1. < Ostomy & J-Pouch
Profile picture for Colleen Young, Connect Director
Moderator

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 & J-Pouch Support Group.

Profile picture for pez01
pez01 | @pez01 | 23 hours ago

When someone replies to my posts I get an email telling me they did and I get an email every day showing me what has been updated every day

REPLY
Profile picture for katieliz
katieliz | @katieliz | 12 hours ago
In reply to @hanseron "I have had an ileostomy since 1967. Cause, Ulcerative Colitis. Lots of positive changes and developments..." + (show)
Profile picture for Ron Hansen @hanseron

I have had an ileostomy since 1967. Cause, Ulcerative Colitis. Lots of positive changes and developments in surgery, care and appliances since then. When I had my surgery there was very little help available. Appliances were terrible and ostomy care was practically non-existent. Todays ostomy appliance and equipment suppliers are more than willing to help new and old ostomy patients. In fact many of them have ostomy nurses on staff to help with treatment and questions. What a difference 50 years makes.

Jump to this post

@hanseron Okay, your comment here is not recent, but responding in case someone reading can help. We cannot find an ostomy nurse anywhere in the Chicago area that can help my mother-in-law. She is now 92, has managed her ileostomy bag and care independently for over 50 years. She is in good health physically, but is having memory issues and an ostomy nurse would be very helpful. We have not been able to find an ostomy nurse who works outside of a facility. She lives in a facility, but they do not have any staff that can help. Family is helping, but she is getting worse at handling changing the bag, and so the future is scary.

REPLY
Profile picture for Walkerlaroche
Walkerlaroche | @walkerlsroche | 12 hours ago
In reply to @colleenyoung "Hi @1228angela @nythriver @manveen @dawn_giacabazi @hatethis @soul and @kidbjp, I'd like to invite you to this..." + (show)
Profile picture for Colleen Young, Connect Director @colleenyoung

Hi @1228angela @nythriver @manveen @dawn_giacabazi @hatethis @soul and @kidbjp, I'd like to invite you to this new discussion group about ostomy. People who have recently had an ostomy have many questions. I'm hoping that you can share your experiences to help us get the conversation started and make people feel welcome talking about adapting to life after a colostomy, ileostomy or urostomy. Share your story.

Jump to this post

@colleenyoung
I have joined this group because I have a prolapse colon and am facing surgery. Because of my anal cancer radiation My tissue is severely compromised. With surgery I may end up with a colostomy and I’m terrified that I can’t handle it. Since my anal cancer 13 years ago I suffer with incontenance. It’s exhausting. I can’t imagine any thing more. I want to know what I’m facing if I end up with a colostomy.

REPLY
View MoreView Less
Please sign in or register to post a reply.