Hello all,
I am a guy, 48 had ileostomy about 25 years ago, In all honesty after I had 3 years of UC, after I had the surgery I was like "Why did I fight it and wait so long". For me the increase in quality of life was amazing.
I could go shopping without first finding the restroom in case, all the pain, the diet, the meds.
I adjusted well I guess, and really haven't given it much though I'm aware of it. I was married at the time, then divorced due to some affairs(not me), dated, was intimate several times, remarried and nobody was ever put off by it, honestly.
I look at it much like contacts. in fact I'm dreading the idea of someday getting a hearing aid more than the ostomy bag.
Anyway I will haunt here some, and if anyone wants to ask ANYTHING, feel free to email me or reply here. I must admit I haven't done a lot of research, I use the Hollister 3684, they last about 6 or 7 days and are comfortable for me. I have discovered what not to eat and how to get past it, pun intended.
I work with kids (9-12), they've never said anything, and you know kids will ask if anything seems out of the ordinary, I umpire little league baseball and squat and get up from 50 to over a 100 times a night without any issues.
The only ones who know are ones I've told.
A pet peeve, I can always identify a public bathroom that has been used by someone with an ostomy, please clean up the john if it leaves a mess on the rim.
I hope to be an asset to this group. My other hobbies are crystal radio, antique radios, ham radio, (notice a pattern) and little league baseball and teaching kids in Sunday School