Wound Care Clinic & Check for Abscess

This J tube has been such a disaster. Ever since my pseudomonas infection the bumper (the round plastic circle against my skin) has been buried underneath swelling and digging into raw flesh around my stoma. It’s caused a pain that has limited my mobility in my lower torso/legs. My new GI, Dr. Melia, has so far been the best doctor i’ve ever had. She listens to me, cries when I cry about my discomfort, and has gone above and beyond messaging colleagues about what to do to help me.

This week she referred me to the wound clinic here at Hopkins for them to evaluate my stoma, the tube, check for any further infection, and see if there was any magic they could do to help me. It was crazy- i’ve never even been on that side of the hospital before. It’s the opposite side from any of the inpatient or GI offices. The team was really cool, I got a guy wearing a skull scrub cap and honestly just confused looking at my torso, but eventually called someone else down to look at me — a wound-ostomy nurse. Starting with the usual flop, they slathered lidocaine jelly all over me and tried loosening the bumper. I was in so much pain, crying on the table, just wanting them to get the whole thing over with.

They tried pulling and twisting the bumper until she admitted defeat and called Dr. Melia. We’re thinking the bumper digging into my raw flesh is the main source of pain, and to see if that’s so we have to switch my dangler tube out for a button. Typically a dangler tube stays in for about three months to establish a tract before you switch it out for the button- a lower profile tube. Because of the pain i’m having that we’re assuming it from the bumper, we’re going to try switching it out sooner. While i’m under anesthesia to do this, they’re also going to check for an abscess under the skin that could’ve formed during my infection. If I have an abscess, we’ll have to remove my J tube and place a new one in a new place soon. If there’s not access, we’ll move forward with the bottom placement.

Thankful for a team who cares and tries to help me even when it feels like we’ve hit a dead end. Wish us luck.