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Ostomy: Adapting to life after colostomy, ileostomy or urostomy

Posted by Colleen Young, Connect Director @colleenyoung, Sep 20, 2017

It takes time to become comfortable with an ostomy — a surgically created opening in your abdomen that allows waste or urine to leave your body.

Many questions may run through your mind as you practice good ostomy care and live your life. It can help to talk to others who have been there. Perhaps you'd like to ask others questions like: What can I eat? What about leaks? Can I go back to work after colostomy? Can I ride a bike with an ileostomy? Will everyone figure out I've had urostomy surgery just by looking at me? What about intimacy?

Welcome ostomates. Let's talk frankly about living with an ostomy. Why not start by introducing yourself? What type of ostomy do you have? How's it going?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Ostomy Support Group.

piki | @piki | Mar 11 2:54pm
In reply to @csjxvcsjxv "I had my total colectomy 57 years ago. You should have no limitations You will be..." + (show)
@csjxvcsjxv

I had my total colectomy 57 years ago. You should have no limitations
You will be able to swim as much as you desire. There are no restrictions.
Some foods you eat take longer to digest. For example, when I eat my bowl of oatmeal with blueberries, apples, almond butter and sesame seeds in it every day, which has a lot of fiber, it will take 3-4 hours to digest through my system. You just have to experiment what foods work their way through your system more than others. Additionally, one has a large amount of small intestines, so its not like what you consume goes through your system immediately.

Vitamin D is absorbed in the SMALL intestines, as are the majority of nutrients. In fact, the main function of the LARGE intestines is to absorb water and electrolytes. The only vitamin you may need to supplement via a monthly injection (and you can give this to yourself at home) is B-12, as B12 is absorbed in the ilium, which you may have removed with an ileostomy.

I cannot stress enough the importance of staying hydrated. I learned the hard way. When I was working, I was drinking too much coffee and not enough water and that caught up with me over 55 ;years when my kidneys failed due to chronic mild dehydration. I was lucky enough to get a kidney transplant 1.5 years ago. So, drink more than the amount required of a person who has not undergone this surgery. I drink 2.5 -3 liters per day with electrolytes in it. With an ileostomy you lose a lot of your body's electrolytes.

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I'd love to be able to drink endlessly as you seem to be able to, but my colostomy came about one month before my inability to pee on my own. Now it's all with self-cathing stuff one way or other. And if I don't quit taking in liquid before supper, I'll be up all night...or should I say at this point my husband, helping me to pee. I'm fairly useless at night. Not to mention almost 83 years old.

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Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Mar 17 3:04pm
In reply to @busyyaya "Thank you for your reply. Are you able to swim and maintain good seal? If so..." + (show)
@busyyaya

Thank you for your reply. Are you able to swim and maintain good seal? If so what supplier do you use? Online or in store purchase? Trying to prepare mentally and financially

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You might also wish to see these discussions and blog posts:

- Swimming with ostomy: Any recommendations?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/swimming-with-ostomy/
- Swimming Melted the Brava ostomy protective seal
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/melted-bravo-protective-seal/
- Exercising with an ostomy
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/ostomy/newsfeed-post/exercising-with-an-ostomy/
- Swimming with an Ostomy
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/ostomy/newsfeed-post/swimming-with-an-ostomy/
- Patient Story: Traveling the World
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/ostomy/newsfeed-post/patient-story-traveling-the-world/
When will you get your ostomy?

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1 reply
piki | @piki | Mar 18 10:22am

Friday night I ended up in the hospital with a full blown UTI and they installed a Foley catheter in me. Today is Monday....the UTI is still there but not as bad. I guess that changes my relationship to drinking liquids for the time being. I wish I felt good about it, but I'm just miserable with my first ever UTI. I'm still useless at night and my husband's back still hurts (we are in our 80s), but at least some of it has changed, and with luck for the better.

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xxxlt | @xxxlt | Mar 18 4:31pm
In reply to @colleenyoung "You might also wish to see these discussions and blog posts: - Swimming with ostomy: Any..." + (show)
@colleenyoung

You might also wish to see these discussions and blog posts:

- Swimming with ostomy: Any recommendations?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/swimming-with-ostomy/
- Swimming Melted the Brava ostomy protective seal
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/melted-bravo-protective-seal/
- Exercising with an ostomy
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/ostomy/newsfeed-post/exercising-with-an-ostomy/
- Swimming with an Ostomy
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/ostomy/newsfeed-post/swimming-with-an-ostomy/
- Patient Story: Traveling the World
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/ostomy/newsfeed-post/patient-story-traveling-the-world/
When will you get your ostomy?

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Colleen: I am a 79 year old male and relative new with my ileostomy appliance. I may have to have for the rest of my life, just don't know at this time. I am 6' 5" tall and was not able to reach the inside of a toilet while sitting, so I had to figure something else, I found flushable dog poop bags and a cup that will accomadate the bag, then I either hang the cup around my neck so it fits the bottom of my pouch or place the cup on something solid and discharge my pouch, then flush all. I can also sit on a toilet, depost into the pouch and flush the bag, have not plugged up a toilet yet, At home I use medical table that adjusts up and down, on the table I place a plastic container and adjust all to fit the bottom of pouch, then simple make my deposit, clean out the container and move on. Would all this information is there anything you have learned over the years that would help me? Thanks, Terry

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2 replies
Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Mar 23 4:47pm
In reply to @xxxlt "Colleen: I am a 79 year old male and relative new with my ileostomy appliance. I..." + (show)
@xxxlt

Colleen: I am a 79 year old male and relative new with my ileostomy appliance. I may have to have for the rest of my life, just don't know at this time. I am 6' 5" tall and was not able to reach the inside of a toilet while sitting, so I had to figure something else, I found flushable dog poop bags and a cup that will accomadate the bag, then I either hang the cup around my neck so it fits the bottom of my pouch or place the cup on something solid and discharge my pouch, then flush all. I can also sit on a toilet, depost into the pouch and flush the bag, have not plugged up a toilet yet, At home I use medical table that adjusts up and down, on the table I place a plastic container and adjust all to fit the bottom of pouch, then simple make my deposit, clean out the container and move on. Would all this information is there anything you have learned over the years that would help me? Thanks, Terry

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@xxxlt, Terry, you have found some ingenious ways to work with your height and dealing with an ileostomy. I'm tagging @candywocrn to see if she if she has any further suggestions. I'm not sure if any other members like @kenc @marco789 @piki @csjxvcsjxv @cjay share your stature of 6'5", but they too may have tips to share.

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kenc | @kenc | Mar 23 5:00pm

I just use single use disposable ostomy bags.

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thehoustonhouse | @thehoustonhouse | Mar 24 9:04am
In reply to @xxxlt "Colleen: I am a 79 year old male and relative new with my ileostomy appliance. I..." + (show)
@xxxlt

Colleen: I am a 79 year old male and relative new with my ileostomy appliance. I may have to have for the rest of my life, just don't know at this time. I am 6' 5" tall and was not able to reach the inside of a toilet while sitting, so I had to figure something else, I found flushable dog poop bags and a cup that will accomadate the bag, then I either hang the cup around my neck so it fits the bottom of my pouch or place the cup on something solid and discharge my pouch, then flush all. I can also sit on a toilet, depost into the pouch and flush the bag, have not plugged up a toilet yet, At home I use medical table that adjusts up and down, on the table I place a plastic container and adjust all to fit the bottom of pouch, then simple make my deposit, clean out the container and move on. Would all this information is there anything you have learned over the years that would help me? Thanks, Terry

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I sit backwards on the toilet. I don’t know if that would help you. Just dump in toilet and wipe tail with TP and clean inside tail with TP. No extra stuff needed.

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xxxlt | @xxxlt | Mar 24 10:08am

The bottom of my pouch does not reach to the toilet, I'm laking about 5".

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xxxlt | @xxxlt | Mar 24 1:09pm

Here is another gem I have learned and perhaps I am nieve and y'all already know this: I shower every other day when I do I take a plastic container with me, pour water into my pouch, swish it around and empty, makes me feel cleaner. Then I run the shower thru the drain for a minute or so.

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