So i know that it is common for many people to have a phantom pain when something has been removed from the body and is no longer there. What really mind boggles me is why we can still feel something that is no longer in our bodies or part of us anymore and I keep asking myself “Why?”, “will it stop” or “will it happen often?”.
Doctors once believed phantom pain was infact a psychological problem, but now believe it’s a sensation that comes from the spinal cord and brain. Phantom pains happen to people that has had an arm or leg removed and it also occurs to many after they have had surgery to remove other body parts such as their large intestine, pancreas, appendix and many more! So really it can happen at any time in your life, even after ten years of feeling nothing, one day it can happen! Your body has grown with these parts and even though you know they are gone your body can take a long time to adjust to this.
Anyway, Today is what i call ‘Phantom Day’. A day of feeling that you have to poo but you can’t because once you have been sewn up (known as ‘Barbie Butt’) it’s actually impossible to! Many who have temporary stoma’s, feel this too and pass mucous which is the body’s natural lubricant produced in any part of the intestine. On these days i feel the pain of what i once had when i had a bum or rectal stump or when crohn’s and colitis decided to show it’s presence. Like many others, i thought this was impossible and getting your head around it can be challenging..Fear not! If you are reading this and feel that the pain you are experiencing doesn’t make sense, why you have this terrible feeling, cramping, spasms and heaviness i want to tell you that you are NOT alone. It may feel like things aren’t getting better but they will, only the timing is uncertain.
If you have pain relief, take it. You may feel woozy or unable to do things due to tiredness such as cancelling plans with a friend however you come first. If you want to have a bath then you have a bath! who cares about that sibling or flat mate who always wants the loo when you decided to have a soak? You time is so important when experiencing Phantoms days, days of pain or simply pure exhaustion. Who cares what people think if you want a day in bed with icecream and netflix? People will judge you no matter what you do and you can’t control their perspective on things, but you can help them understand why if they are willing to except how you are feeling.
I have been reading a great book this week called ” The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**k” by Sarah Knight and i can tell you now, its brilliant. I’m not even half way through and already i feel my view on people in life is some-what different! A great line i quote from the book..”There are two reasons you tend to give a fuck about what other people think: one, because you don’t want to be a bad person, and two, because you don’t want to look like a bad person.” It explains that not giving a hoot about what people think is right but doing it in the right ways is so important. It is priced at £12.99 british money and is available on Amazon or in Waterstones book stores.
If you are struggling to cope with any type of pain or coming to terms with life then i highly suggest picking a hobby you are able to such as reading, colouring in adult colouring books or walking. Do what you want to do, when you can and don’t be forced to go out for that one drink because you don’t want to let friends down, if they love you they will understand. Love the life you live and live the life that you love. 💜
alannahjaynesblog.com 
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