Struggling With A New Ostomy - Seeking Advice And Support

Slow momma · 2013-06-27T14:57:12-04:00

I got diagnosed with a very tiny spot of cancer in my low colon in early March. Had surgery two weeks later. I begged the doctors, "No bag, please!! I can't deal with it. I already have enough on my shoulders without the headaches of a total life change, so to speak." They said they will do their best, no promises or guarantee not to get one. I prayed so hard for days for God to not let me have one, but after ten and a half hours of surgery, I found myself with a colostomy. I was so upset. Well, several days later, I had to go back into surgery and come out with an ileostomy! That's the one that's in use now. My colostomy just has gauze and tape over it. My ileostomy has been a total nightmare!! It leaked from day one. My skin was so red, raw, blistered, seeping, bleeding. It hurt so bad. My doctor had to "sew" things on my stoma to keep the poo off my skin to heal it four times, and yes, it hurt badly!! Nothing worked. I finally had my stoma moved two weeks ago. Kind of in a bad place... It's above my belly button about three or four inches to the left. My stomach empties out too fast, and I'm hungry a lot. I eat a lot but have lost a ton of weight the three months I was in the hospital. I came home a week ago Friday and got put back in the hospital this past Monday for two days and lost another 12 pounds. Has anyone else had this experience? Sheesh, losing like that, I'll be gone in a few more months. My bag is very active and has to be emptied every hour or so and mainly watery. I've tried eating binding foods and use stuff like Imodium, etc. Had that all in the hospital for months...no help. The last few months have been emotional for me...wondering how I'm going to deal with all this...and to even think of having a relationship with a man is unimaginable. Trying to be close or intimate with a guy and have the embarrassment of my bag flopping around or leaking... How does everyone else deal with these issues? I don't want to be alone the rest of my life, but I may be doing so...

Struggling with a New Ostomy - Seeking Advice and Support

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Slow momma

Jul 29, 2013 1:23 am

I'm allergic to most tapes. Band aids, etc so that might be the reason my bag is not doing well. Thank everyone for all your help. I've been sick several days with some kind of flu virus. I don't wish this on anyone. My friend emailed me a bit ago and she's been sick 2 weeks already. I'm already run down, dizzy and lightheaded. This weakness is not good for my surgical recovery. I'm going backwards instead of forward...
Seen my surgeon last Monday and he did blood work. My B-12 was real low as well as my sodium. Usually it's my potassium and magnesium. Now more supplements...I'm really down today trying to deal with all this..got a lot of recuperating to do yet. I'm sick of not being able to do much and with my levels staying low it makes me more weak, dizzy and lightheaded. There has to be a fix to all of this....Barbara

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Past Member

May 08, 2018 9:18 pm

You and your daughter are in my prayers.

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