[City Girl]

I am T12 incomplete. Bizarrely my bowels were not affected by my injury, apart from occasionally having to pop on a lubricated glove and coax a very hard, jagged stool to exit from my body (Treating myself to red meat does that to me. My stools are like driveway rocks when I eat red meat so I only indulge once a month.). I don't take laxatives or use suppositories. I go every day.

Notwithstanding, I literally go 3-4 times/day. Prior to my injury I went once a day - a few hours after I was up and around. Occasionally, I might have a second, lesser bowel movement later in the day. Now, I go a few hours after I am up and around. Then again in the afternoon. Then again in the evening and sometimes I still have stools coming out before I go to bed. Although I never have a bowel movement when I first wake up and empty my bladder. Has anyone else experienced this?

I'm wondering if maybe it's because my digestive tract is slower due to my paralysis. I just don't remember going this often before my injury. I am maintaining a healthy weight so I am not concerned in that regard. It just freaks me out that every time I go to the washroom, I'm like, "Again???"

Any thoughts?

[Quad65]

I think you're very fortunate to have bowel control. Before my accident, in my teen years, I used to go about that often, at least. 'Course, back then, I ate like a plow-horse and was very active.
Now, it's about every third day, if things are working well. Been that way for about 40+ years.

Perhaps your activity level, using a manual chair, transfers, etc., tends to push things along. Especially if you have weakness in your abdominal muscles. If I had full control, I won't mind going that often. Then I could eat more of the things I like without throwing off my schedule.

I notice, too, that with age, my system and feelings have changed. Not necessarily for the worse, but different.

[Ches]

Hey City, BM's are not my expertise by any means but I read this and had a thought,..
Do you think its possible your just being sensetive to signals? Other than your red meat, if your having to push really hard or sit there forever, you may not need to poop so much as you think you do. I can remember times pre-injury that I would run to the potty just to find I needed to toot!
Now days I have half ass signals all over the place, sometimes I feel it, sometimes I just know, and sometimes Im wrong..

If you arent having troubles and unquestionably (is that a real word?) just have to poop that often, maybe check your diet? Coffee, Orange juice, Hot Soups and creamed foods, veggies... they all can get me going.. If I ate everything I listed in a single day I would be on the potty all day for sure...

Dont know what else to tell ya, good luck?!

This post has been edited by Ches: 09 May 2008 - 07:23 AM

[Kwag_Myers]

It's not unusual for me to go twice a day and following my injury I did go twice a day for a while. Now I generally go every evening. However, occasionally I'll have evidence that I need to "finger things out" during the day. Before my injury I would go twice a day so I never really gave it any thought.

[City Girl]

Quad65, on May 8 2008, 04:44 PM, said:

I think you're very fortunate to have bowel control. Before my accident, in my teen years, I used to go about that often, at least. 'Course, back then, I ate like a plow-horse and was very active.
Now, it's about every third day, if things are working well. Been that way for about 40+ years.

Perhaps your activity level, using a manual chair, transfers, etc., tends to push things along. Especially if you have weakness in your abdominal muscles. If I had full control, I won't mind going that often. Then I could eat more of the things I like without throwing off my schedule.

I notice, too, that with age, my system and feelings have changed. Not necessarily for the worse, but different.

You know what works really well for stimulating 'my' digestive tract? Reflexology. I have a weekly massage (mostly for my glutes, hips and quads because those muscles are just starting to work again) but I get about 15-20 minutes of reflexology afterwards my bowels are completely full and I empty everything in one 'sitting', so to speak, for the day.

[coolbreeze]

Same here i avg BM every three days and it depends on the food intake etc... C-6\7

[City Girl]

coolbreeze, on May 9 2008, 05:15 PM, said:

Same here i avg BM every three days and it depends on the food intake etc... C-6\7

Was it like that for you pre-injury? I'm a very healthy eater and it's not like I have diarrhaea. My stools are solid but I have 'poo' in my rectum that I have to push out every time I go to the bathroom. I often joke and say I am full of $hit. hehe. I just don't remember going this much before. I think maybe my digestive tract is just slower and waste is coming out in smaller more manageable shifts because my body is still somewhat paralyzed and can't process the whole load.

[coolbreeze]

City Girl, on May 9 2008, 05:55 PM, said:

coolbreeze, on May 9 2008, 05:15 PM, said:

Same here i avg BM every three days and it depends on the food intake etc... C-6\7

Was it like that for you pre-injury? I'm a very healthy eater and it's not like I have diarrhaea. My stools are solid but I have 'poo' in my rectum that I have to push out every time I go to the bathroom. I often joke and say I am full of $hit. hehe. I just don't remember going this much before. I think maybe my digestive tract is just slower and waste is coming out in smaller more manageable shifts because my body is still somewhat paralyzed and can't process the whole load.

Hey City girl

My BM was always tricky b4 and now. I use a half dulcolax up the butt lol wait 20-30mins and bim bim stool comes out nice and solid .

Also while on my back i grab my legs (u know arms under knees like when u clean a baby lol) I pull legs\knees while bending them toward my chest and belly this adds force. Food intake and food types plays a role in every1 BM.

Since i started the above process i feel empty with no accidents.



good luck..

[tmorand]

I am in your boat! pre-injury I went once or twice a day. Now it is 3-4 times. I also eat fairly healthy and am active. I have noticed that I don't get the volume that I used to. It is also hard and round and/or jagged. I usually find that I only need to use dig stim. once a day, the rest of the time I can push it out on my own. I do, however use stool softeners and natural laxatives every morning. I could probably stop taking those if I ate more vegetables and grains.

But your situation sounds just like mine and I was beginning to think I was alone on this because it goes against what the therapists say is the "right" way.

[Motor]

City Girl, on May 7 2008, 03:39 PM, said:

I am T12 incomplete. Bizarrely my bowels were not affected by my injury, apart from occasionally having to pop on a lubricated glove and coax a very hard, jagged stool to exit from my body (Treating myself to red meat does that to me. My stools are like driveway rocks when I eat red meat so I only indulge once a month.). I don't take laxatives or use suppositories. I go every day.

Notwithstanding, I literally go 3-4 times/day. Prior to my injury I went once a day - a few hours after I was up and around. Occasionally, I might have a second, lesser bowel movement later in the day. Now, I go a few hours after I am up and around. Then again in the afternoon. Then again in the evening and sometimes I still have stools coming out before I go to bed. Although I never have a bowel movement when I first wake up and empty my bladder. Has anyone else experienced this?

I'm wondering if maybe it's because my digestive tract is slower due to my paralysis. I just don't remember going this often before my injury. I am maintaining a healthy weight so I am not concerned in that regard. It just freaks me out that every time I go to the washroom, I'm like, "Again???"

Any thoughts?

I agree with Ches. I always feel that I have to go. Used to sit on my throne for 1/2 hour with no results. Do you have accidents or are you in control of the bowels. Do they just fall out with know help? I can go daily but never have accidents so I try once every other day or every 3 days, depending on what I eat. I really never go without some sort of help. I like ENNEMEEZ! As long as your accident free be glad. Many have no control and have to wear diapers etc! Keep in touch!

Motor

[yazwack]

Here is some information that I found helpful about how a persons bowel works after spinal cord. The link to this information sheet is

http://images.main.u...iles/info-9.pdf

Hope this helps. Yazwack

[gsp23]

I dont have bowel control, but here is a thought on the increased number of times you are now going. Thinking pre-injury you had all muscles, toned and controled so when you went you were able to completely evacuate everything. I am wondering if the increased frequency might be because you now lack th muscles to completely clear things out so a bit is being left behind each time so the frequency is increased because in order to do what you once could do at 1x a day it takes that many attempts to get it all gone. Just a thought.