Hello!
I recently had a permanent colostomy after my year-long bout with rectal cancer. I am a 44-year-old male and just looking for people with similar experiences to speak with, as I am new to this lifestyle and would love to hear from others who have struggled and are thriving.
Hello and welcome to the site. I had the same cancer way back in 2000. It's very survivable. My first suggestion to you would be to find out from your doctor or stoma nurse if you are a candidate for irrigation. If so, invest the time to try it; it will give you back your active lifestyle and remove all the stress and complications from leaks, smells, etc. I do everything I did before my surgery. If I can be of help to you, shoot me a message👍
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Great place for newbies to learn, I have helped many folks on here learn to irrigate, plus learned a few tricks myself. Great informative site.
Hi ddf4792, how are you doing? Welcome to the site. When I had my surgery 3 years ago for a colostomy, I was given a handout about colostomies, and that was for the expert training for an ostomate. The real learning came a few days later when I had to change the appliance and pouch. I hope you recover quickly and the pain will all be a distant memory soon! Will be watching for your updates! Best wishes and take care. What is your email for me to email you about some things and talk more? Best regards.
