The End is in Sight!!

After our appointment today with Dr. Hatley, it appears that dealing with Ellie's ostomy will soon come to an end!!  I cannot tell you how happy that makes me!  Today, we will begin irrigating her bottom once a day, for a month.  The office will call us soon to schedule a reconnection date.  This whole ordeal has been just that... a MAJOR ordeal.  It has caused a bit of stress to this tired mama, and I will be more than thrilled to see my tiny little girl be "normal" again.
I think the hardest part of the ostomy is the look in Ellie's eyes when I am changing the bag.  The drs and nurses have ASSURED us that the intestines do not have feeling (and i guess i believe them), but it sure makes me question it when she is screaming at the top of her lungs.  Changing the bag is a 30 minute process...20 minutes if i have Eric or someone else helping.  It starts with tearing the old, leaky bag off the sensitive skin.  Then straight to the tub for a bath and cleaning.  From there, we wrap her up in a towel to let her get warm and dry for a few minutes...or until she stops screaming and can relax.

We put part of the towel between her skin and her prolapsed stoma in an effort to minimize the slime and poop coming off of it from getting on her dry skin.  I use powder to thoroughly dry the area, and cut a hole in the bag.  After rolling out some ekoderm, we wrap that tightly around the intestines to create a barrier and protect her skin.  Next comes the bag, lined with paste...I use some pressure and heat from my hand cupped over the area.  Making sure it is properly stuck to her belly, I put one layer of duoderm (compliments of Uncle Bill and Bonro) over the entire bag.  We quickly get her dressed and held, while the other cleans the area... scraps of paper go to the trash, blood and poop stained towels, blankets, and clothes get sprayed and go to laundry and all supplies go back in the box on the kitchen counter.  We have a system, and it works.  But, BOY, will I be happy to throw that stuff in the trash!!!!!

Though I will look back on these four months and remember all of the WORK and SCREAMING and STRESS and TEARS and FRUSTRATION and INCONVENIENCE, I remind myself of all of the ways in which God has been SO good to me, even in this.  Thank you, Jesus, that my child will never remember ANY of this.  Thank you, Jesus, that this is not a permanent fate for my baby.  Thank you, Jesus, that the brilliant doctors were so quick to catch her perforation and intussusception.  We have much to be thankful for ...  and one of those is an upcoming surgery date!!!  :)