As of today, it's been 14 years since having my life-saving surgery. Though there have been ups and downs along with trials and errors, I wouldn't be here today.
Charleston man
Apr 19, 2024 11:49 pm
Beachboy
Apr 20, 2024 12:12 am
Happy Stomaversary!
Wow, 14 years. I'm going on 1 year 6 months.
Every day's a holiday....
MeetAnOstoMate is a remarkable community of 41,405 members.
“Every morning with my coffee, I read here and feel wrapped in warmth - I hardly post, but it still feels like family.”
“Our oncologist literally wrote down the link; they said more patients need this website.”
“This place pulled me out of the dark. I went from lurking to living again.”
“At 3am, someone’s awake somewhere in the world. I’m never alone here.”
iMacG5
When I found this web site, I didn't think its name had anything to do with actually meeting an ostomate but I later learned there were some folks who did meet and develop relationships. How good is that? That wasn't my intention. I definitely didn't want anyone to meet me. I felt broken and wasn't prepared to express those feelings. I thought it was a place where ostomates wrote about themselves, posed questions, shared thoughts, told jokes and, sometimes, just vented. I thought of it as a community of folks with similar interests and various degrees of experience. Mostly I found some of the most caring, selfless, wise and understanding people I ever imagined. I was so impressed with some of the writings; not because of their literary value but the way in which they addressed such a very complex environment. I read hundreds of exchanges and admired the way folks cared for each other. I became hopeful with my own situation and looked forward to the next day's offerings. Certainly some contributors stood out with their experience or particular skills in addressing some things but it seemed like a total effort with synergistic results. I felt blessed to have found this site. I still do.
Mike
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Hollister
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Learn about convexity and 4 myths surrounding it.
Staying Hydrated with an Ostomy with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister
Charleston man
Apr 21, 2024 12:08 am
Thanks to all who wished me the best and congratulations on my 14 years of experience with my ileostomy. And an experience it has been and will continue to be one. It goes to show that believing in yourself and having confidence, you can overcome most challenges.
Eau Claire
Apr 23, 2024 5:29 pm
The surgery was done on the 10th of Feb. It was not too bad, but the past 2 days have not been good. I seem to sleep and sleep and can hardly get out of bed. Please tell me this is normal at this point. I was told I had ovarian cancer, but it turns out that's not it. I have a mass of tangled guts at the bottom of the pelvis. The surgeons couldn't see past that with the laparoscopy. Yet I'm to have another in May. I am very nervous about that, mostly because of the horrible liquid I have to take the previous day. It's got aspartame in it, which makes me ill. I will be happy for any comments.
Beachboy
Apr 23, 2024 8:06 pm
Hello,
More details would help. Do you have a colostomy, ileostomy, or urostomy? Is it temporary or permanent?
Why did you have ostomy surgery?
If you have pain or fever, seek medical help promptly.
Make sure you drink plenty of water. Don't drink too much at once, sip it. Too much at once will not be absorbed. Also, you need electrolytes. They are available in powder form and added to water. Or you can buy water with electrolytes added. It's easy to become dehydrated with an ostomy.
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Hollister
In addition to your pouching system, you may require the use of an ostomy accessory to enhance the performance of your system.
Learn more about ostomy accessories, and when to use them.
Learn more about ostomy accessories, and when to use them.
Eau Claire
Apr 25, 2024 10:09 am
Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I have an ostomy. It was done as an emergency procedure, and as I explained, they still don't know what the problem is. I am not feeling great, and I am not very hopeful about the outcome. There is cancer somewhere, but they don't seem to know where, as they could not see when they opened me up, and the biopsies came back inconclusive. I had lost lots of weight, and I had fluid retention in my legs... a lot! I find it almost impossible to regain weight. There are lots of foods I can't face. Well, that's it in a short version. Thank you again.