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 ...

Hello everyone! I am actually still here. I just passed my 7th year in Ileostomy World. Alot 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 pass ...

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

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 ...

Tomorrow marks one year since I had emergency surgery due to a perforation in my colon and got my colostomy. For several months, I was angry, resentful, overwhelmed, bitter, and depressed. I didn't think I would ever be able to cope with my new normal. I blamed myself. I don't remember how I found this group, but I am so grateful I did. You all helped to ease my loneliness and gave me support ...

Trial and error has led me to a system of emptying and cleaning my pouch that makes everything feel better. I saw another post about using warm water in the pouch after emptying to wash it out. I will say it takes several times of doing this (put water in, holding the pouch up, swish it around, then empty) to get it clean. I do this until the water runs clear when coming out. I also use a deod ...

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, ...

Just saw this mentioned in someone's reply to a question. Had never heard of a "plug". It sounds like it would be advantageous for intimacy.
Comments?

Hi...
I am new to this forum and just wanted to ask people who have gone through reversal surgery if they had any tips for the days and weeks after surgery. I have gotten a bit of info from the net, but any and all help would be great.
You have no idea how much I am looking forward to having this 'astern'...as Jimmy Buffett would say..!

Hello Ostomates:
(LONG POST AHEAD) I had my colostomy reversal surgery on February 21st and thought it would be helpful to share some of the details in case you have to prepare for similar procedures in the future. I added some “Lessons Learned” of what I'd do differently if I had to do it all again.
PREP: My surgery was scheduled for 7:30 AM on a Friday, and I had to be at the hospital by ...

She says she can fix the stoma, no problem, and will try to fix the parastomal hernia. We will see; I am hopeful. My surgery is outpatient, so I'll be home later today!