Disclaimer: This post was written based off of my personal experiences, but I am not a doctor. It is to be used for informational use only and is not substitute for professional medical advice.
When you have Spina Bifida, it is common to struggle with constipation because often your bowels are damaged and do not work properly. Constipation is painful for anyone, and I wish it on no one, but it can be even worse for disabled people because you can’t get relief as quickly as a non-disabled person can. When you live with bowels that don’t work, laxatives are your best friend and can help prevent painful constipation, but they can take longer to work and are not as effective as they would be for a non-disabled person. I struggle with chronic constipation, and I am always looking for ways to prevent painful constipation because when you have paralysis in your bowels, it is not easy to get relief from constipation, and your best defense is to prevent it. People who struggle with constipation are always thinking of ways to improve their bowel health because everything you do matters and can have a negative impact on your bowels. I do a lot of things every single day to prevent constipation, but at the same time, there are a lot of things you will never see me do because of my constipation struggles. What should you not do if you struggle with constipation? In this post, I am going to talk about a few things you will never see me do because of my constipation struggles.
Never skip your bowel regimen- Bowel movements are harder when you are disabled and can sometimes take hours. There is nothing wrong with delaying your bowel regimen by a day or two, but you don’t want to get in a habit of not doing it if you want to avoid constipation. There are times I delay my bowel regimen by a day, and that is okay, but the one thing you will never see me do is go weeks and not have a bowel movement because these kinds of bad habits cause severe constipation that can lead to avoidable hospitalizations. I dread the day I have to sit on the toilet for hours and try to have a bowel movement because it can cause a lot of pain and doesn’t always work as well as I would have hoped it would. It only makes things worse for yourself when you do it less frequently because the less you do it, the more likely you are to get constipated. You should never skip your bowel regimen for long periods of time because even though it’s more difficult for disabled people to have a bowel movement, we still need to do it. Regular, frequent bowel movements are your best defense against painful constipation.
Don’t drink alcohol before having a bowel movement- When you are disabled and know you need to have a bowel movement, the things you do that day matter because you want to do things that will activate your bowels and avoid things that might cause problems. As a disabled person, I don’t drink alcohol because I live with chronic migraine, and it can trigger attacks, but before I lived with pain and had to completely give it up, there was a time I did have an occasional glass of wine. One of the biggest mistakes that I made when I was drinking was having a glass of wine before I needed to try to have a bowel movement. Alcohol dehydrates you, which is not something you want to happen if you struggle with constipation, because it will make any mild pain you would have had ten times worse. Save your drinking until after you have a bowel movement because it doesn’t take much to trigger constipation. If I ever did start drinking again, I would never drink alcohol before having a bowel movement because that is a mistake you only make once. You need to be hydrated to activate your bowels, and you aren’t going to be as hydrated if you are drinking alcohol.
I will never go on a highly restrictive diet- When you struggle with constipation, nutrition plays a major role in preventing severe constipation, and it can be helpful to know your triggers and avoid them as much as you can. Everyone has different triggers, and there is no diet that I am comfortable recommending that will guarantee you will never have painful constipation, and I don’t think it exists. The one thing that has helped me prevent painful constipation most of the time is having a diet that contains a lot of variety because our bodies need a lot of different nutrients to function optimally, and the only time I will limit a certain food is if my body is sensitive to it. You will never see me go on a highly restrictive diet that tells me I am only allowed to eat one piece of bread a day, because when you severely restrict yourself, a lot of the time you don’t get enough nutrients, which can make it more difficult to go to the bathroom. Non-disabled people may be able to go on highly restrictive diets without any issues, but because of my disability, I never will.
Never eat too much fiber- Fiber is important for preventing constipation, and sometimes people think that they need to double up on their fiber intake. Make sure you are eating enough fiber, but not too much, because you can eat too much of a good thing. A high fiber diet sometimes can negatively affect your bowel function because it can cause bloating and gas, which can trigger constipation. More fiber is not always better, and if you are eating more than your body needs, it can be worse and do the complete opposite of what you want it to do.
Don’t stop exercising- Exercise is more difficult for disabled people because fitness is not accessible, but if you can, it’s so important that you find a way to move your body for easier bowel movement. There are days I will have a low fatigue and pain day and will not exercise, but I will never stop exercising because it’s hard. Exercise has a lot of health benefits, but exercise is not just about the physical changes it gives you and it can also make bowel movements a little easier. Movement does something to your bowels, and when you exercise before having a bowel movement, it’s easier to go to the bathroom. Do not neglect movement because the more you move, the less likely you are to have constipation.
I will never give up coffee- Most people drink coffee to wake up in the morning, and that is the main reason I drink it, but I also drink coffee because it can help stimulate bowel movements. I will not be giving up coffee any time soon because it’s delicious and helps keep my bowels happy. If you ever wondered why you need to have a morning poop, it’s probably the coffee, because it can act as a natural laxative. When I am struggling to go to the bathroom, and drink coffee a lot of the time, it will cause me to go to the bathroom within an hour.
When you struggle with constipation, a lot of the time, people think that it is because you are eating too many carbohydrates, and if you eat less, you can solve your problem, but that is only sometimes true, and not eating enough can also be the problem. It can be difficult to manage constipation when you are disabled because even if you are drinking tons of water and exercising, you still can’t change your disability. Non-disabled people sometimes think that they understand my constipation struggles because they ate a piece of cake once and it didn’t agree with them. Constipation with Spina Bifida is something you will never understand unless you have lived with these challenges, because chronic constipation is not the same as occasional constipation. It is hard to manage constipation when you are disabled because you can be doing everything right and still be in pain, which is why it’s so important to be aware of your everyday habits. If you struggle with constipation, what things would you never do? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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