The Social

Hello everyone! I’m Paighton, I’ve had my ileostomy for about it a year and a half now. I had been struggling with stomach pain, constant trips to the bathroom, extreme weight loss, loss of appetite, lethargy, fevers… you name it. I had to have a JP drain placed due to a large abscess that formed from a bowel perforation, that went into my right hip. I had the drain for about 6 weeks in ...

Hello everyone,
I have an ostomy, and I have to say I'm getting so frustrated with the noise coming from it. Especially with my boyfriend, being intimate and just having dinner can be annoying.
I feel like I have the noisiest stoma ever. Does anyone have any advice or products that help muffle the noise?
I'm in the UK, so anything from the US delivery is quite expensive.
I limit acidic food ...

I need a little encouragement from people who understand. My husband and I are getting ready for our first get-together with his family since my surgery, and I'm dreading it a bit. My MIL is driving us crazy because she is paranoid about any possible odor. She even sent me a picture of a deodorizer that she found on Amazon. I plan to take a shower and change my bag before we leave, so there sh ...

Hi, due to UC, I had my colon removed in 1984. Through a number of complications and failures, I decided to have a continent ileostomy with a J pouch in 2000. This gave me a much greater quality of life and has performed admirably. After 25 years I am now having issues. I am told that the best option will be to revert back to a typical ileostomy. Given my age I am concerned about how this will ...

Hi, I’m Sharon and I’ve had my ileostomy now for nearly 30yrs, it was a gift from my diagnosis of Crohns Disease! I’d love to chat/ meet or even just support someone with a stoma who finds life difficult I also have a Barbie butt lol say that like it’s a claim to fame If you fancy a chat etc get in touch x

ENJOYING FOOD is something we all can do, an activity that the great French bon vivant gourmet Anthelme Brillat-Savarin knew all about. “The destiny of nations,” he opined, “depends on the manner wherein they take their food.” Animals feed; man eats; but someone like Brillat-Savarin dines. I suspect that he was a trifle extravagant for my tastes. “Tell me what you eat and I will ...

Hi. This is the first trip I have taken since my ileostomy conversion four years ago. I have anxiety because of the unpredictability and frequentness. Coming from California, so short plane ride. Are there lots of places easy to duck into on the streets? I guess every hotel? Am I worrying for nothing? I want to see Stevie Nicks and have tickets.

Hi:

new member here. I’ve lived with an ileostomy after receiving a total colectomy in 2008. After years of living with bouts of dehydration an declining kidney function last week I started dialysis with the goal of moving to home hemodialysis. I’m 71 and feel like the dialysis is worsening dehydration, but I’m curious if anyone else has run into this and how they’ve handled it.

ANONYMOUS ACTS OF KINDNESS.

There’s some who make a great big show
so, everyone around will know,
because it is an obvious fact
that they have done a kindly act.

I’m not decrying what they do,
but when we come to think this through,
the adulation they expect
may well be devious and suspect.

Not all acts of kindness mean
the motives will be pure and clean,
as I have stated many time ...

AN EMOTIONAL SAFE PLACE.

I’ve often wondered what would be
a safe emotional place for me.
Where I could travel life’s journey
without the fear of injury.

Where I could walk along unarmed
with confidence I’d not be harmed.
I need a safe environment
where I can gain enlightenment.

I need someone close at hand
someone who will understand.
I need just one relationship
where I can find ...

well, except for me…..

Recently saw on the news the old photo booths are all the rage with the young people. Well yah, you will actually get a real picture you can put in your wallet that will outlast any digital pic you may have! those were the days my friend, we thought they’d never end…..

The news showed a crowd of young folks standing in line waiting to sit in that booth for a ...

Hi, all: Curious to hear if anyone plays pickleball. Have had my "buddy" for 25 years now. Never stopped me from swimming, triathlons, biking, kayaking... and for the last 7 years, pickleball. Got certified as a Pickleball Canada Instructor 2 years ago, and play and teach almost daily. A few local players know of my ostomy; most don't. No one on the court would suspect (not that I would care). ...

Does any of the females on this site reside in AZ??

WE RECENTLY HAD TO PAY A PLUMBER to fix our screeching toilet, since I’m not enough of a handyman to have accomplished the feat myself. Poor ol’ Thomas Crapper was an Englishman who developed and manufactured the modern toilet bowl, which U. S. soldiers in World War I saw and used everywhere, bringing the name CRAPPER home with them to America. This guy could be considered, I suppose ...

THERE WAS A TIME when several of us would break loose from the office to catch a spring training game when the big-league teams were in Florida to prepare for the upcoming baseball season. We’d grab some goodies on the way in and head for the bleacher seats. When you sit in the open outfield seats of a baseball stadium on a hot day, the sun can seem strong enough to bleach your shirt. Thu ...

I love to fish . And I love serving God . And like to play cards. I have been married for 48 years and have 5 wonderful grandchildren..

AN ACT OF KINDNESS 4.

It matters not how much you’ve got,
for though you may not have a lot
you still have the ability
to act with some civility.

To be polite and have respect
are qualities which we expect
from those who we consider smart
and people who are kind at heart.

Being courteous and genteel
might help another person feel
that they are someone who’s worthwhile
and give to ...

Hello! I am 54 years old and have had an ostomy since birth. I have an ileostomy. I am a retired nurse due to lingering health issues from a Covid 19 infection in 2021. I have led a normal life and have a wonderful son and an amazing 3 year old grandson. I enjoy baking, going out to eat, football, watching moves, and spending time with family. I am a Christian and would love to meet others who ...

usded to have dinner parties with friends and have nice holidays but she spoiled all that and we evenvually seperated and divorved , I miss entertaining and holidays and would welcome a relationship to renew the good times

I mentioned to my husband that many people name their stomas but I hadn't come up with names for mine.

His reply: you could them Darrell and introduce them as my stoma Darrell and my other stoma Darrell.

Hi I'm from the north of England and just starting this new if unwanted part of my life. Getting help with my stoma as I have lost a lot of confidence since getting ill. Trying to stay positive while awaiting a diagnosis.

Hello, my name is Mark. I've had a urostomy for several years. My wife would like to become intimate again, but I'm afraid something might happen to my bag, and I don't want it to be a problem. I would appreciate your ideas on how to secure it so it doesn't become a problem. My bag is even with my belly button on my right-hand side.

Hi All, Just introducing myself and finding the information on here useful. Based in the Uk. Had surgery last August and now have a stoma.Thankfully all clear now and being checked every year.

Thanks for having me here..

I’ve only been on this site a little bit, I hardly know how to navigate it, LOL! I just want to say that everyone seems so kind and supportive to each of the members and it’s not only helpful, it makes me happy that there really are so many nice people in this world that can sometimes feel so bleak and cold. I didn’t even know about this site until I found it by accident. I think the hos ...

I'm feeling proud of this exotic looking vegetable that I just harvested from my garden. Anyone grown one of these before? When I bought the seedling, it was labelled 'cauliflower', but I don't think so! It seems to be a variety of broccoflower. Steamed some, then served it with a little butter and fresh squeeze of lemon, delicious! Sort of like cauliflower, but sweeter. I've got ...

Need to try and be more active in the social aspects of life, but find it such a struggle........but today I managed to get to a reggae festival for a couple of hours.

…… that someone could say to an ostomate?

I was at a wedding recently which was in a fairly remote location so just in case I had my trusty backpack to hand in case of any emergencies with my little friend, as I was nowhere near my car. In the bag as well as my stoma supplies I had a bottle of soft drink. While I was waiting for the service to start I had a sip and put it back and thoug ...

Was just chatting with an old high school mate about the opening bars of which songs that used to make us go YEAHHHHHH, AWWWRIGHT and get up on the dance floor!
These were ours (and remember, it was the early 80's, LOL!)
And of course....

I have had an ileostomy for 16 years and have liquid output most of the time. Has anyone tried adding Knox Gelatine to their pouch? I have tried diamonds by Convatec, but they are so expensive and my insurance doesn’t pay for them. I know about the correct foods to eat, but it does not usually work, which leads to leaks. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Haloo every one I have stoma bag since 2017 but I found this Web let anyway hop every one is OK

Hi! I’m in California and its pretty difficult to find friends. The hospital visits make my life somewhat unpredictable but I really need to start talking with people. I love fun facts and interesting stories. I’m also new here so not sure how it works on here so say hi!

Looking for people to understand what I’m going through.

Hey there , im in desperate need of people who understand my situation, kind of need a bit of advice too as im still having a few issues , I had a hartmanns procedure back in 2022, had 6m of my intestines removed due to 27 perforations from diverticulosis ,sepsis, a heart attack, omicron covid, and fluid on my lungs ,its left me wkth serious heart problems however , i had a reversal in 2023 a ...

Are there any people out there with a K pouch? I love this site and all the stories, especially Henry's musings. But I feel alone on this site.

HI,

My name is Lenore, and I have an Ileostomy. I am an impassioned vocalist, storyteller and laughter leader. I love to entertain utilizing my talents yet recently have not done so. I have had an Ileostomy for five years. Along with it I have a condition called an Overactive Detrusor. I have constant spasms, pain and binge eat all the time. I am underweight as I have not been able to ...

“WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO FOR DINNER?” my wife asked. It was Friday, the end of the week, and neither of us wanted to see the inside of our kitchen. I puzzled over it. Various possibilities crossed my mind. Pizza. Cuban food. Chinese. Mexican. Seafood. Italian. How about a liver box at Hip Hop? My brain teemed with the various prospects. I didn’t seem to feel like anything in ...

Hi,
Anyone here from NY? I would like to make some ostomy friends for a change.
Francis

A great story about a college basketball player who had colon surgery and now lives with an ostomy bag. Instead of giving up on sports, he's back on the court and doing what he loves. He talks openly about how the ostomy has changed his life, but also how it hasn't stopped him from chasing his goals.
It's always encouraging to see people continue their passions after surgery, especially in som ...

ONE THING I LEARNED while living in Mormon-dominated Utah: POLYGYNY is not dead. Notwithstanding that the state had to outlaw the practice in order to gain entry into the union, it persists there to this day. The related practice – POLYANDRY – appears to have faded into history. This is the practice of a wife having multiple legal husbands. Kahina, ancient queen of the Berbers, is sai ...

“BRITAIN AND AMERICA are two nations divided by a common language,” said George Bernard Shaw. Our American language, sometimes blithely referred to as ‘English,’ sounds different depending upon what part of the country from which the speaker hails. Not all people who speak a language speak it the same way. A language can be subdivided into any number of DIALECTS, each varying in som ...

APPROACHING THE CORNER of Walk and Don’t Walk, I bumped into Walt Disney. He was smoking a cigarette and had a thoughtful expression on his face. “I thought you were dead,” I told him. “Who told you that?” he wanted to know, grimacing. “I read it,” I said defensively. “Everyone knows that you can’t believe everything that you read,” Disney scolded me. “Not only th ...

AN ACT OF KINDNESS. 2

An act of kindness can be where
someone, somewhere will show they care
by putting their neck on the line
so, someone else’s will be fine.

I’ve witnessed many times before
kind people coming to the fore
and speaking up for what is right
while standing by us in this fight.

There have been times kind people show
the whole world the way to go,
by standing by their ...

Do to complimared matter right now I will not be on the sute for a while take care keep this site up it's useful

Happy and hopeful to be here. I recently had my bladder removed and replaced with a urostomy. It's been a long journey. Started back in Sept. 2022 with bladder infection....then kidney stones and occasional blood in my urine. Was never alarmed cause I knew stones could cause bleeding. I never had any of the so called severe pain associated with passing stones...the bleeding came and went...not ...

TRULY SMALL TOWNS are wonderful places if you don’t mind everybody knowing everything about everyone. The tiny town where I lived in the middle-of-nowhere in southern Utah, amassing a grand total of 350 residents, could well have been called Podunk which these days is a derisive name for any small or insignificant, out-of-the-way place. Originally, PODUNK meant ‘a neck or corner of land� ...

AFT - MONITOR.

For some, it may seem rather daft
to name a monitor as ‘AFT’.
Yet it’s not as daft as it may seem
when placed in context with my theme.

For as an acronym it was
quite convenient because
it had been shortened to convey
a tick-box for ‘Aims For Today’.

And as the list below will show
almost all you need to know
about forming a good rapport
whilst monitoring with ...

Hello. I woke up from an emergency abdominal surgery on August 28th with a colostomy. 10 days prior I underwent a rotator cuff repair after over exerting myself on my circus daughters trapeze. The pain medication prescribed by my shoulder surgeon caused opioid induced bowel obstruction and the damage was done. I've been back in the hospital with an infection since being discharged. I'm very mo ...

AN ACT OF KINDNESS (1)

An act of kindness here or there
can signify someone still cares,
and raises faith that we might find
some site of humans being kind.

Kindness can show humanity
has not lost all its sanity,
and still has the capacity
to control its worst mordacity. (causticness)

The kindliness that people show,
just goes to show that people know
what is wrong and what is right
ev ...

So I love to go swimming. Now that I have an ostomy I don't swim anymore. Tips recommendations, help me here open to all suggestions thanks!

I'm in Dubai making a new life as a real estate agent after leaving Newcastle the UK and leaving my old job, not after intimate although having a bag doesn't bother me, just a bit chat and that. Aged 53, like a laugh, always positive and don't really need to discuss medical stuff as it is what it is normal looking guy and will send a photo if asked :)