Barbie Butt Life | Two Year Update

Barbie Butt Life | Two Year Update

On the 19th of October 2018, I had my loop ileostomy refashioned to an end ileostomy, had my large bowel removed and my rectum closed. Bertha mark 2 is now in residence and I have not looked back.

Wow, 2 years on…

The first six months were pretty much a blur. I have to admit I struggled with my recovery and my surgeon wasn’t telling me porkies when he said 6 months before I started feeling relatively human. Recovery was hard and the shift in hormones and my body healing was both tiring and frustrating. Having my stitches removed 4 weeks post op set back my stoma site healing by another two weeks as had to have them dug out as they weren’t dissolvable. Thank god for my Pelican stoma bags with the added Vitamin E as the skin healed fantastically. 

I am one of the lucky ones and my barbie butt healed with no further complications. 

Life now

The last 10 months have been pretty surreal, I was meant to have got married in June, this was pushed to November and yet again due to covid we have had to push to March next year, Fingers crossed for a miracle in the next 5 months, not quite seeing the light at the end of the tunnel just yet. 

As an ostomate, life has just continued, I have had to navigate home learning with my daughter, see her through her 11+, then getting back into a semi-normal routine of school runs, life and booking visits to family and friends whilst keeping to social distancing rules. 

In July we realised that holidays abroad were to be a thing of the past and we took the plunge to purchase camping gear and we are now frequent campers and doing the staycation. 

After going for a second opinion regarding my incapability to carry a child, I got told it is now safe for me to fall pregnant should I wish too. Now that has been a whirlwind. We want to get married prior to falling pregnant. All of this has been done by telephone and written correspondence. 

I finally picked up my wedding dress, It is now being stored at my Mums to limit the risk of me casually putting it on and doing things like working or doing the housework whilst wearing a rather big, expensive and Ivory dress. 

I have much to my own horror enjoyed the social distancing, life now seems so much more relaxed, I have relished the time spent with family and friends but at such a slower pace. I think this pandemic has made me realise that I don’t have to be everywhere at once and kicking back and relaxing has given a clarity I did not possess before. 

I still get the occasional phantom rectum pain, I also still have the occasional leak. Life two years in is pretty steady, my health remains consistent and I haven’t looked back to life pre barbie butt apart from the occasional throwback Thursday. 

As always 

Many thanks for reading 

Louise Xx

What is Pan-proctocolectomy surgery and why might you need it? Read Louise’s previous blog post here

Read Louise’s Sex after Barbie Butt blog here

Read Respond’s Sex & Intimacy booklet

This blog post is intended to give advice to ostomates. The information given is based on Louise’s personal experience and should not be taken as clinical advice. Each ostomates needs are unique to them and their stoma care routine. Please consult with your Stoma Care Nurse before undertaking any changes to your stoma care routine or if you are experiencing any health issues.

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