Rectal stump removal is also known as a Proctectomy. They have to use an open abdomen approach rather than laparoscopic, so the healing time is lengthened. I took 8 weeks off work but extended it to...
uh, make that four years. : ) Sheesh....
I have officially had my ileostomy for three years. The score is now Me 1:Crohn's 0 Ran three miles today, finished my garden, and have a barbecue tonight. There is life after all. Don't give up,...
I need some guidance on who to choose for a colorectal surgeon at St. Mark's in Utah. I must go to an HCA facility that accepts AETNA so the UofU is out, which is who I was seeing prior. I have a...
This weekend I went up to Grand Targhee Ski Resort with a group of friends. It was the first time since my surgery that I was completely myself, uninhibited by the bag, and didn't even think about it...
Three cheers for getting your life back! Have a fun trip!...
Prednisone.....such a horrible, horrible cheap drug that works. I didn't look in mirrors for the longest time, fearing the moonpie face. Where did my jaw bones go? Now, after the surgery and off the...
Idaho.....we received about six inches of snow between yesterday and today....
Yes, immediate relief, and a feeling of winning the battle by choosing to rid myself of that mean, angry colon. Sure, there was surgical pains but nothing compared to the churning, grinding, stabbing...
These are the posts that I love...the ones that connect me to fellow ostomates who really understand what it's like to wake up with the GoodYear blimp attached to your belly. Pretty much every...
Glad, not a boy once again....but a supportive and understanding girl. Your surgery was scheduled for November 14th, so I'm just checking in and wondering how you are? Your post brought back memories...
My rectal stump also blew. What a weird thing to type. What an even weirder thing to experience. I knew something was wrong right after surgery when the lower incisional pain was so severe that I...
He may need a larger bag for nightime if he has higher output/gas during this time....
Bought a pool this summer....the redneck kind that sits above ground in the backyard. Love it. I wear bikinis and let the bag hang out because hey! I'm in my backyard!! No problems....
I have an ileostomy. I had chron's/colitis of the large intestine only, no small intestine involvement. Today I noticed two small ulcers on the actual stoma that are more whitish in color. My concern...
I've been a silent reader on the forum for the past several months. My ileostomy surgery was May 2007. My post surgical CT scan revealed a tiny blood clot in one of the intestinal veins that had been...
I secretly get pleasure out of buying orange juice, and keep the fridge stocked with three jugs at a time. Six years I went without....
We know your struggle, the unrelenting pain and humiliating urgencies. It's just not worth it. The surgery will change your life. It put's you in control of the situation, not an angry colon. My vote...
Just when I think I've thought of all the what if's, there is one more. That would pretty much be my ultimate undoing, to have someone else empty or change my bag. Seriously....
Slice's last topic made me think about my newest behavior of checking my bag. I wear scrubs at work so it's pretty obvious (to others) when my bag gets full. So, I have this obsessive compulsive...
I must admit that your post made me laugh out loud, you're funny! But then I was once again hit with the realization of "le bag" and how it set's us so apart from everyone else---who have not a care...
Regarding the most recent thread about going back to work......do many of your co-workers know about your surgeries? Do they know the severity of your disease and that you wear a bag? I have a unique...
I guess I was being sort of a smart ass....I don't count my days....
Are you guys for real?...
When I showed my 9 year old nephew my bag, he shrugged his shoulders, pursed his lips to think, and then asked, "well, does this mean that you won't be sick all the time?" I said yah, and I will be...
I read a few past posts that mentioned how children cope with their parent's health situations. How do you explain to your kids about the surgery and the bag? I don't have kids, but I imagine there...
Thank You Amey! It's a honeysuckle plant. The hummingbirds go bananas over it, and that is why I planted it in the front. They are fun to watch....
Does everyone wake up between 3am and 5am and have to empty their bag? I haven't had a full nights sleep in months....since the surgery. I've read about other people's nighttime anxieties, which I...
I too, got very brave and uploaded a pic. Not a very good one since I'm hunched over my abdomen, I still had the wound vac at that time, so it's hiding behind me...you can see the tubing on the...
After not being able to eat my favorite things and enjoy them for over three years, I have completely lost all common sense about food and eating habits. Pretty much, I've endulged, devoured, and...
Party like a Rock Star. A Rock Star with a stoma!!...
I'm a little ticked right now after having my third leakage experience with the same product. Am I allowed to say which company makes a wafer that cannot hold up to my working, bathing, sleeping,...
You don't have to wear a garter belt. They make thigh highs that have "grippers" on the top....
Hmmmmm. Honestly, the thought never occured to me of wearing hose with the bag. I would probably wear thigh highs if I were in your shoes. Wouldn't the hose try to pull the bag down constantly? Let...
I went back to work last week after being gone for 4 months. I am an RN in the ICU of our hospital. It was scary to jump back into the stress and the fast-paced environment. My body did well, it was...
My surgeon also left the decision up to me. I have opted to wait. In my case, there is no harm in waiting. You have seriously been through a lot, it might behoove you to regain stamina, not only...
The hydrogen peroxide works like a charm. No more smell!! It's inexpensive and easy to use. I thank you badbagirl, but mostly my co-workers thank you! If you haven't tried it, you might want to....
I'm going to have to agree with the above, and also add that you are already taking the necessary to steps to continue on with this new ostomy by seeking help from people who have been in your...
What the heck is a bean? I started out nice and easy, just stretching out on an exercise ball then gradually working my way up to sit ups, also using the ball. I can relate to your belly concerns....
I return to work in a week. One of my concerns is of course the restroom. We have a staff toilet which everyone uses, it's in a small room adjacent to the staff lounge. I do not want to empty my bag...
Drinking gin and tonics without worry....or regret. Riding my cruiser wihout having to visit gas stations, the library, random friends, to use the restrooms in a hurry. Wearing thongs. Leaving the...
I got my life back post subtotal colectomy with ileostomy. Today, I went to my GI without one complaint. The visit was only 30 minutes (compared to the usual hour and a half). My med list has gone...
For the most part, I have effectively coped with this ileostomy, but lately, when I lie awake in bed every morning, I dream about starting the day without having a bag attached to my body. This...
As with the disease, everything is individualized and it just takes trying it all out to see what works for your skin, your body type, your activity level. I'm still in the experimental stages myself...
My stoma is just under three months. I had a difficult recovery requiring extra hospital time and a wound vac. Yesterday I went swimming for the first time in years, and it was great. I spent five...
I am using the Hollister two peice drainable pouch. They come with a sheet of "filter covers" that you are supposed to apply when swimming or bathing. This supposably protects the filter and you...
I'm wondering when I should be preparing myself for the reversal surgery. How long did you guys wait from the time you had surgery the first time to going in for the reversal? 3 months, 6 months?...
I empathize with your plight completely! Love your subject title. I received a catalog from a company called Edgepark which has all the companies products that you can browse through....they even...
I've always been very particular about my jeans. The size, the look, the pockets, the fly. Now I have the added challenge of fitting a stoma into the picture. So far, none of the one's I own work...
My surgery was May 16th, had some complications but have been home for a week without problems. This morning I blacked out and rammed my head into the door, thus slamming it and continued to fall on...