too much and then get diarhea - you all have problems with that sometimes too? Or you get this tremendous pain ripping through your whole torso and thing 0- what the heck was that? and then you hear a tiny "toot" and think - oh - now I know what that was! -_-
So - hears to more toots and poops and better days ahead! -_-
Cheers again~
Rose
- By verlinda
- Posted July 2, 2009 at 12:08 am
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Carol Ann,
I loved this one, but my favorite is still your hair story!
- By Tisha2
- Posted July 2, 2009 at 4:42 pm
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Thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU! You have given me something to really laugh about for the first time in months! You really are a talented writer and have a delicious sense of humor! Which I feel is soooo important to us all! If we laugh, we live! No matter what we are going through! It is a great idea for you to put all of your humor into a book! I would buy it and love it.!
I am usually just lurking about on this site, reading everything and learning so much. boy! am I glad I got on today! Please keep writing to us all with your much needed sense of humor.
I see that you are in Montana. I was born in Billings, MT. I live in CA, in the Wine Country. I really don't miss the cold and snow. At my age, 63, I don't do well with too much cold or too much heat! hee.
I can empathize sooo much with you and your mom, (I am very sorry that you both are going through this incredible life experience.) Do you both have ovca? Pooping everyday is sooo important! I have found out the hard way. I have experienced 3 partial bowel obstructions due to an extreme angulation of the first part of the colon due to scar tissue and adhesions. I now have some liquid morphine at home to use if needed. The pain was worse than child birth! The last one put me into the hospital for a little over two weeks. NPG tube and nothing by mouth for a little over a week. Just the infused saline stuff. I never knew how hungry I could get! It seemed like every other commercial on the boob tube was about food!. I kept thinking about stealing someone elses food out of the fridge! I had to close my door everytime the food trays were being delivered! I was Begging my nurses for a little something! Everyday nurses or doctors would ask, "did you pass gas?" (One lady doctor actually told me I had to fart!) "did you poop? "No," then I would ask " how can I do anything with NO FOOD in my body?! Two weeks or so later, I finally pooped! It was the morning just before I was taken down to be prepped for "exploratory surgery" again! Thank God! my nurse of the morning had charted I had a good poop! Unfortunately, my surgeon did not get the message before my trip to surgery. There I was praying that the surgery and all would go well and that no more cancer would be found, when one of the other surgeons floating around, read my chart and called my surgeon and they "decided" NO SURGERY! Wow, Thank you Lord! Did I dodge a bullet or what?
Wow! I have almost written a book! hee I am so very happy when I poop once a day, I am over the moon when twice a day! If I don't my family knows to look in the bathroom morning, noon and night!
My thoughts and prayers are with both you and your mom. Right now, I am in my 7th month of second remission. First remission was for 16 months. Although, I am starting to feel the "bloating" again. I must admit to feeling worried! I can't say anything to anyone in my family, they all think because I am in "remission" I am cured! From their minds to Gods Ears!
Again, thank you so much for your wonderful words.
Tisha
- By KellyRilla
- Posted July 3, 2009 at 7:47 am
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So funny and sad but true! We dance around when I come out of the bathroom and proclaim that I've pooped. Yeah!! It really is a major accomplishment for us you know. If I don't poop once a day I start to feel bad. So here's to wishing every one of you a happy and productive day!
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