Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, and this post was written for informational use only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Any actions you take from the content of this blog, you are doing so at your own risk, and I am not responsible for any negative outcomes.
When you have Spina Bifida, going to the bathroom is often difficult because your bladder and bowel muscles are often affected and don’t work properly. There are ways to manage bowel problems with Spina Bifida, but unfortunately, these things aren’t cures, and you can be doing your bowel regimen religiously and still struggle with severe constipation, and there is nothing you can do to change that. I don’t usually have problems emptying my bladder unless I have a medical problem such as a UTI, but sometimes it can be difficult to have a bowel movement. Bowel movements are necessary for everyone, but it is more difficult for people with Spina Bifida because these functions do not work properly, and laxatives don’t always work. I do my bowel regimen as often as my doctor recommends, but even if you are as consistent with bowel movements as I am, sometimes you still may struggle to go to the bathroom. Constipation is painful, and you are desperate for relief, but there isn’t a lot you can do to completely avoid it because you can’t change your disability. What can you do when you are in pain and can’t go to the bathroom? In this post, I am going to talk about a few things that I do when my body does not want to have a bowel movement.
Stand up and do assisted squats-Squats are not part of my workout routine because my physical disability makes them impossible without holding onto something which is not nearly as effective as it would be for a non-disabled person. If I am struggling to go to the bathroom, sometimes I will hold onto my countertop and do some assisted squats because I am not necessarily trying to get some exercise, and I just need a little movement to go to the bathroom. Some disabled people are full-time wheelchair users and do not have the privilege of being able to stand and do some assisted squats but I do. If you can’t stand that is okay because you don’t have to do the same exercise, and even just a little bit of twisting from side to side sometimes can help get things moving. Movement is so important for preventing constipation, but even after you are constipated you can still use movement as a tool to get relief.
Lay in a hot bath– When I have a bowel movement I put warm water in my bowel bag to help relax my muscles so I am able to have a bowel movement, because cold water often does not work. My bowel regimen works most of the time, but sometimes it doesn’t matter what I do it doesn’t want to work. If I am struggling to have a bowel movement and nothing I have tried has worked, the first thing I will do is fill up my bathtub with warm water and lie there for a few minutes. If I feel a bowel movement coming, sometimes I am not able to get out quick enough to sit on my toilet, and it can get messy, but tubs can be cleaned. It is essential for me to put warm water in my bowel bag to be able to have a bowel movement, but sometimes it’s not enough, and you have to lie in a hot tub.
Get up and move around- My bowel regimen takes about two to three hours but if it’s not working it can take much longer than that, and sometimes it doesn’t work at all unless I move. If my bowel regimen is not working, I sit on the toilet for at least two hours and try assisted squats before I even think about getting up, but sometimes it’s not enough, and there comes a point when you have to accept the reality that it is not going to work. If I have tried everything and have been sitting on the toilet longer than usual, sometimes I will get up and walk around my bathroom and that will be enough to trigger a bowel movement. Yes, you run the risk of having an accident, but sometimes it’s a risk you have to take to be able to get constipation relief. I do my best to prevent serious constipation, but at the end of the day, I am still disabled, and it’s not within my complete control.
Sometimes I eat something triggering- After I have a bowel movement, I try not to eat a whole lot because sometimes it can trigger another bowel movement. If it’s not working and I want to have a bowel movement, I will eat a piece of bread or some chocolate that I know could cause one. I will not eat a large amount of chocolate, and usually only a piece or two will do the trick, because if you eat too much, you could cause more pain and make your problem worse. I don’t usually recommend eating your trigger foods, but if you’re struggling to go to the bathroom, it often can be helpful.
Sometimes I take extra laxatives- When I go to the bathroom, I always use MiraLAX but usually, I only use one capful because doctors have told me that it’s not good to be doing much more than that. If I am struggling to go to the bathroom, sometimes my only hope for going to the bathroom is to use two scoops MiraLAX (not sponsored) instead of one which I think is fine to do occasionally. When you are disabled and struggling to go to the bathroom, sometimes your body needs more help, and you have to take laxatives you normally wouldn’t normally need. If I am really desperate for relief, sometimes I will take another overnight laxative that can help, but I try not to do that because I run the risk of having a major accident when I am sleeping, which will be more work for someone else. You should always consult your medical team before taking more laxatives because even though something is safe for me, that doesn’t mean it will work for you.
Constipation is something that I am always going to struggle with because I can’t change the fact that my bowels don’t work properly. I am able to manage constipation a little more easily than a full-time wheelchair user who doesn’t have the ability to stand because I can do a little more exercise, but it is still hard. Chronic constipation, in my opinion, is one of the most frustrating challenges of Spina Bifida because you don’t always get strong signs that you might be getting constipated. The best way to manage constipation is to prevent it entirely, which can be difficult when you don’t get the sensations that most people would get. Constipation can be avoided most of the time by taking care of yourself, but when you are disabled, sometimes it happens for reasons you cannot explain. These are things that have helped me personally go to the bathroom, but not everyone is going to get relief from the same types of remedies. Find something that works for you most of the time and be consistent because consistency is key. How do you have a bowel movement on hard days? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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