Try saying that title 3x fast... what a mouthful!
I had my first colonoscopy since getting stomas today. I learned a lot.
1) If you use closed-end bags, you'll want a drainable bag for the prep. I knew this and planned ahead. BUT I underestimated the difficulties of using an unfamiliar bag.
It had a cool little pocket to secure the outlet, so I used it. But then the bag filled very quickly. I ...

Hello my friends, who provide me with support, prayers, and smiles.
I had my stoma revision and have been going day by day on the road to recovery, and... I had indigestion; it was horrible. I started throwing up bile (YUCK), white, yellow, sheesh green.
I called my home healthcare nurse, she called my surgeon, he called me; Ms. Seward, please come to the ER at your convenience.
I went at 6 PM ...

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 ...

NORMALITY IS A MYTH. We’re all of us outsiders, struggling to get through life as best we are able, given our unique circumstances. Having an ostomy only accentuates the individuality each of us brings to the struggle. The all-encompassing concept of being ‘normal’ is much too general a term to be applicable to people because it means ‘average’ which is a statistical model that co ...

I'm a fairly new ostomate and have been practicing a lot with changing my bags. I've been using Hollister one-piece bags for about 4-5 months but I have a hernia which makes the adhesive wrinkle and it doesn't last as long as I would like. I tried using a sample of the convex Sensura bag but it already leaked after the first day. Looking for recommendations about which bags seem to be the best ...

Since we can't be like "able-anal-ed" folks and "take a dump," we need a saying of our own. "Draining the bag" just doesn't cut it. Some candidates to consider:
Trapshooting. Has a nice ring to it. Imagine: "Hey Sally, back in a jiffy... gotta do a little trapshooting."
Turboturd. For the ostomate in a hurry.
Dash-of-splash. Similar to turboturd, but with some recoil.
Easysqueeze. When you kno ...

So, as of lately, it has been exactly one year since I have had my urostomy that has saved my life from bladder cancer. I've been so afraid to change up my daily routines, but with a year looking in my rearview mirror, I have been enjoying 2 or 3 times a week taking my shower and removing my appliance after I do my hair and after I wash up! So, as not to get any lotions on Minnie!
I remove my ...

Question from a new ostomate: How do you handle emptying an ileostomy when outdoors for hours or all day and no bathroom is nearby? For example, on a boat ride, hiking in a group, just sitting with friends at sunset, sunrise, or around a campfire? How about when camping, either backpacking or car camping? Are my tenting days over?
Thanks
Bruce

Hi everyone! I first posted here back in March of 2024, and it's been a wild ride.
Last November, I had a completely clear PET scan and was able to reverse my ileostomy surgery. I had no idea how difficult it was going to be to wake my colon back up and have all the organs down there play nice with each other. I was in the hospital for almost 3 weeks just waiting to poop. It finally happened, ...

Hi everyone, it's been a while! Hope everyone is doing well! I'm just checking in. So it's been a full year since my colostomy reversal, so I thought I'd share what's been going on for those who are interested. I still have pain when I apply pressure to the stoma site, but only when I press on it and where the hernia repair was done. I still have rectal pain that feels like a stabbing or shoot ...

Hi all, just got my 2nd/3rd opinion today and really liked this doc a lot. She said if she were younger (like the 1st doc I saw) she too would say let's take this down tomorrow, but she is 20 years older and has been doing this awhile, so she is extremely cautious with cancer patients. She even had one that had no evidence of disease, did the reversal, and cancer showed up. Reversals are prett ...