Colostomy problem: Rectal discharge 18 months out

Yes I am a woman, And sometimes even with a pad it doesn't do a good job. I often have to change my pad three times or more a day. I used to use cloth pads but it got to over whelming having to was so many pad so now I buy throw away ones. I hate the surprises one but a lot of mine passes also when I am passing water.

bidets are pretty cool. You got a warm seat. Some will even OPEN upon approaching the seat. You got warm water sweeping away any crap you got left and it also has a blower to blow off any wetness.

I had a loop colostomy December 2023. I have a mucus problem also and my bowel surgeon could not help me at all. Twice a day, morning and bedtime, I do the 'squooshers', that is empty enema bottles filled with warm water squooshed up my anus to clean the mucus out as best I can. Still I have had to give myself an enema once a week to clear out the now solidified mucus pieces which are so uncomfortable and which the squooshers can not dislodge. Ugly looking stuff!!! (I've actually photographed the offending pieces first time for posterity. I promise I won't post.) That's a lot of enemas and needless to say, I hate it.

However recently now twice I've been able to last for over a month without having to take an enema. Hooray for small mercies. Could it be the start of a diminishing production of the mucus?

I am horrified to learn of the dreadful states vis-à-vis mucus that others on this topic must live through. All best to all of you.

That sounds messy, wet and not clean, there is no way that it can wipe my butt clean, then you have the mess of a wet butt, and blow dry well my experience with those hand blow dryers in restroom is those don't work, or take way to long to dry my hands and so I walk away drying my hands on my pants legs, my butt would be wetter than that, so I just cannot figure out how a bidet would be clean enough and get me dry enough that I wouldn't have wet panties all the time. Still they make no sense to me and no one has been able to explain them enough to me to totally understand them.

Sounds like you are a lucky one if your mucus is manageable morning and nigh. Mine is almost all day and about three tablespoons each time. I have found that dairy products make it worse and more active, so I try to not eat dairy when I know I have to go out into public places like doctors and grocery stores.
I don't know what a loop colostomy is or what it looks like, I think I will look it up. I have a colostomy sense 4-2017. I didn't get the mucus right away it was about four years before I had it. Seems strange to me that it was that long and now so much output, but I don't understand the whole anatomy thing and how it works. So it is live and learn everyday.
I hope your stays controllable and that you don't get the same problems I have, each of us are living with different outcomes.
have a blessed day

@klancee47 So it is live and learn everyday. Truer words were never spoken. And the doctors often don't seem to know any more than we do. In the end it's often from each other that we can figure it out.

If you are experiencing all that mucus, chances are you also have a loop colostomy.

I had my surgery about 18 weeks ago for a ruptured bowel and I am 80 years old and do not know if I can go through with another surgery, so I am thinking about not having it reversed. I have had slight discharges all along after about a month and my doctor told me it was not uncommon for that to happen at a small rate as long as you are not bleeding. My rectum isn't even hooked up to my bowl, so I have no idea where it comes from. I have been wearing a pad since my surgery for my urine control after they put a catheter in me prior to other issues. If you feel like there is to much fluid coming out I would check with my doctor and let them know. Kas

I got a diversion colitis in my rectum about 2 months after my colostomy. I had a reversal and that was supposed to take care of it but I ended up needing a hemmorhoidectomy. I would have spontaneous mucous discharges and a stabbing pain every couple days plus blood but I did have hemorrhoids too. I found out after the fact that there are foams and meds that can be used to help that especially if you have a permanent colostomy.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversion_colitis

I too am eighty years old. Have had an ostomy for many years now. It is normal to have a random mucus discharge from your rectum. It is the natural bowl lubricant.
Without this discharge, the mucus could build up into a grey "ghost turd". That's what they called it!
I am doing fine as is and have no intentions of ever doing a reversal. Give yourself time to adjust.