Warning: contains graphic descriptions of bodily functions and (probably) inaccurate medical procedures!
If it's not your cup of tea, no hard feelings :)
Chapter 1
It was just another day at the Salvatore Mansion, Elena's new home for the past few months. Her wheelchair made it easier for her to move around than in her childhood home. Damon's room was spacious enough to accommodate her every need, and the mansion had plenty of open space and wide doors. All they had to do was install a shower chair and a stair lift.
It wasn't like it happened without her protest. After all, she didn't want to inconvenience the family by buying things they didn't need just because she was disabled. Damon, on the other hand, repeatedly assured her that he would do anything for her if it meant she could live comfortably in the mansion. The statement always makes her smile bitterly. Since the accident almost a year ago, her condition has never been truly comfortable. But she is determined to live a normal life in a wheelchair and will not give up.
However, her existence was not without complications. Her constant battle with pressure sores, muscle spasms, and the risk of autonomic dysreflexia is now an almost daily occurrence in her life. Not to mention other embarrassing functions of her body that no longer function as they did prior to the accident.
When she first met Damon Salvatore, her first thought was that he was way out of her league, that he would never look at her as a capable woman. That he would never look her in the eyes with love.
They weren't strangers; Damon and his brother, Stefan, attended the same high school before moving to Europe for university. Elena stayed in their small town, aspiring to be a mystery writer. She never had grand plans to change the world; instead, she wanted to follow in her mother's footsteps and do what she loved most: write.
She was doing well; she had completed the first draft of a novel when the car accident occurred; a drunk driver hit her on her way home. The doctors told her she was lucky to be alive, but after learning about her permanent injury, she questioned her good fortune. She was in the hospital for months, followed by rehab and physiotherapy. She had no idea what her physiotherapist was trying to accomplish - it was obvious she would never be able to walk again. She later discovered that these exercises were designed to keep the muscles in her legs from atrophying.
As a result, she stopped writing entirely. She just didn't feel like putting words together when her life was falling apart.
She had to discover for herself what her new condition entailed on a daily basis. The issues with her bodily functions, specifically bladder and bowel management, were her least favorite aspect of her hospital stay. The doctors told her she wouldn't be able to control any of them, that even emptying her bladder or bowels required outside assistance. Even though the nurses tried to get her on a bowel program schedule, she was constantly fighting incontinence. In the end, she had to wear adult diapers to keep the mess at bay.
Jenna, her aunt, moved in with her after she was released and returned home to assist her and make her life easier. The house was not wheelchair accessible, and they did not have the funds to install a lift.
Then she ran into Damon at the hospital while she was waiting for her doctor's regular check-up.
He was in the waiting room as well, his arm bandaged and bleeding. They recognized each other and began talking as if the previous few years had not occurred and they were back in high school. She discovered he was studying economics in Europe, but he had no desire to follow in their father's footsteps as a businessman. He was always more of a techie, having learned software development on his own while supposed to be attending classes at university. He later decided to drop out and start his own IT firm. He returned to Mystic Falls and settled in the mansion, where his mother often visits. Stefan, on the other hand, could not abandon their father and continued his studies, eventually becoming a partner in Giuseppe's firm in Italy.
They were so engrossed in their conversation that they almost didn't notice the doctors calling their names. Elena felt Damon's gaze on her as she wheeled away, and she felt self-conscious as she entered the doctor's office for her check-up. When she went outside, she discovered Damon had waited for her. That day, he asked her out.
She was shocked and stunned, but she gladly accepted.
They've been together since then.
Elena was wondering how much Damon knew about her condition and what it entailed by the time they were on their fifth or sixth date. He admitted that he had never met anyone in a wheelchair, but he had learned about her condition on the internet. She was embarrassed yet again because she didn't know what Damon had discovered. She tried to explain everything, but didn't want to scare him away with the specifics. On the other hand, she felt he had a right to know everything before embarking on a serious relationship with her.
That was her most humiliating conversation to date. But Damon surprised her yet again; he took it all in stride, and she never saw disgust or revulsion on his face when she told him about what she had to do to manage her bodily functions, specifically her bladder and bowel, and how many medications she now has to take for various issues.
She had an indwelling catheter while in the hospital, and the nurses performed a bowel program on her every other day. It included suppositories, usually two medium-sized ones to get her going, as well as digital stimulation to ensure her rectum was empty and she didn't have an accident. Of course, it wasn't always so simple. She had UTIs a couple of times as a result of the catheter, and she frequently had accidents no matter how many times the nurses checked her rectum for any residue stool or mucus. But it wasn't just the accidents that bothered her. She was suffering from constipation on several occasions. The suppositories never made her go, so the nurses had to digitally stimulate her rectum to loosen her anal sphincter and allow the stool to pass. And other times she had diarrhea. She despised all of the procedures, not only because they were embarrassing, but also because they caused her discomfort. Even though was declared paralyzed from the waist down, that didn't mean she couldn't feel anything down there. She was grade B on the ASIA scale, indicating that her injury was incomplete and that she had sensory function but no motor function below her injury. It was even worse when she developed hemorrhoids as a result of the digital stimulation and impaction.
Even after more than a year, she still wasn't on a good schedule. She always carried adult diapers with her as protection (and a change of clothes, of course). Accidents do happen, and unfortunately, some of them happen in public places, so she must be prepared.
Even their first meeting was not without incident. First, she needed extra lubrication at first because her injury had affected those glands, and then when he was thrusting inside her, she felt her stomach gurgle and realized she hadn't had her bowel program that day. A loud fart followed the next thrust, much to her embarrassment, but Damon didn't seem to mind as he smiled at her and asked if it meant she was close. She wasn't sure whether to cry or laugh, but she nodded yes. He fell beside her with a contented sigh not long after they both reached the climax. Her happiness was sadly fleeting because she knew she needed to use the restroom as soon as possible. Damon was more than willing to help her, even offering to assist her with the process when he placed her on the toilet. She wasn't sure if it was a joke or not, but his face was serious. She was aware that they were not yet there in their relationship. So she shook her head no, and as soon as he left the bathroom and promised her privacy, she began the long process of her bowel program.
After that night, their lovemaking was usually without incident.
However, there were times when things did not go as smoothly.
She awoke with yet another bloating sensation in her stomach. It was the sixth day since her last bowel movement, and she was in discomfort. Her bowel programs the previous days were all ineffective, producing only a small amount of mucus once or twice. Constipation was nothing new to her, but it never lasted more than three or four days. She was taking Senekot every day for it, and sometimes Dulcolax but they weren't working.
As she tries to move to her side from her back, which is difficult without her legs moving, a loud fart escapes her anus. She buries her face in Damon's chest, who pulls her closer and kisses her on the forehead. "Would you like me to carry you to the restroom?"
She is flushing, hard. "Yeah, I think it's going to work now."
He doesn't say anything else as he lifts her into his arms and places her on the toilet. He gathers the items required for her bowel program, such as suppositores, lubricant, medial gloves, and wet wipes as he is the one who helps with her program every time now. She's still blushing all the way through it, still not used to how he accepts her and the things that need to be done in her life.
He puts on the gloves and squirts lubricant on his index and middle fingers. She tries to relax her muscles, which is difficult; this is her least favorite part as she feels his fingers brush against her anus.
"Ready?" He inquires.
She's not, but she nods yes.
His fingers enter slowly and gently, followed by a circling motion to relax her sphincter. He repeats this several times until some mucus pushes out of her hole, but she does not feel the need to push stool out. He goes around with his fingers a couple more times to make sure she's loose, then he pulls them out. She breathes a sigh of relief, but it is fleeting as he opens a suppository. He looks at her, and she reluctantly nods. He smiles apologetically and lightly squeezes her hand on the toilet seat. He aligns the suppository with her anus and inserts it into her rectum with a deliberate motion. She moans as it stretches her and his fingers push it up until it's in place several inches in her rectum. He pulls out and waits a few minutes before inserting another suppository. Once the second one is in place, he plants a quick kiss on her lips and tells her he will be back in ten minutes to give her some privacy, as the suppositories usually make her gassy during this part of the program.
But even after ten minutes, she still hasn't felt her bowel move or stool come out, only some juicy farts like the previous five days.
Damon returns five minutes later, and he immediately realizes that the program was not a success this time.
"I'm sorry, babe," he says as he wipes her down and returns her to their bed. "Would you like to try it, lying down here? Perhaps it will work that way."
"No, I don't like it. And I don't want to make a mess if I start going," she notes her face turning red.
"Alright, it was just a suggestion," he says as he quickly dresses for the day and assists her in choosing her outfit. "And, you know, I don't mind washing after it. So long as your program is a success and you're not in discomfort anymore."
"It's sweet of you," she says as he sits beside her on the bed. She examines the clothes in his hand, noticing the sweatpants he chose. She recognizes the reason right away and wants to bury her face in her palms. Because she hadn't been able to pass stool for nearly a week, her chances of having an accident increased. Damon stands up and walks into the bathroom, and as soon as she hears the crinkling sound of the adult diaper container, she wants the ground to open up and swallow her. It wouldn't be the first time that Damon helps her put one on or him knowing she's wearing one, but the feeling of humiliation still remains.
He assists her in positioning herself on the bed after he returns to the bed with the dreaded piece in his hand. He unwraps the tena flex super diaper and places it under her. He rubs baby powder all over down there and even some on her anus to prevent rashes if she has a bowel or bladder accident before tightening it around her waist. He completes the taping and pulls on her sweatpants. As he assists her in sitting up, she hears the diaper crinkle under her and feels her entire body flush. Damon simply kisses her on the top of her head and hands her the top and bra he pulled from the drawer.
He helps her into the wheelchair after she finishes dressing, and they head to the kitchen for breakfast.
"I think it'll just be water and some fruits for me today," she says as Damon opens the fridge and asks what she wants to eat.
"Are you certain? Do you believe it would work? I can whip up some super greasy, unhealthy french toast with lots of bacon," he suggests, his brow dancing, knowing that's her favorite.
"I'm tempted, but remember what Dr. Elijah said about drinking lots of water and eating lots of fiber in situations like this."
"Okay, babe, let's try his method then," he smiles at her and begins slicing apples, strawberries, and blueberries into the mix. He gets himself an energy bar and a cup of milk, and he hands her the glass of water.
They eat in relative silence, only talking about their day and what they intend to do.
Later that day after a quick diaper change due to her bladder letting loose, he takes her to a nice secluded area near the mansion for lunch in the nice weather. Fortunately, her wheelchair can travel safely on the dirt road as they arrive at their picnic location. He takes her out of the wheelchair and places her against a tree, ensuring that she remains upright while he unpacks their lunch. Midway through their meal, she fears she will have a bowel accident and looks at Damon in concern. He notices what she isn't saying and quickly checks the backpack on her wheelchair to see if she has spare diapers and clothes. However, as he reassures her that it's fine if she needs to go, only a couple of farts escape her rectum this time. She quickly apologizes as they are still in the middle of their lunch.
"Don't apologize, babe. You have no control over it; it is only natural. But I'm glad it wasn't an accident this time," he smiles and gently squeezes her hand as they finish their meal.
Elena suggests they try another bowel program at night, just before they go to bed, in case it's successful this time because of her diet this day. She really hopes it is, no matter how disgusting six days of stool in her intestines will be, because the alternative is even worse. She does not want to go to the doctor because of her impaction.
But after half an hour later of Damon inserting the two suppositores and digitally stimulating her sphincter, it's still nothing. She loses all hope. Damon wipes the mucus from her anus and tries to comfort her as he carries her to bed with little kisses on her cheek. He wraps an abena m4 around her waist for protection at night. When she has to wear a diaper in their bed at night, she usually lays on her left side, facing but not touching Damon. But Damon has other plans this time, and as he pulls her into him, her head lands on his chest. He repositions her legs so that they wrap around his, and she flushes.
"What is it? Do you have to go?" he asks, alarmed.
"No...No...just...God," she says, cupping her hands around her face. "Umm...my... my diaper is touching your leg. Doesn't it... doesn't it bother you?
She's so embarrassed.
"What? Of course not, babe. Why would it? You need it for protection, it could never bother me. Hey," he says, lifting her chin with his index finger. "There's nothing about you that could ever bother me, okay?"
She nods slowly, still not believing he accepts her completely.
"All right," she says quietly.
"Good," he says, smiling. "I believe we should request an appointment with Dr. Elijah tomorrow. I know you don't like it, and I know what he'll probably say. But your constipation has never been this bad."
She lets out a sigh. "I know," she admits, sounding defeated.
Yes, she is aware that she must take action. She also knows what Dr. Elijah will recommend.
An enema.
