The last time I wrote on, or much less visited, this site was due to my ileostomy reversal surgery in January 2015. Since then I’ve been hospitalized three times and undergone an additional surgery. Perhaps I avoided it because it was an acknowledgment of my problem new way of life? Maybe I didn’t want to regurgitate the inner workings of my decline new routine? Regardless. . . . here we are.(!)  This particular entry covers the “Great Bowel Obstruction of April 2015”. Things were coming along fairly smoothly after January’s surgery, and it seemed like I was on track to a near-record recovery according to my surgeon. I went seven days straight where I had about five bowel movements a day. This was actually better than pre-surgical, Ulcerative Colitis days. My recovery was far ahead of those I had read about online. Then Spring sprung something on me. Something was amiss that Sunday night in April. I had the feeling that I was due for a bowel movement, but nothing arrived. No gas. No nothin’! Then the pain came on. By 4am Monday morning my gastroenterologist (great guy!) was working on securing me a hospital, and my wife (great gal!) drove me to get admitted. My symptoms indicated a bowel obstruction – my intestines were stopped up, kinked or tied up somehow. “You are not going to like this, son,” said my mother, a nurse, (great mother!) whom I believe teleported to my bedside.  Food, water and gas were not going through so an N.G. tube was about to be inserted up my nose, down my esophagus and into my stomach to vacuum up what it could to relieve some pressure. The process of applying an NG tube is about as fun as it sounds: you are not put under, you are held down. The process, though, is a quick one. Then there is just the annoyance of having a foreign object in your gullet. The vacuuming of my gut was to remove pressure. One of my doctor’s equated my intestines to a curled garden hose: when the water is turned on and rushing through the hose, sometimes that sudden pressure can cause a kink and when the water turns off the kink is. . . well. . . it’s un-kinked. After a couple days of being fed intravenously, and letting my innards calm down, I was back to eating on my own like a big boy (clear liquids >> full liquids >> low residue diet).  I was discharged from the hospital and took a couple days at home before returning to work. I reckon the obstruction set me back about two months in my recovery. I have had only a handful of days where I went five or less times, and never were those consecutive. I still work. I still cycle. I run more. I drink wine (no carbonation!). I still spend time with friends and loved ones – though I must admit I value these relationships more than I ever have before. Life is ever changing as it should be, I suppose. TMI moment / “Tip of the Day”:  I’m not sure if this applies to all colectomized patients, but I’ve found I can relieve pressure in my belly by laying on my belly, and gently (see: very carefully) pushing. Gravity works its magic, and I’m able to break sigh-of-relief-inducing wind. A FART! The week I discovered this, I was stoked. To quote Brian Fantana: “60% of the time, it works every time.” [cloying grin]