This is a great site, and I really have had some great positive feedback. However, living with a colostomy is very different than living with a urostomy. I myself have a urostomy due to bladder cancer and I find most of the discussions on here are geared more towards colostomy...and that's fine. I just think that it would be more user friendly if the site could maybe separate the two issues ...

January after 5 years and a prior attempt that was unsuccessful due to the surgeon finding everything inflamed… my Crohn's was active, and I had no clue. Prior scans and blood work showed all was normal. Connected the small intestine to the rectum. It's been a learning curve. Something not used for 5 years is now performing double duty. I have urgency under control, but I still leave folded ...

Well, I don't know about you lot, but it seems my newish stoma has given me a fabulous new social status!
I have received a personal invitation to attend the opening of the new endoscopy unit at our local hospital! Get me!! But "opening" has so many variations in this context.
I am not sure about the social norms at such an esteemed high-level award, so any advice is welcome!! To be honest, I ...

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 ...

I had written about a month or so ago asking what people eat to try to lose weight with an ileostomy/J pouch. I've had several suggestions, and I thank everyone for their input. I decided to try the Carnivore diet, but not full meat; I have included vegetables as well. I had the issue where everything was running through me because the things that help me keep it together are things that put w ...

Hello everyone! I am actually still here. I just passed my 7th year in Ileostomy World. A lot has gone on with me lately. I just had open heart surgery on the 11th of April. I spent 6 hours in surgery and 4 days in ICU. I did not have a heart attack. It was discovered that I have Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy and not enough blood was getting through the left ventricle. I was passing ...

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, ...

It's been a year since I left my colon at the hospital and have been blessed with overall good health. I am very active with hiking, biking, skiing, and embarking on a 3-week trip to meet my son in Nepal for a few weeks of trekking!
I currently use a stealth belt for my activities but wanted to get any other advice on what had worked well for others and travel tips. I have never taken 3 weeks ...

I recently got a sigmoid colectomy. It's been a week and I still feel kind of in the dark (knowledge-wise). Anyone that wouldn't mind being bothered by what may seem like dumb or annoying questions? I would like to make more friends through this as well. Thank you

So stepping out into brilliant sunshine on my break, I look up at a cloudless sky, cigarette in hand, basking in the heat…
And my phone starts ringing…
Hello…
Hi, could I speak to Thomas, please?…
Speaking…
It's … from the Northern General Hospital, we'd like to book you in for your surgery…
Ooh shit… (pun intended)
So now I have four weeks until my action man bum surgery. Shit ...

Hi all! I'm 27 and looking for other young ostomates. I'm in the United States, Georgia to be specific. I'm looking for both local and virtual connections with others in the young adult stage. I have a great local support group, but everyone is over 50 and relatively inactive. When I go through members here local to me, I don't find anyone in my age group. Does anyone have tips on meeting youn ...