Questions About Ostomy Bag and Post-Surgery Recovery

Hello to everyone in this group. I was so pleased to have found this website and to have read some questions and answers to questions, which helped me. Let me explain a little bit about myself. I went to my MD doctor's office with some tightness (diverticulitis) in my stomach, and within an hour, I was going into the emergency room on May 8th. I was kept on antibiotics for a week, and then surgeons had to open me up to see what was going on. Because of a peptic ulcer high on my intestines, an appendix upside down, and a big abscess on the colon, I had an exploratory laparotomy and sigmoid colectomy, and they were able to save my life after a two-week stay in the hospital. So now I have some questions regarding the ostomy bag.

A. I've had the bag for almost nine weeks now and still at times experience what you would term as pancaking, always on my right side, and I can't figure out why. I take Miralax every day and am still trying to figure out my stool schedule.

B. My extremely long incision healed within about six weeks (had anyone told me that a deep, deep cut would heal that quickly, I would have questioned them, lol). So even though my stomach is okay to the touch, where the incision is on each outer side is extremely sore all the time. I understand that I now have to heal on the inside because it was torn apart during surgery. But I'm curious if anyone else has gone through the same thing and if there is anything I can do (gently massage??) to the outside incision.

C. My stomach is pretty swollen looking, so is that how it will remain, say, six months down the road? Plus, it's lopsided, bigger on the side where the bag is.

Thank you in advance for answering my questions.

Stay safe,

Shirley

You may have a bit of a hernia on the stoma side like me.

Welcome to the site. Make sure you stay well hydrated and chew, chew, chew. You have a lot going on with your healing. The swelling should go down after a while. Make sure you have a good fit. Leave a little air in your bag to keep the pancaking down. Others will come on with their suggestions.

One thing suggested to me was to put a single piece of TP folded up in the bottom of the bag so that a small amount of space/air is created that helps the waste drop down into the bag. I also use a deodorant liquid that helps move things down into the bag. It's hard when your stoma is so new and you're dealing with the swelling changes as you heal. What works one day might not work the next. Keep trying and give yourself some grace as you deal with all this stuff!

It's still early days, and healing will take more time.

I've had the soreness you describe on incisions before. The scar tissue grows faster than the area can heal. Oftentimes, the scar tissue in the middle does not hurt, but pain remains at the intact skin on the sides of the incision. In time, it will heal. I've seen recommendations for helping the skin heal; vitamin A may be one, I'm not sure. I've never used anything, but maybe someone who knows more will be along with a suggestion.

Get a hernia support belt and wear it as much as you can tolerate. I'm worried that the extra distension on the bag side is a hernia, and it could get worse. The overall swelling will go down in time, though.

Colostomies are difficult to time. I've had mine for over 11 months, and I have yet to make any sense of mine.

Stories of Living Life to the Fullest from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

Agree they are difficult to time, and what you eat can make an enormous difference.

Figuring out a schedule is nearly impossible unless you do the exact same things each day, including what you eat/drink.

Big thank you to all that answered. Have a wonderful Sunday afternoon.