I'm a newbie here. I think it is great that there is a place for us with similar conditions to share, care, laugh, and be there for each other.
My Story: I was not able to eat hardly anything for nearly a month. Three almonds and part of a baby carrot were a feast for me. I was getting weak, lost color, was in constant intense pain, and lost 30 LBS (not that I couldn't afford to shed a few!). My stomach, though, was growing larger and larger. I went to the ER due to the pain. I was told I probably had a virus. A few weeks later, I hadn't gotten any better and went to my doctor who told me that I was getting better, but it would take a couple of months, and that it was just a virus. A week or two passed and nothing improved. People pleaded with me to see the doctor, but I told them I already went twice and they told me it was a virus. My daughter-in-law begged me to go to the ER. I went. The ER doctor did something simply amazing. He actually did some tests. Gee, what a concept! He did an ultrasound, which found a blockage in my colon. He sent me for a CAT scan. An emergency surgery was done as my colon was about to rupture. I had a colostomy. The pathology report showed I had adenocarcinoma and I am doing chemo now. The first several days with a bag were hard, and this grown man cried more than once when I had spillage, due to the pouch filling with liquid very quickly. I learned Imodium works great! After about a month I had grown accustomed to my pouch, reality, and a new way of life. My wife of 34 years seems supportive, and says it does not matter, but it seems the intimacy is nowhere the same as it was before.
