I am 27 with Crohn's in the colon since 2009 that has gotten so bad that I may need an ileostomy. I am so upset that this has become my life, dealing with Crohn's with no relief for more than a few months at a time. I need a new quality of life. That's why I and my doctors feel I need this surgery. I want to work out and garden again, to do the physical things that a man should be able to do for his family. My main question, although I have at least a dozen, is will I be able to do the physical things I want to? Will I ever garden again? Will I be able to carry my boyfriend from our wedding? To help my future kids learn sports? Please, I need to know there is somewhere I can find relief, these are things I need to demand from life, I don't care if they take my whole colon. Thank you in advance for anything you can say or do. Please try to field my questions to the best of your ability.

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iMacG5
When I found this web site, I didn't think its name had anything to do with actually meeting an ostomate but I later learned there were some folks who did meet and develop relationships. How good is that? That wasn't my intention. I definitely didn't want anyone to meet me. I felt broken and wasn't prepared to express those feelings. I thought it was a place where ostomates wrote about themselves, posed questions, shared thoughts, told jokes and, sometimes, just vented. I thought of it as a community of folks with similar interests and various degrees of experience. Mostly I found some of the most caring, selfless, wise and understanding people I ever imagined. I was so impressed with some of the writings; not because of their literary value but the way in which they addressed such a very complex environment. I read hundreds of exchanges and admired the way folks cared for each other. I became hopeful with my own situation and looked forward to the next day's offerings. Certainly some contributors stood out with their experience or particular skills in addressing some things but it seemed like a total effort with synergistic results. I felt blessed to have found this site. I still do.
Mike
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