Im Looking For Hope.

I'm 30 years old and have battled with colitis all my life; every day has been a battle. I had my whole colon removed on 9-18-09. It was scary for me; I was all by myself when I had it done, and no friends or family saw me. After the surgery, I lost most of my friends and the love of my life. I'm a lonely person and am scared of life now, and meeting new people is hard for me. I'm looking for someone to share with me how someone like us gets along every day. I'm looking for hope.

Hi Anthony,
Welcome to the site, we are a special breed on here. I'm sure you will find help and support here. Just reading the forums and profiles helps me sometimes, just to know there are thousands of us dealing with life with our bags.
In most cases, it has enriched or saved our lives. I tend to forget about mine now, during the day, getting out and making the most of every day. Meeting people is so important.
Take care, Wendy x

Hi Anthony,
I'm so sorry to hear how badly things have been for you. I too had my whole colon removed, and at the moment I have a loop ileostomy and am hoping for my internal pouch to work.
Things always seem a lot worse when they happen to yourself, but keep looking up! I'm only 18, and all I can suggest is that you watch the news and hear about everyone worse off than us. It's hard to believe it, but the only way you can be happy again is to pick yourself up and try to think positively. Everything happens for a reason, even if you can't see it yet.
Come into the chat room to talk to us :) Wishing you all the best.

Hi Anthony, I am so sorry you are having such a hard time. I found this site a couple of months ago, and not only has having a bag saved my life, but the friends I have made on here have also helped me from a very dark place that no one else could do. So start chatting with people on here, and you will find you are not alone, and you may even meet your soul mate. So keep your spirits up; life gets better. Take care. x

I think everyone should be told about this site when they come out of the hospital; it could be a lifesaver. There is so much misery out there trying to manage on your own. You need to talk about all your worries and frustrations, and her people really understand and want to show you that life is worth living once you get through those dark days of gloom, thinking you have to struggle on alone. The "experts" at helping are here; log in often and talk.

Living with Your Ostomy | Hollister

Hi and welcome .... As stated before, we are a bit of a special bunch, and I reckon most of us have been where you are at some point in our journeys. Stick with us .... Rach xx

Hi Anthony... hang in there; it does get better. I've had my ileostomy for 24 years now because of ulcerative colitis. I consider this a gift: no more pain, no more looking for the nearest bathroom, and most importantly, keep a sense of humor. I named my bag in the hospital; she's Matilda. Everyone who knows me knows Matilda. Something funny happens every day, and sometimes you have to go look for it. Please keep your head up and let me know if I can help you. Pat

I don't claim to have the answer to where and how you find your hope. All I can say is prayer is hope. Faith is the evidence of things not seen, the "hope" of things to come. All my life I looked for joy, like my name, and it eluded me. I also didn't find a miraculous answer, but I have found my joy. I will pray for you to find the hope you deserve! We all deserve hope. We are not really any different from other people, are we? We are just plumbed a little differently. People who have enjoyed perfect plumbing all their lives still lose hope and endure loneliness. My own experience in seeking my missing "joy" was that I only had to look within. Something in there showed me that what I had been looking for was there all along. I had just failed to recognize it in its simplicity. Others didn't love me - well, I loved me! I found joy before I ever lost loneliness. I discovered my real self and found my first real friend. In seeing myself as "okay," I am free now to see others and not feel inadequate. Just don't give up the search.......

Hi Anthony, I hope you are doing well and hanging in there. I have really enjoyed this site, and it is good to know so many people "understand" all the issues and the phases that we go through. It has been a couple of weeks now since you originally posted, and I hope that you are doing well.....

Hey Anthony, how are you doing, my friend? I too just had surgery and had nobody to see me. I have Crohn's & UC fistulas, fibrotic strictures, and spent 6 hours in the OR getting my colon un-twisted, re-sectioned, and now I am the proud owner of a stoma. I can understand where you are coming from; I am still in rehab trying to get my strength back. Nobody, friend or family, has come to see me, and yes, I felt like I was abandoned as well. One finds out quickly who your TRUE friends are when you end up going through a personal crisis such as surgery or anything that puts you on the sideline of life for a while. I found solace in talking with the chaplain in the hospital; he made sure someone from the ministry would come up to see me every day that I was there. That helped a lot. I also found that keeping a positive outlook on life kept me going as well. It's hard to do sometimes when it feels like everything is going to crash down on you. What do you like to do? What really makes you happy? Me, I love to cook and love to plan dinner parties, so I would plan a dinner for whoever and figure out how much of everything food-wise I would need to make it happen. My point here is to keep your mind occupied with positive things, things that make you feel alive. Don't be scared of life, my friend. Don't let your past health battles corner you into thinking you're not good enough. Trust me, YOU ARE good enough. In fact, YOU are AWESOME! You are the victor and not the victim. New people will come into your life when you start putting a smile on your face and reclaim your life back. I work with a Greyhound rescue group; I have two Greys of my own that I take to hospitals and group homes, as well as meet and greets. It's fun to see people smile and watch them interact with the dogs. It makes me feel good as well, knowing I made that person's day a little happier. Life is what you make it. You will always have a friend in me, as well as this site. We are one big family, and we take care of each other. So don't be afraid to reach out and talk to someone here. I will lift you up in my prayers, that God would put the right people in your life to build you up and give you the confidence you need to get out there and live life to its fullest! I know you can do it. Believe in yourself, keep a positive mind, and new doors will open for you. I hope this helps. Blessings to you, my friend....dentalguy44