My Ileostomy Experience So Far

So.. I'm sure it's been discussed about 64827294 times already but I can not be bothered to go looking down the entire forum for a post lol. But output colourssss;

Most frequently it's a brownish-orange colour the majority of the time

It's never consistent… sometimes it's bright green and sludgy and looks like it's got little ball shaped bits in it, sometimes it's dark green and looks like it's got lots of flakey-like bits in it, sometimes it's completely clear in colour and spurts out little greenish/grey coloured bits in it… I'm at a point now that because the colour is never the same for 2 days in a row no matter my diet, no matter my fluid intake etc, I've come to the conclusion that I just don't care what colour it is lol

Consistency of the output is the same… sometimes is literally like water, sometimes it's as thick as toothpaste… it's never the same and sometimes change as the day goes on.. 

I've told you 6,400,758,000 times not to exaggerate.

That's cute iggy.

with my stoma and its output I have always thought that it should be green output for some reason. but that isn't the case ..brown usually black sometimes green and it's all dependent on what you were eating... liquids usually occur during the night for me..and first thing in the morning .... like you said sometimes toothpaste sometimes watery I think what you're experiencing is perfectly normal but you mentioned something about flakes ???  I would just watch my diet and as long as you're feeling well I would not give it a second though about your output.

Hello Luke.

Thanks for sharing your thought on the colour concept. It puts me in mind of when I contemplated the issue a few years back and, as you have indicated that you don't look at past posts this gives me the opportunity/excuse to resurrect my rhyme of the time.

Best wishes

Bill

IN MY COLOUR-FULL RAG-TAG BAG.

Right from the start. 
I sensed there was art.
In my colour-full rag-tag-bag.

I've so often said 
The cherries stay red.
In my colour-full rag-tag-bag.

And to my delight.
All nuts stay white.
In my colour-full rag-tag-bag.

There in my sack
The currants stay black
In my colour-full rag-tag-bag.

I tell you my fellow 
The sweet corn stays yellow.
In my colour-full rag-tag-bag.

Blueberries too 
Will keep their dark hue.
In my colour-full rag-tag-bag.

Those carrots stand out.
Bright orange they shout. 
In my colour-full rag-tag-bag.

I perplex and frown 
As I ponder the brown
In my colour-full rag-tag-bag.

A vortex soup of colours blend 
A pot of gold at rainbows end.
In my colour-full rag-tag-bag.

Were I an artist like Matisse 
I would paint a masterpiece.
From my colour-full rag-tag-bag.

But I am just a simple poet.
Rhyming words is how I show it.
From my colour-full rag-tag bag.

I use the rhythms and the rhymes 
To tell of smell and raw enzymes.
From my colour-full rag-tag-bag.

The subject matter won't get worse.
By placing it within a verse. 
The ostomate as graduand.
Will be the one to understand.
My colour-full rag-tag-bag.             

                                           B. Withers 2011 

(In:  ‘My Colourful Rag-Tag-bag' 2012)

Hi Luke i guess the main thing is your having output  and its not bloody.

Hi Luke,

  You didn't mention what type of ostomy you have, why, or if what caused it is under control, still prevalent, or completely cured.  But the color (and texture) of your output can actually tell you quite a lot about what's going on in your bowels, liver, gallbladder, etc, as well as how well your digestive system is functioning.   Just FYI. 

regards,

bob

But it's good to be alive!

Hi Bob

Really helpful post, as a newbie too could you please expand a little to help give me, Luke and other newbies a better idea re: what different colours and consistency relate too please? 

Dark green usually means a lot of bile. I could never get my consistency to applesauce-like. I had about 6 weeks of good appetite after my colectomy and then I was back to no appetite. So I wasn't a poster child for textbook or the way things should be 🤷🏻‍♀️

My husbands is always different and as said it depends on what you've eaten. 

Bob, I'm just a simple minded person. However, when the title says ileostomy, I just presume that's what he has. 🤷‍♂️😁