I see a lot of people talking about a colostomy and irrigation and being able to go without a bag for a while. I am somewhat confused between the two. Is an ileostomy when you lose all or most of your colon and a colostomy when you still have part of your colon working? When you have an ileostomy, you can't go without a bag or wear a plug, but do people have control when they have a colostomy? What exactly is irrigation and can it be done with ileostomies? I've done some reading but it isn't totally clear. Is the position of an ileostomy different than a colostomy, higher or lower or on the opposite side of the body? Thanking you all ahead of time. I will just listen.

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