How has your spouse/partner/significant other (Past OR Present) handled your ostomy/surgeries?

It doesn't seem to phase my husband one bit. He basically acts as if it not there.  Sometimes I'm half asleep and get up to pee and empty my ileostimy bag  I forget to put my deodorizer in. So when I get up in the morning hours later and  it stinks to high heaven from not having that deodorizer in there.  I told him sorry, I know it stinks and he says I'm used to it by now. It's funny because if he farts I'm thinking it's my bag and I'm sniffing myself through my shirt thinking it's me and after a few minutes I'm like did you fart? He's like yes. Lol!! 

I have been married to my husband for 17 years and he is very supportive of me having a ileostomy, I was knocking at deaths door and was rushed to surgery and he has helped me every step with bag change and anything else.

 
crappycolondiaries,

A great topic you decided to bring up. I think it's very important for everyone to see the good stories, to provide hope and the not so good stories, to provide appreciation for what they have. I've been with my wife for 31 years and she's was amazing before my battle with Chorn's let alone the two years I battled it and unfortunately lost which led to "Lily", my ileostomy and "Ken butt". The recovery from "Ken butt" was the worse, I didn't want to eat and all I wanted to do was sleep. At one point, I strongly thought about giving up and stop fighting the fight. I'm not going to tell you that because of my wife I made it through, but I will tell you that she never gave up on me. Once I decided to get better, she was there for the wound care, the showers with a trash bag around my waist, the late-night crying sessions, the changing of "Lily" when the bag leaked, and the days I was just down right mad at the world. All in all, she hung in there and I'm so proud to have been so lucky to have a person in my life that I can call my wife that loves me for who I was and who I am now moving forward, with "Lily" and Ken Butt".

Everyone hang in there. We fight the battle everyday and for everyday we get up, it's a win and the more wins we all have the stronger we all get and the better our lives are!!!

So far, my husband has been very helpful. He helps with showering. He helps with fasteners and socks. He helps me keep things in perspective and helps me remember to laugh.

Hi- It's been about a year since I had the emergency surgery for perforated intestine-and my husband has been incredible. He still helps me with changing out and applying my two piece ostomy bag: Where my stoma is located, it makes it pretty hard to see anything beyond the bottom of the stoma, lol. Since I have super sensitive skin, I need to be sure everything is clean and correctly applied, and I have created some scenes trying to use a mirror to do it myself. 😂

My husband, from day 1 in the hospital, watched the ostomy nurse, and just took over.

Because my stoma is RIGHT in line with a belly fold, there is a never ending issue with the area along the crease, by the belly button. Some people call accidents “blowouts,” which is OFTEN the case, but we call a “CODE BROWN,” or a “Perimeter Breach,” lol. 

I have, of course, tended to those situations myself, but it is so much easier and faster if my husband helps. What a bargain he got when he married ME, lol! 

He has, truthfully, saved my sanity. They gave me less than 50/50 odds of living: I did, thank God, but as you all likely know: The aftermath of the surgery is harrowing. The swelling, the pain, the mental adjustment: I was really, uncharacteristically depressed. My husband brought me around by saying “I'm so thankful that you made it into surgery, and LIVED: That surgery saved your life, you should probably start being a little thankful for that.” I hate when he's right.

When the bag makes its ultra embarrassing noises at the worst times, we both die laughing…I always knew what a great guy my husband has always been, but this situation? He treats it like it's nothing, and has greatly helped me to adjust to my new “reality.”

Wishing everyone here the best of everything, especially: Good health!