Introduction of New Member :)

Hello all,

I'm so glad to be here! This forum is exactly what I needed to help me adjust to having a permanent ileostomy.

Oddly enough, I did not have any symptoms of the damage raging through my intestines. They were pretty much like Swiss cheese, I am told.

Believe it or not, I actually fell out of bed one night; my husband heard the thump on the floor and tried to wake me up. Apparently, I had a glassy-eyed stare and was unresponsive. I couldn't even get back up. He freaked out, called 911, and the ambulance team fought for over an hour to bring my blood pressure up. (We live an hour's drive from a major hospital.)

I was unconscious when we arrived at the hospital, and for the first two weeks, I was in a hallucinatory state. ICU became my home for the next six weeks. My husband visited practically every day, but I honestly don't remember him being there for the first month.

Bottom line, I woke up with an ileostomy and had no time to mentally prepare for it, nor to even make sense of what this meant in terms of my life going forward. I became depressed and barely even tried to get up and walk around. I couldn't change or empty my own bag because I also broke my arm while falling and had a huge cast on it.

The mystery of why I developed Crohn's was finally explained. In my early 30s, I had a duodenal ulcer that got out of control. Finally, they learned about the H. pylori bacteria, gave me the appropriate "triple therapy," and I was cured (or so I thought).

No more pain. No more symptoms. Ever. (Except for a bit of heartburn now and then.)

Fast forward to now, post-surgery, and my questions are endless. After lurking a bit on this forum, I decided to take the plunge and become an active participant.

Again, thank you all for being here in this safe place ... I can't imagine doing this alone, without you.

M

xo

Hi Marjatta, welcome to the site. I've been an ileostomate for 30 some years due to UC/Crohn's. It hasn't always been easy, but the alternative is worse.

Hi Ron in Mich,

You nailed it! The alternative is much worse ... my appliance is a daily reminder of how lucky I am to be alive at all!

Looking forward to learning from y'all. :)

M

xo

Welcome Marjatta,

I woke up from emergency exploratory surgery with a colostomy 15 months ago. I was a bit lost at first. I remember looking at an ostomy supply book and thinking, "What the hell is all this stuff?" Then I discovered this website where good folks here share their experiences. What works, what does not. And in a short time, I've become an expert at taking care of the little beast poking out of my stomach.

Ask any question, and someone here, worldwide, will have an answer.

Take care and good luck.

G'day Marjatta, you're in good company here as everyone tries to help where they can. Don't be shy and ask away. Regards, Iggie

A gracious good morning to you, Ms. Marjatta!

Welcome! I fell in my backyard, had to have my dog help me get up. Good thing he is huge!

That was so much fun, falling in the backyard, I did it again the next morning, broke my hand.

Turned out, I was septic and had to be life-flighted to KC. Woke up to a stoma. Went home, gave my dog a huge hug. Life goes on with lots of adventures. 😸

Good morning!

Welcome to the site. I have a colostomy as the result of cancer in August 2023, and this site has been a lifesaver for me. I learned very little while in the hospital and was fortunate to find this site, which has taught me the majority of what I know.

It's a great place for questions, information, and just feeling like you're not alone. We understand because we're all in the same boat.

Hi

Welcome to the best site you can ever find. Lots of different discussions, advice, information, or even if you want to let off steam. We have all had our fair share of poor health one way or another, but we have survived. So you can rest assured that any tips you get are not from a science book but from people who have first-hand experiences of it. Xx

Welcome!! I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that, but you are here and brighter days are coming!! I went through so many emotions and feelings myself, but then I found this site. Everyone here is kind and caring and willing to share their experiences, and I didn't feel so alone or isolated. I am so thankful for this site and for my fellow ostomates!! Any roadblocks you hit, someone here will help navigate around it. This truly is the greatest site for support! Someone once told me, “One day you will look back and see how far you've come.” It took me a while, but yeah, so true! Be well, friend!

Welcome to the site. Ask questions, post a pic, write a review, tell a joke. Take care.

Marjatta,

Welcome!

Good luck.

Ask away... and folk will respond.

 

Best wishes

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ waves ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

From the hills of Mid Wales, UK

Welcome to the forum, Marjatta. You will find plenty of us ileostomates here, both temporary and permanent. What you went through sounds pretty scary, and I am glad you are still here to share your story. Don't feel shy about asking any old question that you have about your new "configuration." For most of us, an ostomy is a life-saving, as well as life-changing, thing. This site is here to help us adapt and meet others with the same outcome, albeit via many different paths. One thing to keep in mind is that you are in no way unique. I am not sure what the numbers are in Canada, but here in the U.S., about 1 in 500 people have an ostomy, whether permanent or temporary. I am sure the numbers in Canada are similar. So, you are not alone. None of us are. So again, welcome to our world. :-)

Daniel

Welcome Marjetta - and I'd endorse what everybody else has said.
Best wishes

Bill 

Hi Marjatta, a big welcome from a fellow Canadian. You are in good company. I was a fly on the wall of this website myself before I got the courage to join, and I'm so glad I did. My ileostomy is the result of a perforated colon, so it was an emergency surgery and I was totally unprepared for the way my life suddenly changed so radically. The surgery saved my life, but this site played a big part in helping me adjust to my new reality. The wonderful, helpful, empathic, and knowledgeable people here have helped me more than I can say. Feel free to ask anything and there are no dumb questions.

Terry

Daniel,

I had no idea as to the ostomy occurrence per capita - 1 in 500 is a lot higher than one might envisage ... is there a site where the relative worldwide country stats are displayed? For it would make interesting reading - an observable upon lifestyles maybe of communities in which we are born, live, work, etc.

BW

Jayne

Hi Jayne, I've read that there are ~13.5 million ostomy patients worldwide. That's a little lower than the U.S. However, I got that number from a blog (https://comfizz.com/blogs/comfizz-blog/how-many-people-worldwide-have-an-ostomy) and have nothing official to back that up. The U.S. numbers come from the U.S. National Institute of Health and the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation.

Daniel

Welcome, Marjatta. We've all got our own stories of how we became ostomates, but the support is universal and something we all need. These folks are emotional lifesavers!

Welcome from Oz 🇦🇺

Interestingly, the numbers in the UK appear to be quite a bit higher than the U.S. About 1 in 335, according to ColostomyUK.org - https://www.colostomyuk.org/information/what-is-a-stoma/#:~:text=People%20who%20have%20had%20stoma,ages%20can%20have%20a%20stoma.

 

Daniel,

Thank you for the links and comments.

Regards,

Jayne

Hi Beachboy,

Thank you for your encouraging words! Yes, I am determined to tame my "little beast" too! LOL

You reminded me that we literally have the expertise of the world at our fingertips... truly technology at its finest. As time goes by, I hope to contribute something of value and give back to all of you.

M

xo

Hi Iggie,

Thank you for the welcome! Yes, it's certainly hard to be shy when discussing one of our intimate bodily functions, so I promise to ask away. :)

M

xo

Hello Ms. Kittybou!

What a story! And thank goodness for your dog (what a good boy)! So glad to hear that you're a survivor, a truly miraculous recovery indeed.

Thanks for the warm welcome - looking forward to getting to know you and learning from your experiences!

M

xo

Hello Kas,

Thanks for the warm welcome! I agree that this site is a lifesaver (for me too), and I feel like a sponge soaking up all this valuable information and emotional support.

Sometimes it's a lonely road, and coming here makes me feel less alone too. Yes, we're all in the same (leaky) boat, and I've already learned so much from all of you.

Grateful,

M

xo

Hello Cas67 from across the pond!

I appreciate the tips and advice from the good folks on this forum more than anything I've read in official publications so far. Thanks for reminding me that we are all survivors, and we should be proud of that! Plus, we're learning what our priorities are, or should be.

Letting off steam here occasionally is also a relief, so that poor hubby doesn't have to bear the full brunt of it! LOL

M

xo

Dear MoeMoe,

You summed it up beautifully! And your optimism is contagious! Thank you for sharing your emotional journey with me ... makes me feel much more "normal" in my short experience with my stoma so far. I can already begin to see that the mountain in front of me is slowly shrinking into a manageable hill and taking up much less real estate in my head. :)

M

xo

Hi Xnine,

I will certainly do all of the above! Thank you for the welcome! :)

M

xo

Hello Jayne,

Thank you from Canada! It's great to hear from another UK person! I used to transcribe interviews and such, and I had to know the U.S. and British spelling styles, and now I kind of do a mishmash of both. (Canadian, eh?)

Looking forward to learning from you!

M

xo

Hi Mysterious Mose,

Thanks for the informative welcome! My doctor said exactly the same thing ... walking down the street, chances are that you'll pass by other ostomates without even realizing it. In fact, his own father has an ileostomy, and still fishes, goes camping, travels, and leads a very adventurous lifestyle. I want to be just like him when I grow up! LOL

Slowly but surely, my stoma is taking more of a back seat in my life. I hope my ostomy maintenance will eventually be streamlined to the point that it seems just as routine as brushing my teeth. I am eagerly reading everything I can on this forum - you guys are simply amazing!!

Appreciate you,

M

xo

Hello Bill,

Thanks for the welcome! Happy to be here and contributing what I can. :)

M

XO