OMG stomach pains/bloating 3 days post colostomy

This is normal. Try to walk a lot and stay away from gas producing foods. This is a temporary condition but I can't give you a timeline, everyone is different.

Sue

sunshinefl,

How are you doing? Did the swelling go away yet? Are you/were you able to walk it off?

Back when I had my temp ostomy my ET nurse said to breathe thru my mouth, not my nose. That might help with the smell.

When I had and still occasionally have bad gas pains, walking up and down a full flight of stairs really helps dislodge it. Try that if it ever happens again. But I'm guessing the swollen, gas pain feeling you had were surgically related. My colon surgeon told me they have to add air to see certain areas of the GI tract and then some of this air becomes trapped after they close and sew you up. Lovely huh? I swelled up so much I looked 7 months pregnant! But it does go down and in your case, glad you found relief. I had dry heaves for a while too. The first 2 weeks after my colon resection and when I was adjusting to a colostomy was really rough. I barely ate and for a 2 day span (day 10 - 12 I think), I was put back on a liquid diet. I had resumed eating too quickly my doctor said. So take it easy, small portions, foods from your ostomy diet. You will feel better but it takes time! One of my favorite go-to food items were the small Stouffer's sized meals. Just roast turkey and mashed potatoes were plenty when I was hungry. Anything larger and it was just too much food at one time. Consider buying a few next time you grocery shop.

I remember hearing about the Vicks trick!

It does work but I hadn't heard about it when I had my colostomy. Probably read it somewhere on a medical forum.

Aren't you all just so glad there are internet medical forums? I cannot imagine how I'd manage without them. I've learned SO much from others, sharing what works for them, what doesn't. And just having the freedom to vent is a God-send!

Okay, back to hopefully more good ideas coming your way......

great idea the Vicks, my daughter is complaining about the smell when its emptied. I will go pick some up!

the smell wont be as bad after a while, if you aren't eating the smell is going to be worse, casue you are having a lot of bile in it, and that is NASTY!!! Strangely enough, once you start eating normally it smells better. And if you eat peaches and whip cream, it smells like peaches and whipped cream, lol.
you will figure out after it is newer what foods make the smell worse and then you can avoid those. I got so sick smellign it adn seeing it in the hopstial, but now it doesn't bother me at all. I mean, its not my idea of super fun or anything.
The vicks trick sounds good.
This helps me, i will sometimes light a match, right before i empty, it seems to keep the smell from being as bad . Or you can spray some kind of air freshner or the M9 before emptying.

Hey, its nice to hear from you again. I had the surgery at fl. Hosp. But the same dr I have been going to I really like him but he is going to get a river running through his office on thursday because I haven't been able to quit crying. I thought I would beabke to handle it a lot better than I have. The reason they did a colostomy is because on top of all the other problems my rectal muscles aren't working properly and my sphincter contantly swells and is painful and needed a rest. I have already had 2 rectocele repairs and they both failed. He is going to adventually try to do another one and then hopefully reverse this after everything rests.

its where you have a part of your inetsine pulled through your side and attached to bag that is outside your body and that's where your poo goes. rather handy little thing i will tell you!

I had that but I thought that was called an ileostomy. I just had mine reversed on the 15th.