Higher bowel awareness

When I was first diagnosed with Crohn's, before I knew my GI issues were part of a bigger syndrome, I had a cousin by marriage that also had Crohn's and had a chat with my mom and I about the "Crohn's life." She told me it would get easier as time went on because I'd develop "higher bowel awareness" and begin to head off trouble.

Well, I think I've achieved a kind of bowel awareness few ever obtain - and I'm not sure how much it helps.

Yesterday I had four code browns. My stoma seems sore, which isn't possible since it doesn't have nerves - but it bled more than usual while changing the pouches. Not like spewing blood or anything - just more than usual. And, of course, the skin around the stoma is all raw again from so many pouch changes.

Here we go again.

Everyone, medical and fellow HPS'er, is able to tell me how to treat the skin once this starts to happen. That's helpful, and I'm better at it now - but I can't seem to find a fool proof way to keep it from happening. Once the runs get started it seems there's no dam that can't be broken, if you get my meaning.

Today is definately a runs day. At one point I was in the bathroom three times in under an hour. I broke out the Lomodel, which I rarely take because it seems I can so quickly go from one extreme to another.

Today my blood pressure is high after two days of low numbers. The good news is I feel better. But, I'm drinking a lot too.

The other strange development of the day is hives. Things are so dry here. I just spent two days mostly in bed for fatigue - the last thing I want to do is take something for hives that will knock me on my butt. So, I'm hoping it's dry skin. I put on lots of lotion and we'll see.