Phantom Sensations After Ostomy Reversal

fable3

Sep 17, 2014 4:58 am

Hello everyone! Hope all are doing well. I've been busy with the twins! Life is good. :) I thought I would share the recent odd experience. See if anyone else has felt the same sensation. For those who have an ostomy or ostomy reversal, you know what it feels like to empty into your bag. Most of the time I used to have the physical sensation of poop coming out of my stoma. Recently I've had that same sensation where my stoma used to be, which is just a scar now. I will even subconsciously reach down to hold my bag. Then I realize what I'm doing. Just odd.

Doesnt bother her me just find it strange to have phantom poops with my ghostly bag. Lol.

Bill

Sep 24, 2014 5:37 am

Hello Fable3.

The mind is a wonderful thing but it is also a creature of habit. anything that you have been doing for a while and then suddenly stop will probably have this 'phantom' effect. It is most noticable when if a person loses a limb or a close friend but the same sort of thing makes it difficult for people to give up habits such a smoking, drinking etc. The sensation usually fades into the background as the mind becomes habituated onto something else and thus the void is filled.

Best wishes Bill

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Immarsh

Hi All, If you have an " old" or recent ostomy, this is the place for you. I think I've been a member for more than 15 years, but I have had my surgery, since I was a kid of 15 ( do the math-that's more than 60 years ago). As a teen, with a new ostomy ( for Ulcerative colitis) my parents dragged me off to my first ostomy association meeting. I wasn't happy, but in the long run, it's the best thing that happened to me. I met others, older, and teens like me, adjusting to the changes. A group of us started a Young adult group, and helped each other, and even visited kids who were new to the world of ostomies. But soon I married, and moved out of state, and although made some connections with other NJ ostomates, I became pretty much isolated. Until I discovered MaO. By then, I was having a myriad of other medical issues, and my aging stoma " wasn't doing well". I received a lot of help and support from members! I was pleased that I was also back to supporting others. I met a gal on line (from Papua New Guinea) who was trying to help ostomates in her country. There is a scarcity of supplies in some other countries, and unlike the US, insurance to pay for supplies isn't available. When my son followed his "love" twenty years ago, and moved to Australia I took advantage of an opportunity to help other ostomates. On one of my first visits to Oz, I brought a suitcase full of Ostomy supplies, handed them off to an Ostomy assoc. On the Gold Coast, who then had a friend take them to PNG. They were grateful for the help, and Janet and I still write.. This is the place to be, if you need help, and it also gives you the opportunity to provide help and support to others. Feel free to write, if you'd like to chat, about things ostomy, or life in general. Best REgards to all.. Marsha

Pinky

Sep 25, 2014 5:21 pm

You probably have at least some scar tissue and adhesions where you were re-connected which would narrow and/or slow the peristalsis there and gives you sensationyou would never have felt w/o the surgeries. I had a lot of that when my first colostomy was taken down (2004-2009). Not so much since this permanent colostomy (2009).

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PatinPickering

Sep 26, 2014 1:21 pm

Hi Fable3. My "sensations" are infrequent and nothing more than a minor annoyance so I didn't dig around much. When I finally broached the topic with my surgeon, he told me it was "phantom limb" which is more prevalent with people who've actually lost a limb but still get feelings long after the trauma. In the case of ostomates, the remaining nerves are sending "false signals". I'm not sure if you're picking-up on the similarity which I saw in your post but, if you remain interested in the topic, you can research my diagnosis.

fable3

Oct 25, 2014 2:08 pm

I love your nic, Patin.. Very cool!

Yes, that is what I am referring to when I say phantom poop. It's as though I lost a limb but can still feel the digits. It happens infrequently and is not painful. When granted the colostomy, that sensation was an alert for me to attempt to muffle the noise if I were amongst coworkers or just knowing that I would ended to empty the bag soon.

Now, I get the sensation ... The pressure ... Movement... It's very hard to explain. I don't need to use the restroom afterward. So it's just odd. I tend to lean toward the adhesion explanation. The "site" developed stenosis after the anastomoses surgery, which required a second surgery days later. So I'm sure there is quite a bit of scar tissue.

Phantom Sensations After Ostomy Reversal

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