This topic is about a surprising experience with a red cherry slushy that led to a bit of a scare for someone with an ostomy. After enjoying the slushy, the person noticed that their ostomy output looked alarmingly like blood, which understandably caused a lot of concern. Fortunately, it turned out that the red dye from the slushy was the cause, not actual bleeding. Here are some helpful tips and insights from this experience:

1. Brightly colored drinks, foods, or dyes, such as red cherry slushies, blue raspberry slushies, or beets, can change the color of ostomy output and might be mistaken for blood. It's a good idea to recall what you've recently eaten or drunk before getting too worried.

2. Sharing stories and finding humor in these unexpected moments can be a great way to cope with the surprises that come with having an ostomy. Don't be afraid to laugh at the mishaps and learn from them.

3. To avoid scares related to food coloring, consider choosing clear or lightly colored beverages, like cream soda, which are less likely to cause confusion.