What is it about turning 50 that makes you obsessed with your bowels?

[BostonTerrierLover]

I here them on the phone telling their best friends about a new fiber product that really "promotes regularity," to save you the southern colloquialisms about going number II.

The daily "occurence" is almost celebrated! If it does not come, laxative of choice, prune juice (even heated, Yuck!), and those fiber concoctions come flowing to help "The flow of things."

I had a patient ask me for his Milk of Mag after not having his "movement" by lunchtime. I asked, "Are you having trouble going, I noticed your DAR says you have had one yesterday, and the day before, and you only ate 30% of your breakfast." It was like telling a baby, "No candy for you, Nah-Nan-Nan-Nan-Nan-Nah." He got his Milk of Mag, and I learned how not to make a friend with a senior who "thinks" that regularity is one a day at the same time everyday, . . .

and not just one a day.

I have also learned, just having one doesn't count. Texture, amount, consistency, solidity, and ease of going are very prized.

Why do we become obsessed with our bowels around and after age 50? Am I mistaken, or do you see the pattern too?

[kat7464]

I am 53, not obsessed with my bowels, and please don't call me a "senior" - yet :-)

[BostonTerrierLover, BSN, RN]

i knew this was a risk, let me further reassure, . . .

I don't think 50 is a senior, Lol, you can't even get a discount coffee yet. I SWEAR I didn't tie that word "senior" with the word "senior citizen" in my brain when I typed that header to this thread. As my parents are in their 50s I view that as young, and am in no way ready to view 50s or even 60s as "old," -OR- elderly.

There are 50 year olds in my ER that work circles around me, are MUCH more attractive, have forgotten more than I know, and are "young" in my book, I am veeerrrrrryyyyyyy sorry if I have really offended anyone. I don't think 50 is a "senior." A better word would have been elderly-that is what I meant (50 is still really before the "BOB,") and I really goofed with age (the patient in my scenario was 80ish), and 50ish was probably too early, and a goof on me.

I really know the "The Nursing Gods" are gonna punish me for this thread now. I see premature allopecia, constipation, and incontinence in my future for having typed this up.

I really hope this thread doesn't offend anyone, or get me viewed as cocky. I promise that is not me. And, I know dealing with constipation, bowel obstructions, and impactions are TERRIBLE!!!(and that is an understatement). I know that if any of these happened to me, I would become "obsessed."

I guess the real reason behind my post is seening so many older(and I mean elderly e.g. Great Grandparents +) patients abuse laxatives-with the fiber concoctions, and a high fiber diet rave havoc on their digestive system.

Plus, remember, if everything goes right, and I am blessed with "more" life, I will "too" get to become obsessed and fixated on my bowel activity. Thanks for all your responses, . . .

And for having wrote this, I promise to take all Nursewhooping with grace.

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

But all that said, I sure wouldn't mind being about 55 with a fat mature 401K, a paid off home, and children through college, I would trade 29 for that in a second!!!

Me, too!! Fifty-five is just around the corner for me, and I sure wish I had a fat mature 401K, a paid off home, and four children through college (not one of them went except for my 21-year-old, and he's nowhere near finished). LOL!

Boston, don't worry about offending anyone---we "mature" folk can take a joke And this thread is hilarious!!

[IEDave, ASN, CNA, LVN]

...I really know the "The Nursing Gods" are gonna punish me for this thread now. I see premature allopecia, constipation, and incontinence in my future for having typed this up....

Nah - everyone'll just call you a fomite.

----- Dave

[Despareux]

I just kind of thought that, after 50 years, you have an idea of what makes you feel better. I don't know about anyone else, but going poop every day always makes me feel better.

[DoGoodThenGo]

Regarding castor oil:

It was also routinely given to children and adults as a remedy for tapeworms.

My parents grew up in the South and my mother and grandmother would tell (gross sounding to me) stories of various relatives who *passed* rather long tapeworms after being given a dose or two of castor oil.

Castor oil was and or is also used to bring on labour for a woman who is pass her time. I say still being used because quite a few moms swear by this method, though every OB one knows frowns upon it.

[DoGoodThenGo]

Boston,

Have you hit your mid-forties yet? If not...just you wait. Oh, and buy stock in Colace. I'm not kidding!:uhoh21:

Would rather die than admit this in public (my actual brithdate has been deleted from my BC by authority of the governor, *LOL*) but am in my 40's and have totally no problems. Only have had the need for Colace once and that was ordered by one's MD as part of post-op meds. Did pick up the stuff but IIRC never really took much of it.

Am quite blessed that way one supposes; then again breakfast is a large bowl of porridge (whole oats, not the instant stuff), with a good handful of raisins and walnuts then topped off with three heaping tablespoons of ground flaxseeds. Oh and dinner most always includes a large helping of veggies. Am especially found of collard greens, broccoli,spinich, and carrots.

[vanburbian]

Ahhh yes, I recall the good 'ol days, when I was a "regular" young nurse working ortho and gen surgery floor. Everyday I asked myself- "Self, WTH is wrong with these people that had a BM last night and now are asking for MOM, or an enema? Who has nothing better to do than monitor their BM's?"

Well....now, 25 years later, I am a 51 year old whose very own colon has more and more frequently become rebellious. And, it makes me miserable at times. So miserable that I will sometimes change plans.

I personally don't care if I go 10 times a day, or once every 10 days, and I really don't even keep track, mentally- as long as my gut is not so bloated I feel bigger than I was during all my pregnancies, or the pressure is making feel like I need to urinate q 10 minutes, or I can't take a deep breath.

I don't care about anything else aside from feeling like the weight of a bowling ball has been lifted from my pelvic girdle support structures.

And now, I've become "one of them"...I eat fiber cookies, fiber rich fruits and veggies, pro biotic enriched yogurt, and flax seed, chia seeds, etc.

I'll try anything once.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Me, too!! Fifty-five is just around the corner for me, and I sure wish I had a fat mature 401K, a paid off home, and four children through college (not one of them went except for my 21-year-old, and he's nowhere near finished). LOL!

Boston, don't worry about offending anyone---we "mature" folk can take a joke And this thread is hilarious!!

I got ya all beat........I will be 52 this year and teaching my soon to be 16 year old to drive. My big fat 401K crashed with the market in 2008, my mortgage is far from being paid off, and I didn't win the lottery .

DOn't worry Boston....we love ya!

[SoundofMusic]

I'll be 50 next year. What I have a problem with is the opposite - or IBS. I don't think it's even related to age as much as it is to stress. But my gut truly is not nearly able to handle what it once could ...meals have to be small, lo-fat and lots of fiber or I'm in trouble.

Trying to give up coffee also as it's killing me, but I just keep going back to it..

Wish we had a mortgage paid off. We'll have it paid off, uh, maybe in our 70's! And I still have a 10 year old running around ...what's wrong with me?? lol. (I do at least have ONE through college, though -- 2 more to go).

[BostonTerrierLover, BSN, RN]

Lol, you saying that about the coffee really hits home, if I work day shift-morning coffee sends me running! (no pun intended)! I try to eat a light breakfast, and with all the walking we do, and running, and lifting, it is inevitable that around 9:30 sweat will be popping out on my forehead if I did get weak and stop to grab a biscuit, coffee, and paper.

I always get tickled when I find my newspaper on the lavatory in the Staff Bathroom." The Library.

Being "on-the-road" right now on an assignment, we have one of those typical Extended Stay Rooms with the kitchenette, and (1) bathroom. My wife and I are definelty always in need of the bathroom as soon as we eat, Lol. (You know people like this). One of us always calls "Shotgun" on the way home from supper. (shotgun=I get the BR first when we get home.)

If I get lucky enough to call it first, I always hear the same words, inevitably!, . . .

Are you reading or going in there!?!? (said in desperation:rotfl:). . .I always holler to her when she takes too long, (especially if friends are over), . . .Everything coming out okay babe? . . .

By the way, thanks for the Grace everyone, . . .I appreciate leniency! . . .and promise to much better with next post, (when I work up the nerve again)

:bowingpur

:redbeatheBoston