Hello ... your message caught my eye as spouse jsut had colonoscopy where the surgeon inserts camera and tube into colon etec., so am wondering if the lady you know with the bag on her tummy had a Colostomy?

I have wondered about this too and just looked up on Internet, so hope ok if I just post what I jsut read:

"Colostomies and ileostomies are most often done for conditions related to the digestive tract. As a living tissue, the rectum continues to produce mucus even though it is not "hooked up" to anything, so some discharge is more than normal......"

I do not have a colostomy bag but after C.Diff 5 yrs ago now have fecal incontinence and I to will not travel long distances or fly because of same things... passing gas, odour and leakage... but mine is every hour or so. If for instance I start a journey as passenger in car , say 4 hour drive, and feces comes through into my clothing, where will I go to change my clothing and wash my body and what do I do with soiled clothing etc.? Even at a hairdresser, optometrist appointment, shopping, it is horrible... Adult diapers will soak up urine etc., and the odor is not that bad unless left a long time, but from bowels it is different... messy, smelly etc. Not sure about bowel "leakage."

Yes, it can make life unbearable..... but perhaps your friend could double-check with her family doctor or ? to make sure the contents of the leakage is "normal" .. and maybe someone else here with an attached "bag" can be of some help/suggestions - hope so , and nice of you to be concerned for her. J.