VERY,VERY noisy ostomy

You are probably eating or drinking something that's causing the problem, without even knowingit. Or, you are trying to prevent the problem by not eating, which oddly makes it worse!

Dear marcsdad,

You and your family have been to hell and back, and so it's a great sign that your number one complaint is not being able to go out because your stoma is so noisy. If the noise is about farting, then changing your diet could help a lot. It may be gurggling, meaning this is your small-intestine's way of adapting to radical changes. That could very well settle down. All issues I've had since my collectomy, over two further operations, a stoma for 12 months and now a jpouch, eventually resolved themselves with time. They were just phases in which my entire system had to adapt and keep functioning. I was lucky with noise and my stoma was rude only once at work in all the 12 months, or with frieinds who knew about it and sweetly assumed responsiblity for being rude. I once "translated" what my stoma was saying for them.
But the noises you have to deal with now will probably settle down to a minimum. There are some stoma-muting products on the web, just google the right words. I have also heard about sound-proofing material, someone bought a small piece, covered it with something, and somehow secured it over the stoma. You will figure out a solution and I think it's great that that is your biggest problem after two massive, complex operations.

Yea, they should have given you a list of foods that cause you to be gassy. My hubby's stoma has been relatively peaceful but last night I couldn't sleep and his darn stoma was keeping me awake. lol. He used to keep me awake with snoring... now his stoma prevents me from sleeping. ;D I dunno what he ate before bed last night but it certainly kept him more active throughout the night than usual. :)

Um... get a service canine you can take with you everywhere and then just blame it on the dog? :-P Just joking. My stoma "farts" used to be really loud - audible to anyone in the room - but they have quieted down a LOT over the last week or so as the swelling has gone down the rest of the way. (I'm almost five weeks out). So it may just be the shape of your stoma.

I have found, however, that they seem to be louder with more liquidy output vs. solid... and if I have been using psyllium husk (metamucil), then they are pretty much a whisper that only I can hear. What is the consistency of your typical output?

(I think standard is about refried-bean consistency. So is yours thinner or thicker than refried beans? LOL)

  To all of you who took the time to share with me the knowledge that I am not alone with the NOISE "condition",I seriously thank you. Strange....it's Election Day plus One and I'm oddly very silent, even my wife commented on that. FYI, I've tried Beano and sy-methicon to no avail and my colo-rectal surgeon isn't much help. Maybe as I heal further...silence will return to my household. Let's keep in "tune"....Joe H.