I had a colostomy placed 3 months ago. I lost a third of my body weight and now look like a walking skeleton. The doctors can't figure out why they had to cut out 9 cm of what they call "concrete," and they say I'm lucky to be alive. Funny, I rarely feel lucky. Three hospitalizations later and running out of medical days, I wonder what my future holds. Will I die early? Will I leave a young child behind? Will I wind up homeless? They say it's reversible but keep pushing the date back. I cry a lot now and hate dealing with the bags, the insurance, the money lost. I get sick of everyone saying I'm lucky to be alive. I know I should focus on the positives, but that's hard for me. I've always been kind of a pessimist and this certainly hasn't helped my outlook. Please tell me I'm not alone. I feel alone.

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Hollister
Talking about having an ostomy can be uncomfortable for most people. Still, it's something you can't always avoid.
Learn about some strategies that can make it easier to talk about your stoma.
Learn about some strategies that can make it easier to talk about your stoma.
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Hollister
We conducted a survey to better understand the impact that living with an ostomy has on sleep.
Learn the results of our ostomy sleep survey.
Learn the results of our ostomy sleep survey.