Ask your doctor for help.
Don't let shyness or embarrassment stop you.
As your doctor advises,
either taper off or go cold turkey. Expect to be anxious when time
passes with no bowel movement and increasing feelings of fullness,
bloat, and discomfort. Your body needs time to regulate itself and
relearn how to respond to natural cues. Be reassured that most people
who stick with their doctor's recommendations manage to stop laxatives
and enemas and resume normal functioning after an initial period of
discomfort.
Make sure you eat enough
food, especially high-fibre items like whole grains, fresh fruits, and
fresh vegetables. An inexpensive, effective way to increase the fibre in
your diet is to add a few spoonfuls of unprocessed bran to soups, stews,
and cereals. (Don't go overboard with the bran. It can generate
intestinal gas which will increase your discomfort.
Drink a hot beverage
(lemon juice in hot water is good), and then walk briskly for thirty
minutes. The hot liquid and muscle movements in your legs and abdomen
will help stimulate muscle contractions in the intestines.
Drink lots of water
during the day. Doctors recommend eight to ten glasses. Don't count
caffeine beverages in your total; caffeine pulls water out of your body
instead of adding it to cells and tissues.
Let your therapist help
you deal with the anxiety that this recovery process may create.
Remember that the human body has tremendous powers of restoration, but
they sometimes take a while to kick in. So take care and look after
yourself.
