Three weeks ago, I started feeling very bad, with vomiting after every meal or drink. This was happening seven months after my colostomy surgery.
After a week of daily vomiting, I became so weak that I passed out just before entering the taxi that was going to take me to the ER. Thank God for my wife, who helped me through all that.
I entered the ER with hyponatremia (low sodium in the blood, ...

Hi everyone,

I'm almost four months post-ileostomy surgery, and I'm looking to start rebuilding my core strength. I haven't been able to exercise for years, so I'm starting from scratch and want to be really careful.

One of my biggest concerns is overdoing it and increasing my risk of a hernia. I know core strength is important, but I'm not sure what exercises are safe to begin with. ...

I was wondering, my former ostomy nurse told me that I need a lot of protein with an ostomy. So every once in a while, I use protein powder in a shake. I also eat Quest Protein chips about once a week. The spicy ones aren't bad. I do not really eat red meat. Sometimes I eat chicken, but it doesn't digest very well, so I don't know how much is absorbed. I was just wondering what others here do ...

Tomorrow at 8 a.m., I am having the ileostomy reversed. I had to come in and say thank you to everyone who has helped here along the way. I had some pretty low points on this journey, and this community was so supportive and helpful. I appreciate everyone who has chimed in with advice and words of encouragement.

Hi everyone, it's been a while! Hope everyone is doing well! I'm just checking in. So it's been a full year since my colostomy reversal, so I thought I'd share what's been going on for those who are interested. I still have pain when I apply pressure to the stoma site, but only when I press on it and where the hernia repair was done. I still have rectal pain that feels like a stabbing or shoot ...

So now waiting for my OP to remove the rest of the Ol' plumbing.

Been told about 4 months but also sooner if there are cancellations. Can't wait to draw a line under the whole UC saga and recover and move forward. Only problem is it's causing me a slight anxiety because I keep expecting the phone to ring :P

Once this is done I can concentrate on enjoying life and hopefully someone to enj ...

Try saying that title 3x fast... what a mouthful!
I had my first colonoscopy since getting stomas today. I learned a lot.
1) If you use closed-end bags, you'll want a drainable bag for the prep. I knew this and planned ahead. BUT I underestimated the difficulties of using an unfamiliar bag.
It had a cool little pocket to secure the outlet, so I used it. But then the bag filled very quickly. I ...

Since we can't be like "able-anal-ed" folks and "take a dump," we need a saying of our own. "Draining the bag" just doesn't cut it. Some candidates to consider:
Trapshooting. Has a nice ring to it. Imagine: "Hey Sally, back in a jiffy... gotta do a little trapshooting."
Turboturd. For the ostomate in a hurry.
Dash-of-splash. Similar to turboturd, but with some recoil.
Easysqueeze. When you kno ...

I have found that if you put the skin protectant all around your skin where your wafer goes and not just around your stoma, your wafer will stick better to your skin. So if you have trouble getting your wafer to stick, try that out. Let the protectant dry a little and then apply the wafer. It will stick down better and give you a better seal.

The adventure continues.
As I posted previously, retaining a rectal stump long term causes trouble.
A recap: Last December, about 2 years post-op, my rectal stump became inflamed and began bleeding. This, of course, freaked me out a little. Blood discharging... where it should not. I consulted with my most excellent gastroenterologist. He didn't share the concern I had. He examined my stump wi ...

What's the best solution for redness and irritation around the stoma before applying the wafer.