Hi! I hope everyone is doing well! Just wanted to check in and give an update. I do have daily pain where the hernia used to be when I apply pressure, and sometimes I will get this sharp pain under where the stoma used to be. It goes straight down to the side of my pubic area, but it is only sometimes, and I'm not sure what causes it. I also still have rectal pain, but only sometimes, when I p ...

Happy two months to Leroy the stoma! Yes, two months since the surgery that saved my life and led to me finding out the people who cared when I needed care the most and are there for me as I make my recovery in more ways than one.
I thank those people quite a bit for supporting me, especially after my now-ex-partner walked out on me when I got out of the hospital. I have gratitude coming out ...

Have had this for 2 years! I like my bag! Anyone else?

It's completely normal to have concerns about: body image, lifestyle changes, dating and intimacy, managing the stoma/appliance, and fear of judgment. But many people find that after some adjustment, they regain confidence and live full, active lives.

Hey Ostomates, hope you are all having a good day.
What kind of bathroom deodorizer do you all use? Is there a special one for us that works well without being too highly scented? I have tried so many different ones and even tried expensive body spray which didn't work... With an Ileostomy, bathroom odor lingers for a long time after emptying, which is quite often whether I eat or not, and I a ...

My daughter-in-law gave me a wonderful way to help with the disposal of my ostomy bags. She got me a diaper genie, and now I toss the mess in the bag into the genie. She recommends not using the latest model but the original style with tie-your-own bag.
I hope this helps.

Sitting on a park bench enjoying a warm summer afternoon... I dozed off. A little later, an elderly lady happened by and sat next to me. "Wonderful day, isn't it, young man!" "Oh yes," I replied. "An excellent afternoon indeed."
She stretched her legs, adjusted her glasses, and softly hummed a catchy tune.
In the distance, children were busy at the playground. We could just make out their sho ...

Hey everyone! It's been a while since I've been on here. It's good to see some familiar names and faces. I hope you're all doing really well. I miss you guys.
I wanted to come on and mention something I read yesterday that I had never heard about when I had my colostomy and ileostomy: the ostomy irrigation and ostomy cap. I think it's geared towards colostomies from what I gathered. But appare ...

Howdy bagamigas and amigos, I haven't been here in a year or three, reintroducing myself.
I'm a middle-aged lady with a colostomy. My chocolate-smeared rosebud (the stoma, the ostomy) has been with me since 1997.
Fave products:
Convatec moldable Natura 45mm wafer - NOT the kind with the weird see-through accordion plastic on the ring (to make it easier to snap shut; those are stink factories; ...

The Big Scare
At church today, Mrs. B suffered a terrible calamity. One that rendered her temporarily speechless. A church friend behind me reached over to wish me a happy Easter and shake my hand. I leaned over to bid him holiday wishes too. Mrs. B nudged my leg. She was pointing toward my pants zipper. Hmmmm. Did I forget to pull it up? Nooo.
Then she hissed, "Your thingy is showing." "Thin ...

It's been a while since I've posted - been on a social media sanity break. When I did check in, I had over 260 unread posts, and instead of trying to reply to them all, I thought I'd say welcome to all the new folks on the site!
You have found yourself in a club nobody wants to be in. But in my case, as with many others here, we would not be alive without our stomas, so here we are.
When I had ...