My wife has recurring small bowel obstructions caused by abdominal adhesions. I spent months reading medical research from the United States and other countries around the world, reading what other patients report, and talking with her doctors, along with our own observations from what my wife went through. We have found, as other patients have, that certain things may contribute to a small bowel obstruction. I built this to help us avoid them. At the same time, what I learned is that nobody knows exactly what triggers an obstruction. Her doctor told us that almost anything can contribute.
So we made this for ourselves, with the hope of helping to prevent a small bowel obstruction: a simple way to keep up the habits we have learned about, keep a daily log of what she eats and drinks and how she feels, and celebrate every week we get through, one week at a time, one year at a time. This is not a proven method. It is just what we are doing, and we hope it helps.
This is not medical advice. It is not a treatment, a cure, or a promise that anything will prevent an obstruction.
These are possible guidelines, not guarantees. An obstruction can happen even when everything is done right. If it does, we learn what we can and keep going.
What patients reported helping them is patient experience, not medical evidence. Doctors may tell you something different. Follow your own doctor.
Do not use this app or anything written in it to decide whether to get care. If you are worried, call your doctor or go to the emergency room.
These are guidelines, not guarantees. An episode can happen even when we do everything right. If it does, we write it down, learn what we can, and start again.
All 52 weeks are stamped. Every week was one more day of taking care of her. Keep this year; it moves to "Our past years" below, and a fresh year begins.
A few lines a day, including the quiet days. Over time it shows what a normal day looks like.
Cramping can be an episode. If it was, please log it in the Episodes section on the Stats page.
Every week gets a stamp and a note. Each month gets a badge and something bigger. The quarters, the half year and the full year are for something she really loves, and we do it together.
Mark each idea Yes, Maybe, No or Surprise me. A No is never drawn. When a milestone comes, we can draw one at random or pick one ourselves. Tap a pressed button again to clear it.
Little surprises from the people who love her. Keep each one short. Nobody sees what is inside until its day. Only the count shows here.
Videos: up to 15 seconds and 50 MB. Upright (portrait) looks best on a phone. Photos are shrunk to fit automatically.
Adding photos and videos is part of the real app. Try everything else.
Sealing is a courtesy lock, not security. Anyone with edit access could look.
Every stamp uncovers one piece. After 52 weeks, the whole picture is ours.
Spoiler warning: this shows every picture. Pieces already uncovered stay uncovered, and the picture underneath changes.
Adding photos is part of the real app. Try the pictures that come with it.
Built from the entries below, and updated by themselves.
Every time it happened, including the mild ones and the years we only remember roughly. Write it down and note anything that might have played a part.
Notes to ourselves, and ideas to add to the care list.
Write them as they come to you. When the doctor answers, tick the box next to the question and type the answer in the box under it.
Tick what to include. It makes a PDF to save and share. It holds only our own notes and numbers.
Why we built this, the disclaimer, and the research.
A stamp says we kept our side of these this week. Change the list whenever it changes.
Read this when the reminders start to feel old.
The note that pops up with each stamp. Change any of them. The gold ones are the milestone notes.
The message that pops up when you tap Today's reminder on the Stamps page. Open a week to change its days. Day 7 is always the stamp day.
Save a copy of everything: stamps, rewards, habits, the daily log and episode notes. Keep it somewhere safe. If this page is ever lost, the backup brings it back. The backup file is not locked, so keep it somewhere private. Photos stay online and are not inside it.
You are signed in on this device. Signing out also removes the saved copy from this device. Everything stays safe online.
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If you are worried, call her doctor or go to the emergency room. This page holds our own notes.
Our steps, in order.
Tap Copy to copy a number.
What is already packed to go to the hospital, and what we still need to add.
Check an item when it is in the bag and it moves up. Uncheck it to move it back.