I have to say I am very glad to have this forum full of people who understand. I am struggling a bit at work knowing that no one really understands what I went through or am going through. Sometimes I feel so alone.
8.5 weeks post surgery. I’ve been back to work for 2 weeks. I’m a high school choir teacher. It’s been a bit tough getting through the days, but each one is ...
Gloves? Yep, I did that too…then I would stress as, like you said, everything sticks to the gloves…gave them up 2 years ago - in stoma life we are presented with a whole lotta pooh - hence th ...
Jul 21, 2024
OMG 'your new front butt'. I'm rolling over here. That's one of my daily lines. I thought it was hard before, dressing with NO butt, but that beats dressing the front butt any day...
I'm in a very hot Surprise, Nevada. Getting ready to attend my best friends memorial service. I wrote a little remembrance of our lives together. Hopefully I can get through it.
Most of my lifelong friends here today have not seen my ostomy. And even though I'm wearing a support belt... it be standing proud under my shirt. But I will stand up in front and carry on. It's what my friend ...
Sorry for your loss Beachboy. It's good that your wife was there to take over for you. I've never understood how someone could speak eloquently, or even speak at all for that matter, at the fune ...
Jul 20, 2024
So sorry for your lossBB. I'm sure your friend would be so proud that you tried to speak. You are very lucky to have a wife that stands in for you to complete what you started. It is so sad that ...
I am brand new to this; I literally just made my account, so please be patient with me! Lol
So I have a beautiful, goofy, smart, incredible daughter who just turned 8 years old. She was born with an extremely rare birth defect (2 in 1 million babies are born with it on average); the cause is unknown. I won't bore you with all of the details, but a quick, very basic idea of how she was born is ...
Hello all! For some reason, I seem to have lost the ability to send private messages on here, so I thought I'd just put my news here. I'm going to have an ileostomy on 4th December! Not much fun but I'm looking forward to spending much less time in the bathroom when it's all settled down! Got my pre-op appointment on Saturday afternoon, and a meeting with the Stoma Nurse next Tuesday. I've got ...
Sorry to hear that with this illness, nothing ever goes to bloody plan! Hope you stay in touch and I hope that you are okay and things improve for you soon... good luck
Jul 27, 2024
Hello,
Did you ever get your surgery?
I'm considering the same. Please let me know.
Thank you
Molly
Hello All,
I had the right side of my colon removed just 5 weeks ago, with a permanent ileostomy placed. Since the surgery, I've been feeling an uncomfortable urge or sensation to move my bowels, although nothing comes out when I sit on the toilet. I've been feeling this at least once or twice a week. I read that this is not unusual after an ileostomy since the remaining colon is stimulated to ...
EA 54 - - - Ileostomy here - almost 4 years... and a capital Y E S in reply... also, many weeks can go by with no urge such as this... and once in a great while a tiny little "fartlette" will esca ...
Jul 19, 2024
Yes, it's normal, and the mucus or lubricant can take many forms. Sometimes quite loose and sometimes more formed. I get those 'feelings', sort of like you need to have a BM, but I don't find them ...
I had emergency surgery in May (bad diverticulitis) and now have a colostomy bag. I'm adjusting to it, but it's hard. My main issue is changing my bag out myself. My wife has been changing my bag (she used to work with patients in the healthcare field) because I get sick looking at my stoma. I get queasy and just sick looking at it.
Is there anything I can do to get over looking at it so I can ...
The first time the wound nurses wanted to show me how to empty mine, they showed up right before my husband and kids were going to visit me in the hospital. My kids hadn't seen me since the night ...
This may sound like a really stupid post but here goes!
I adopted 2 rescue cats at the weekend and on the way home I kept one pet carrier on my knee in the car, we had to stop and change places part way home because little claws kept poking through the carrier and getting too close to my bag for comfort! Now we have them home, they're little mischievous things and keep climbing all over me. I' ...
What!!!!! I would just fall apart if a dog did that!!!!
Sep 08, 2024
It’s happened several times to me when they climb me, try and make biscuits and when I’m asleep I’ve woke up to several tiny holes. I just clean, let it dry then put transparent tape over i ...
Hi all. I've finally got my reversal booked for August 1st. Excited and terrified ! Anything I need to know and any tips would be very much appreciated.
I had an ileostomy in 2009 and had it reversed 6 weeks later. I have a hernia from the incision site that started not long after the reversal. Give yourself time to heal and try to avoid having a ...
Aug 07, 2024
I had an ileostomy 15 years ago and it was reversed 6 weeks later. I began to get a hernia soon after the reversal and it has gotten a bit larger since, but it has never caused pain or bothered me ...
I had a colostomy operation last December following a ruptured diverticula and would welcome any advice or experiences people of my age have faced with a reversal operation, which is something I am now having to consider. I am 75 years young.
I think you have made a good choice. Good luck and keep us up to date. Regards, IGGIE
Aug 11, 2024
My colorectal surgeon asked me if everything was going well with, "If it ain't broke, why fix it?"
Well, I am having a bad time with poop hanging from my tummy.
Check 4 or 5 times to see if it is ...
Hello,
I've had my colostomy a little over a month, so I'm a newbie. I am very concerned about odor. I was looking today at garbage cans that are like a diaper genie, but use regular kitchen-size bags. Is it worth the expense? How do you deal with disposal?
Thank you,
Lilbet
I just use dog bags and double bag them (required here in Ontario). Then I put them in my building's garbage. I've left them overnight in my bathroom garbage (double bagged and then into the garba ...
Jul 14, 2024
Good question. I was thinking about that. They are expensive, but in this weather, just putting them out in the garage doesn't help with odor. Maybe Ziploc bags would be good to use. Green bag gar ...
I have a very irregular-shaped ileostomy stoma and developed a stomal fistula in a V shape on one side. Cutting the opening on the wafer to fit was beyond frustrating, and my skin was suffering greatly. So was my mental state.
I used the stomal measurement guide and chose a size slightly larger than the stoma. I took a picture with my phone. I then enlarged it so the circles of the measuring g ...
WOW! I’m so impressed by your way of working things out without help from an ostomy nurse! I hope that i can get to where you are with this! Big Thumbs Up!
Sep 06, 2024
Oh Yeah! I so need to hear about how you can deal with some unexpected stuff that just….happens! Thank You So Much For Sharing That! It helps me so much to know what everyone is dealing with and ...
Hi all, newbie here. I've had my ostomy since June of 2023. Lately, I've been dealing with constipation. What do y'all do/eat to get rid of constipation? I also have cerebral palsy.
Not sure of the type. I have a stoma coming from the ileum with everything else still intact. It was done because of a bowel obstruction during chemo. This option got me back on chemo sooner. The ...
Jul 15, 2024
I have an ileo 8yo and I fart regularly and quite enjoy it. My bottom was silent for the first year or so.
Greetings Ostomates!
So… I'm new(ish) here, joined a while back but have never posted. Got my ileostomy May of last year after decades of Crohn's & two bouts of colon cancer. Happy to report I'm doing well and still here! I think I've adjusted pretty well to the new routine. It took a few months of testing products to land on a good appliance that lasts a solid 7+ days before swapping out, b ...
G-Day ClaraD, the clip is so you can fold the bottom of the bag over and make it shorter if you wish. It also secures the bag so it doesn't open by accident. I also glued a small but strong earth ...
Aug 12, 2024
Hello Kevin here. I am new to the world of ostomies, January 2024. I have a urostomy and, like you, I grew up tucking in my shirt. My brother-in-law buys shirts not made to be tucked in, even thou ...
Hi ostomates! I'm new here, so I hope I'm doing this right :)
I'm currently 7 weeks post-op from having a revised stoma and Barbie butt created. A couple of days ago, I went to a follow-up appointment where we discovered my wound had completely opened up and was not healing. I was immediately admitted and sent to the operating room to get a wound vac placed in my bottom.
A little history of m ...
Hahaha! Shit literally everywhere that can't be good for wound care, right? Lol, I'm willing to fly to Nebraska so I can go to your treatment center instead... or I'll try bargaining with them at ...
Aug 11, 2024
I had everything done at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). They were wonderful. It makes no sense that you can't wear an ostomy bag.
I have a consultation with my surgeon to discuss going forward with what I suspect will be an ileostomy. I know little about it at this point but have started my research. I found this group and I have a few questions.
I am 90% carnivore and have been for 4 years. What issues can I expect?
I am a barrel racer and do not want to give it up. Any horse folks have advice?
I had to give up running ...
Hey Hikergirl107. There is hope after an ileostomy for an active person. I'm an avid hiker and social dancer - had my ileostomy a year ago and now trying to get back into my really active lifestyl ...
Jul 16, 2024
I have been on the carnivore diet for over 9 years and will not be altering my way of eating anytime soon. I am not a horse person, so I can't speak specifically to that.
I had a proctocolectomy i ...
I though once I retired, I'd be sitting on the porch in a rocking chair watching clouds waltz across the horizon.
Instead... I've never been so busy.
Booked a Caribbean cruise for early next year. Aruba, Cayman, and Curaçao. Will fly in a week early to visit the Everglades, Manatees, and stop at "Robert is here" in Homestead for Key Lime shakes.
I live & breathe Classic Rock. After 8 mths of hospitals & nursing homes, I slowly got back on my feet. Now I can finally enjoy my retirement. Doobies Bros, Foreigner, Lynyrd Skynyrd & Rolling ...
Jul 14, 2024
Yes! And I might add: Absolutely!
Gotta get back to doing the things we love. I mentioned in previous posts how I would look out my hospital room window at people walking, jogging, biking, sa ...
I thought I would post/share this while it is still fresh on my mind. As all of you know, my reversal was unexpected because of the hernia that developed and caused a blockage to my intestines. I was unable to have a pre-op appointment with the surgeon since I landed in the ER three days after my consult. My surgeon was out of town, so I had a handful of docs and specialists that were keeping ...
Sorry I did not see this until now. Thanks for all the information! I feel I must have diverticulosis from my long commute and sitting all day at my office job as well - along with not enough fibe ...
Jul 12, 2024
Hi Dexie! Just now seeing this. I drink my veggies now; I got a powder that I mix with water, but honestly, I have to say that I don't drink it daily because I forget. And you're probably right ab ...
Thrilled and terrified... I had a colostomy due to perforation on 4/10/24, and after my third post-surgical check-up today, I am now scheduled for a reversal on 7/16/24. I was really just getting used to having an ostomy. I am a bit terrified about the reversal - while I don't like "having a bag," I do like not having all the IBS issues, etc., and am terrified to have bathroom issues again. Fi ...
Hello - I also had a colostomy due to colonic perforation during a biopsy. I had it for 8 months, then had my reversal on January 30, 2024. It went great - no issues with the bathroom. My only com ...
Jul 12, 2024
I've got my reversal on 1st August. I've had my colostomy since last September. It's nerve-wracking, isn't it, to put ourselves through all that again, but hopefully, it'll be a lot easier than la ...
It really ...