I can't leave the house due to symptoms similar to IBS.
I was told I should get a stoma. Extremely confronting.
Surely this would only provide respite for the problem with the only benefit of waste matter being bagged. If I eat good food, it goes straight through me.
Any thoughts or advice?
Susan
Hello Susan.
Thank you for sharing your predicament.
This is a similar situation that I (and probably many more on this site) have gone through prior to eventually getting a stoma.
We are all different both in the manifestation of our conditions and in the way that we perceive and deal with them.
For my part, it took me several years to decide that a stoma would be a more convenient way of ‘managing’ my faeces, rather than being incontinent from my backside.
Opting for a stoma is a very personal choice (for some) and this period of preoccupation with a present set of circumstances is part of the adjustment process towards making a decision about the ultimate outcome.
All I can say is that, after I had my stoma, I was so relieved at getting rid of my past problems that I became grateful that there was this alternative.
I also wondered why I had not made the choice of having a stoma much sooner than I did.
Best wishes to you in whatever choices you make.
Bill
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Hi Susan,
I would like to tell you the advantages of having the operation, whether it's a colostomy or ileostomy.
You would have no pain.
The good food on its way through would take up the goodness before reaching your small intestine and colon. The colon mostly absorbs water. In your case, you might not need all the large bowel removed, just the diseased part.
You can leave the house with a bag and can be completely at ease to do most things. The operation gives you your life back.
In my case, when I went ahead with an ileostomy in 1986, I was 36 with two young children. I hated it but began to realize what I had been missing in my life. I could do everything and began to enjoy life again. I'd forgotten what it was like to feel healthy.
Also, I didn't have internet or these wonderful connections with so much help and advice.
Please let us know how you get on.
Best wishes from Megs
Hi Susan, you don't say how long you have been suffering with this situation or what steps you may have already taken. Have you gotten a proper diagnosis? Perhaps a second opinion would be in order. All doctors and specialists were not created equal. Getting an ostomy is a big decision, but as others have said, it can make a profound positive change in your life, under the right circumstances. Has it been suggested that you get a temporary ostomy that can then be reversed if you don't have a good outcome?
Terry
Hi there,
I have been suffering from this problem for 5 years now. Tests reveal that I now have an atonic bowel, but I also have all the symptoms of IBS. I have been left with the bowel issue due to nerve damage after many pelvic floor operations to remove mesh. I have seen two colorectal surgeons. Doctors don't give you much time. Just last week, I went back to the doctor and he basically said, in his words, "There's nothing I can do for you," but then he followed up with, "other than a stoma."
I have been housebound for so long now. I feel like someone is playing a bad joke on me.
Regards,
Susan
G-Day Susan 1953, I had 18 years of problems with accidents at night and pains. So I decided to go all the way with an ileostomy and I now have a very happy life and my stoma is my best friend. Do it, Susan, then you can get out and see all that Tasmania has to offer; it's one of my favorite places. Regards, IGGIE
Prior to getting a stoma, you should find a surgeon you are comfortable talking to and who is willing to answer your questions. You need to find out if you really do have an atonic bowel. You will have questions about a stoma before and after surgery, which is why you want a surgeon willing to answer questions. What works for me is to write down my questions and tell the doctor I have some questions I would like answered, then hand the doctor the list — normally, I have the questions on my phone.