First blow out

So this is a vent rather than a question but:

OMFG!! I had my first massive blow out! It shows me that I cannot go in public or go back to work. Had I been out when it happened it would’ve been a disaster. It was so bad I had to get in shower and wash the lower half of my body, belly button on down!!!(I did not have energy to wash hair and everything) F this!! I quit. I am fixing to start crying it’s so horrible!! I cannot do this. FMOL!!! (F my ostomy life)

My apologies for the language but it was so bad. Now I’m afraid to sleep tonight. Ugh! I was so proud of myself. I went to breakfast w aunt n friend. Went to HEB and walked around getting groceries for a bit. Went to cousin’s new vet clinic to check it out. I was being social. Not isolating. Argh!! 😔

I know I’m gonna figure it out. I just have to panic first. It’s part of my process.

Guess I could always quit eating like I did for radiation. Now that pain was brutal!!

As they say…..shit happens. The sky is still blue and the sun is still out. Buy more soap, wash up, and move on.

This is the reason I don’t eat or drink anything while I am out and take lots of Imodium- thank god I am retired. One evening I was eating and I had explosive diarrhea which blew my bag right off. Got undressed in the shower.

Dang. I'm sorry that happened! Hubz had a blowout like that early on, luckily at home, and everything went into the tub/shower. He definitely thought this was going to be common, but he's developed a nice routine that's given him confidence.

He's prepared for just about anything, taking a 'go bag' of supplies and there's a change of clothes in both cars.
With horses it's said that you're not a real rider if you've never fallen off. Maybe it's like that? We just have to get back on and go again!🐴

The Texas two-step. "Prepare it right, then go out tonight."

I recall my first and several blow outs in the beginning of this new normal. That was in 2016, as an ileo now 9 years.

No fun waking up to 💩 all over you and bed sheets. We all have been there.. Thankfully, nobody died. And that's how you move on. Like Alex said, tomorrow is another day. Deal with it.

I would question how secure the appliance is, the type of appliance being used, the training, if any, how you apply it, the steps involved.

Then diet. What foods are gassy, when are u eating them? we are all different but there are classic steps, foods, and suggestions to avoid future blow outs, in general. " triggers"

It's not the end of the world. It should not prevent you from having a good life. Don't let it define you nor keep you captive.

And not to worry about venting or language. You're upset. It sucks. But hey, would u rather be 6 feet under pushing up daisies? 🤷‍♂️. Believe it or not, you got this and will get it done.

Tips on Hernia Prevention with Collin | Hollister

I guess we can all share your pain. When you have a colostomy or an ostomy I guess you're going to have to expect that to happen. I couldn't tell you how many times I woke up in the middle of the night and didn't want to breathe on my bag was going to blow. It was like a balloon that couldn't take another breath of air. I've tried different diets but I didn't see any that worked. It is frustrating and I know the feeling of just wanting to cry. You're almost ask yourself" what did I do to deserve this??"

But hey, beats the alternative. At least I'm alive to b**** about it. I've tried all kinds of product and found Smelleze worked great for me. The big problem with me was when my bag filled it was 100% liquid and had an empty constantly because as you know these bags are attached to us by glue and stickers. This product helped thickened the stool and help me manage my colostomy bag better. I guess it's one of those live and learn moments. I 100% understand your frustration .

Congratulations on completing another stage of the iniation ceremony to becoming a true baggie! Yes makes you feel like shit for a day or 2 but you know what after that you will pick yourself back up and get back out there living your normal life again.

Hello Bumnomore.
Thanks for sharing your vent. I'm sure it takes many of us back to similar incidents. I have written many rhymes about such events, as this is how I manage to put them into my past and get on with life.
I would also like to thank you for posing an opportunity for me to resurrect one of my more obscure rhymes on such an event.
Best wishes

Bill

THE FATE OF AN OSTOMATE.

The fate of one new ostomate
who couldn’t wait to irrigate
could be a helpful learning tool
for any future hopeful fool.

What started as a defecation
ended up in devastation.
When starting to eliminate
he found it indiscriminate.

When sound came from his stomach-ache.
he found there was no stoma brake.
Hot poo-like stuff from stoma shot
and sure enough he got the lot.

He didn’t quite know what to do
to guide the flow from all that poo.
He was in it, head to toe
so didn’t know which way to go.

What with the stink and all the brown
his normal instincts let him down.
This plight for him was not much fun
for he could neither fight nor run.

He smelt the splat that he had shat
and felt a prat in all of that.
You bet this man was a victim
and yet it did not get to him.

After he cleaned up the mess
he seemed to see it as a test.
He thought he ought to contemplate
his fate to be an ostomate.

He’s not put off nor is he scared
as next time he is more prepared.
Of course he’s got a lot of hope
because he knows that he can cope.

B. Withers 2013
(In: 'My Ostomy World -Trilogy' 2014)

Thank you all for your thoughts and kind words. The rational and logical voices say very much what y’all did. Shit happens, clean up, and move on. The irrational voice is sitting in a corner crying and rocking back and forth saying I don’t wanna do this anymore. And then of course there is the inner middle schooler in a sing song voice saying ummmm. You broke your poop bag. You broke your poop bag. Ugh!! It’s 4am and I just ran to bathroom to check the bag since now I’m afraid any slight movement and disaster will strike. I received little training and cannot find a wnoc clinic that will accept me because I didn’t have surgery at their affiliated hospital. Wound care home health is just that:wound care. No one seems to have ostomy experience. Y’all have been the most help I have received and I thank y’all for it. Well guess I will try and get some more sleep. And great poem Bill. Glad you have outlet. I make jokes to try and cope. Only fun thing about rectal cancer….lots of joke and pun opportunities!! G’night (or morning?) y’all.

G-Day Bumnomore,

What I recommend is that you set your camera or phone up when your next changing your bag and film every thing you do step by step, and if after the change its a good one that stays in place for a few days then watch it a few times and when you next change your bag, do it 100% step by step the same way. If it worked once it will work again.

Regards IGGIE

Really sorry to hear that you went through this. As said, pretty much everyone here has had it happen.

Mine was in the toilet at the hospital, (for a shoulder injection not for ostio reasons)

I walked into the bathroom, opened my coat and as I went to lift my t-shirt up... everything went everywhere!!! It was all over me, all over the floor.. it stank.. I almost burst into tears.

I'm disabled and cannot manage to change my bags, luckily my wife had come with me to the appointment and even more fortunate was we had brought my emergency go bag with me in the car.. full change of everything, bags, wipes, bag for washing, clean clothes etc etc.

I was so upset..

My wife had to come into the loo with me and help me. Even that I found embarrassing.

But.... I'm still here, i look back and it's still upsetting but things are OK..

I hope that you are doing alright now.

Check out the videos available on this site for help with putting bags on etc etc.

Some very good pointers.

Be safe and well

Tony☺️

My first vent was right before Christmas last year so I too know how defeating this can feel. You think you’ve got it all figured out until you don’t. Probably won’t be the last time either. I would suggest taking a few immodium if you’re going to be out a while. An ostomate on here told me about this and it does slow motility so that might be something you would want to try.

It’s okay to be afraid to go out again and be social for a bit but you’ll get past that pretty quickly.

You have to get out and live your best life. We only get one you know. Make it count.

I so feel your angst! So many kind, understanding and knowledgeable folks on this site helped me through some major mental dilemmas. In the end we must each deal in our own way, some are able to do this much easier than others. Help from the medical community was next to nothing in my experience. Humor, music, time, experiences and this website pulled me through some shitfullness to move onward and upward. Chin up and hugs - it’ll get better…..jb

❤️…amazing how you can take a piece of shizzz and make it a fun work of art !!! THANKS ! jb

Bumnomore (btw, great name) you've received enough replies to know you're not alone. Everyone on here has had something happen in public, disasters to small leaks. Are you new to the ostomy life? After a while, you get to know how much of certain things to eat, how best to get a good seal with your appliance and the signs that lead to a leak. Once all of these things are attended to, you won't obsess over having a blowout in public because it won't reach that point. I know it's hard but try to let this go and start fresh. It gets easier.

I have had my colostomy for about 20 months and haven’t yet experienced a blow out, although I have come close several times. I am sure it will freak me out if and when it happens, especially if I’m in a public space. All I can do is be as prepared as I can with emergency supplies and some precautions like checking my bag to make sure it is secure, not eating, and taking Imodium before heading out. However there are times when I need to get out and don’t have time to take all those precautions. Shit can happen no matter how prepared we have tried to be.

I am 9 months in with an ileostomy. I have a large stoma hernia. I cannot find a way to stop the nighttime blow outs. I now set an alarm to wake up but last night I missed the moment. I’m using an extra adhesive around the plate but the poop seems to eat away the adhesive. I actually read that this can happen. I end of sleeping in a towel instead of changing clothes endlessly. For those with misshapen stomas what products do you use? Thanks

There's a different one of Maggie's videos that I wanted to send you the link to, but I was only able to find this one on my phone

m.youtube.com/watch?v=a4y1qo4YnNM

I’m a newbie. I am ?? 17 days out from surgery today. And it feels like a lifetime.

Have you tried wearing an ostomy belt at night?