Hi
I had my colostomy in March 2024; my rectum and anus were removed due to rectal cancer. I am still struggling with pain in my bum area after 15 months. Has anyone else been through this?
Allan69
Jul 07, 2025 12:08 pm
IGGIE
Jul 07, 2025 1:05 pm
G-Day Allan,
I had the same operation 4 years ago and had no pain. Have you talked with your surgeon about it or your stoma nurse?
Get it seen to, my friend.
Regards, IGGIE
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Allan69
Jul 07, 2025 1:37 pm
Yes, I have spoken to them all and been told it will subside.
No sign of that happening.
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IGGIE
Jul 07, 2025 1:46 pm
Are you taking anything for the pain? Ask your doctor for some pain relief.
IGGIE
Ben38
Jul 07, 2025 2:42 pm
It's a problem area. I was very lucky and had very little pain after surgery. I get phantom pain at times, even 30 years later, but other than that, no problems. However, I have known some to be in pain/discomfort for years after surgery.
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warrior
Jul 07, 2025 6:31 pm
Hi Allen..
Let's back up a bit. You're saying you had both your rectum and anus removed? I could be wrong, but I think you have an ileostomy.
Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Pain.. hmm, you need pain meds. I was on oxycodone. A short term.
It helped a lot. Although I was not in much pain, just discomfort.
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AlexT
Jul 07, 2025 8:03 pm
Is it constant pain, or is it when you're trying to sit on certain things? Mine doesn't “hurt,” but I have some certain things I can't sit on for more than a few seconds because it's very uncomfortable. For example, the old patio furniture we had was metal and had kind of a weird angle to the seat. I'd last about 15 seconds sitting on it because of how uncomfortable it was after surgery. With our new patio furniture, I can sit on it all day long.
Chevichump
Jul 07, 2025 10:16 pm
Hi Allan,
I went through the same surgery in June 2023, and for sure the butt surgery took longer to settle than the stoma. In my case, there was no severe pain, mainly just discomfort. In terms of healing, it took about 5 months before I stopped needing to apply dressings to where the incisions meet, but from then on, it has mainly been letting the scars fade and getting full movement back. I still get the odd ache/sciatica in my butt cheek, and an unexpected sneeze can be a bit alarming. I can't really advise anything, but for me, the healing process was very gradual. Hopefully, it will get better for you.
Nightrose
Jul 11, 2025 6:02 pm
Hi Allen
I have an ileostomy and a proctectomy (rectal removal and Barbie bum). I'm almost a year in from my op and still have soreness, leakage, and numbness; it's not pain as much as discomfort. I was told 1-2 years to heal as I had chemoradiotherapy the year before.
Healing seems to take a long time. Are you having regular appointments with your consultant or phone calls with a colorectal nurse you can talk to about your pain? I have a colorectal nurse's number to ring if I need them.