Ostomy: Adapting to life after colostomy, ileostomy or urostomy

I appreciate your kind words Colleen.

As a kid, and when I was in the military I always loved to run. For about 8 years that was nearly impossible. Unfortunately I never figured out how to carry a port-a-potty on my back so I was stuck inside. Treadmills are great if it is raining or snowing, but nothing beats being out on the road.

When I was in the hospital in the summer of 2017 I told myself that as soon as I was able I was going to start running again. It was a slow go at the beginning. Lots of setbacks with trying to figure out a good bag set up, then figuring out a good way to secure the bag and make sure I didn't pull the bag off or end up with a hernia.

I set my sights on 5k's to start, and in 2018-19 I ran about 20 of them. I am running 8-10k on a pretty consistent basis now and am running in several virtual events while everything is shut down.

My goal is the Earth Day 1/2 marathon next spring in St Cloud, MN. I would also love to go down to Jacksonville, Florida for the river run 15K one of these years. When I was stationed there in the 90's I ran it twice and it would be a great way to feel like I have come full circle.

There are so many other things. I love to hike and go on long walks with my dog. We Went to the black hills in 2018 for a week and hiked over a 100 miles. It was great! Just think about the new found time that used to be spent in the bathroom! The last few weeks before my surgery I was going over 30 times a day!! Im free!

If anyone has questions, or needs help with anything please ask. I have gotten myself through a lot of situations by trial and error and if you can learn from my mistakes and the goofy MacGyver tricks I have figured out, then that is one less painful day you have.

Thanks again for allowing me to hang out with the group. I look forward to helping and learning for all.

Welcome @idino and @msgtrebholtz.

@idino, I am unfamiliar with Ogilvie Syndrome. It sounds like diagnosis to ileostomy to herniated stoma moved really fast for you. What has been done about the parastomal hernia? Have you had to have surgery and move the stoma?

Jason, your attitude is commendable and that you've adjusted to "life with a bag" reasonably easily will be a great support to others here. How has the ileostomy given you a new lease on life? What are you able to do now that you couldn't before?

Good Luck...Don't Forget To Let Us know all the particulars and the Doctors who Did That...?

Hello everyone. I recently found this site for transplants (Haven't had it yet but it's coming) and this one.
I had UC for about 8 years and got to the point where I was going to the bathroom about 30 times a day. In July of 2017 I had a total proctocolectomy with ileostomy. Mine is permanent. It has been a new lease on life. Except for the first couple months I havent had any real issues; except for some intermittent skin breakdown, so I consider myself lucky and am very happy with the decision to go this route. I also feel lucky because I never really had the "hate my bag" issue, nor have I ever worried about what others think. It's just part of me now and until the TIES system is available here, or I go to England to have it done I will just plot along.
Thank you for letting me tag along here.

I was diagnosed with Ogilvie’s Syndrome in 2018. Had an ileostomy in October of 2018. Later developed a herniated stoma.

Hi everyone, We have now opened a new group dedicated to supporting people living with an ostomy. To not miss a post by fellow Ostomates, I suggest that you follow the group. Here's how:

1. Go to the group home page: Ostomy https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/ostomy/
2. Click + Follow below the description of the group.
3. Select how you wish to be notified (by email for every new post or once daily in a digest).
4. Click UPDATE and close the pop-up.

Browse the topics or start a new discussion with any questions, challenges or successes you'd like to share. Welcome to the group.

@bcstew We just opened the new Ostomy Group and moved over the older conversations. You will start to see new conversations mixed in. See all the Ostomy discussions here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/ostomy/

Thank you for your thoughtful response. I have been using an adhesive cleaner wipe that my skin tolerates, I then wash this off with soap and water and then Cavilon wipes around the stoma with a dusting off stoma powder. I agree with you that the fibre supplement is not the answer and I will ask my GP for an appointment with a nutritionist. I admire you for your strength and willingness to help others. My life is easy compared to yours. Thanks again.

Sense-care is an adhesive wipe that works very well for me after others I tried failed. I have learned to always think allergy when my skin irritation won’t stop.I had problems with stool consistency. Finally a nutritionist helped me to stop eating a lot of fiber. I now eat white bread, rice. I avoid all sugar and from the start stopped all caffeine and only drink to thirst per my mayo urologist. Question the fiber supplements. My change to enriched grain greatly improved my life. Get with a nutritionist, physicians are not the best for nutrition.

I have had my ostomy since June of 2019 and I am still having several different problems. First my skin doesn't seem to accept the adhesive on the flanges and falls off after one or sometimes two days. Second the stool which was too fluid in the beginning is now the opposite. I was instructed to take fibre supplements and they helped in the beginning but soon found that even when I cut down the amount and took it only every two days the stool became too stiff. Also, the stoma has changed it's shape and is now quite flat at one end and sticks up as it should on the other. I have an ostomy specialist which I have visited twice and my barrier ring, flange and bag have all been changed multiple times. Does anyone have any advice on any of these problems? I would appreciate any suggestions.