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Since our establishment in 2006, MeetAnOstoMate has blossomed from a humble platform into a vibrant multi-topic community. Founded on the principle that shared experiences breed understanding, our platform is dedicated to offering a space for members to openly discuss their challenges, share insights, and seek advice. As much as we are a platform for knowledge, we're also a meeting ground for friendships, love, and unwavering support.
Pharmgirl

Daily Use of Metamucil or Stool Softeners for Colostomy Patients?

Nov 26, 2023 - Sep 30, 2024
Does anyone take Metamucil daily or a stool softener? I've had a colostomy since 2015, never had a problem going, but now it's literally days before anything happens, and then it's all hell breaks loose. I'd like to be regular again. Oh, I eat healthy, drink plenty of water, and walk 2-3 miles a day, so there is no lack of that. Anyone know if that's something we can safely take daily?
Thank you!
10 replies | 1063 views
Sep 25, 2024
Why are people talking about morals, etc.? I have very loose stools, actually liquid. I don't mind it as it's easier to deal with. If I eat something that binds me, I have a harder time with diges ...
Sep 30, 2024
My surgeon said to avoid Metamucil since you have to drink a LOT of water. He said to use Restorolax or generic equivalent if necessary. I was taking one dose a day for a few months after my surge ...
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budd002

Foamy Output - How to Deal?

Mar 04, 2011 - Oct 13, 2024
As many of you know, I have been home on rest fighting tooth and nail this latest Crohn's flare. I have been feeling better and better every day. I have finally hit the 3-digit mark in my weight and the appetite is coming back, with some crazy cravings. I blame the devil's drug on that one.
However, this past week my guts have been rather loud with gurgling, but the thing that is getting on my ...
13 replies | 28550 views
Nov 23, 2022
Same thing happens to me, have to eat something in the am, if I skip breakfast... that damn yellow foam and belly ache occurs!
Oct 13, 2024
Hi

I am having foaming issues too. Only 10 weeks ileostomy.
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sunvox

New Ostomate Seeking Advice on Nighttime Leaks and Ballooning

May 20, 2024 - Sep 18, 2024
I'm scheduled for surgery on May 30th that will leave me with a loop ileostomy. I'm trying to prepare in advance by learning as much as possible from folks' experiences here and elsewhere on the internet. I have rectal cancer and have already been through 5 weeks of radiation therapy and 6 weeks of chemotherapy, so mentally I look at this as just another step on my road to beating cancer. I al ...
27 replies | 673 views
May 25, 2024
I do sleep on my back at night, but my back is elevated at about a 40-degree angle so output can still fall in the pouch. I was never a back sleeper, but after 3 months in the hospital sleeping on ...
Sep 18, 2024
I just dry my pouch and flange edges with my towel after showering.
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Differentclass

30 Days After Hartmann's Reversal: Feeling Much Better

Aug 30, 2024 - Sep 09, 2024
I thought I should update since I am now back from the hospital for the 2nd time. Robotic reversal on August 1st, sent home after 10 days, back in the hospital as an emergency a week later where I have been on IV antibiotics. Released 29th August and feeling much better. Bowels are now working well! Never thought I would say this, but what a joy to sit on the loo again. I can't believe how exc ...
4 replies | 200 views
Sep 03, 2024
Congrats!!!!!
Sep 09, 2024
Congrats - may you continue to heal and regain your strength with no further complications!!! :)
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Differentclass

3 Weeks After Hartmann's Reversal - Hospital Update and Recovery Progress

Aug 21, 2024 - Aug 23, 2024
Hi all. Update on my reversal procedure. Spiking temperature sees me back in the hospital on IV antibiotics. Not what I wanted. Good news is scans reveal all is well with the join and bowels starting to behave as they should! Hopefully home in a couple of days... onward and upwards. Will update progress as we go, but feeling positive and better now that battery acid has abated!
5 replies | 193 views
Aug 22, 2024
Good to hear it is going well! If everything my surgeon says is true, I'll probably be having the same procedure in the next 6-18 months. (He said as short as 3 months, but I don't think I'm going ...
Aug 23, 2024
Hi - the same happened to me after my emergency colostomy. Fevers of over 104 for quite some time. Tylenol and Ibuprofen only got me down to 101 or 102...it was scary, but more hospital time and I ...
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Gemini16

Cardio Causing Pouch Woes - Any Advice?

May 15, 2023 - Oct 08, 2024
Lol... not in that sense! Hehe. I've recently got into more cardio rather than just weight training but, my pouch seems to come undone... even on days I haven't sweat too much. Anyone have any tips/tricks/advice?
9 replies | 755 views
Jun 04, 2023
Hey Gary... Geminis are definitely unique!
Oct 08, 2024
1) Soberderm barrier spray!
2) XL Coloplast Brava Tape Extenders!
3) Use hairdryer to warm skin & flange of bag!
If that doesn't work, put your head between your knees & kiss your arse goodbye!
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bagbill

Impressed by Halo's New Stoma Guard Product

Sep 21, 2024 - Sep 22, 2024
I recently tried a new stoma guard product from a company called Halo. I bought it on Amazon and was so impressed with it I wrote the review below. I thought I would post it here as well. As I noted, they took a really good idea and made it even better.
I have been a StomaDome user for over ten years. This product was revolutionary for me in that it allowed me to wear all the same cloth ...
2 replies | 199 views
Sep 22, 2024
Bagger, thanks for the info. My stoma is a bit too high up for that to work as it should, but maybe others will find it useful. Very easy to make if you have a 3D printer, and you can add belt lo ...
Sep 22, 2024
There is a similar product that I have used using a belt. Protection Shield for Stomas does not require the velcro attachment of the dome but does similar protection with a belt. https://stoma-p ...
infinitycastle52777

1 Year

Mar 29, 2024 - Aug 24, 2024
I have been on these forums for one year now. My stoma relocation happened a year ago tomorrow. I can't believe it's been a year. It was when I got my relocation that I was finally able to wear a bag. I got my first stoma on Jan. 1, 2022. And from then until March 30, 2023, I was not able to wear a bag due to the location of the stoma. I don't blame the doctor for placing my stoma in such a ba ...
22 replies | 422 views
Apr 02, 2024
IC
I can actually empathize to a point, for during the phases where the sinuses were erupting and I too could not have a base plate or bag on - it was a severe challenge - BUT, somehow one got thr ...
Aug 24, 2024
I had an appointment with my consultant last week and we discussed the pros and cons of having a reversal.

As I have Crohn's it's quite possible for me to have a blocked bowel again and that's s ...
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Lilbet

Is a Diaper Genie-like Disposal Can Worth It for Colostomy Bags?

Oct 14, 2023 - Sep 18, 2024
Hello,
I've had my colostomy a little over a month, so I'm a newbie. I am very concerned about odor. I was looking today at garbage cans that are like a diaper genie, but use regular kitchen-size bags. Is it worth the expense? How do you deal with disposal?
Thank you,
Lilbet
13 replies | 1539 views
Sep 18, 2024
Those cheap bags will leak. Many have small holes in the bottom and are only 2 mil thick. Chintzy! Try Doggie Poop Bags. Free, thicker, leakproof, and black (no one likes staring at their poop!).
Sep 18, 2024
Bill, Hollister makes them as well. Much bigger than Convatec's. Fits my homemade emptying device perfectly.
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mandi85

Ileostomy Takedown Recovery Tips and Advice

Oct 05, 2024
I had my ileostomy takedown surgery yesterday.
What are tips and tricks from you all that worked?
The nurses are trying to make me eat solids already, and I don't feel right about that.
What do I do?
Any suggestions are welcome.
2 replies | 125 views
Oct 05, 2024
Agree with the nurses. You need to see how your system handles the food.
Oct 05, 2024
If you are still in the hospital, try firmer foods; you have to start that process sooner or later. I started immediately after colostomy reversal. Just small meals to "test the waters." Advance a ...
markmd1112

Long Flights with a Colostomy - Tips and Experiences?

Aug 12, 2023 - Sep 16, 2024
Hello! Does anyone with a colostomy have first-hand experience with flights that are more than 14 hours nonstop? I know from my pre-colostomy days, those flights cause digestive issues such as bloating, dehydration, indigestion, and constipation. Does having a colostomy worsen those and add other issues? If so, any suggestions for how to minimize and manage them? I'm hoping to travel to Austra ...
20 replies | 1572 views
Sep 28, 2023
Had the same type of experience a couple of months ago. Pat pat, sniff sniff, and gone. :-)

Sep 16, 2024
Right on, Oscar. I take double supplies & meds in carry-on & checked in. My luggage got lost in Madrid on the way to Athens.
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Ostoberry

Embracing Colostomy Bag Changes with Confidence

Aug 19, 2024 - Aug 20, 2024
Colostomy since June 23. I used to dread changing my appliance, but now I look forward to it. Practice makes perfect, although I don't believe I'm 100% perfect. I use a Hollister two-piece with a barrier ring and extenders on the bottom 2/3 of the wafer. I can usually get 7 days, but I never go longer even if I could.
I am very active, with a slow hour jog every morning and different resistanc ...
6 replies | 290 views
Aug 20, 2024
Thinking back, it's funny how I've evolved. I used to shower with a bag on, taking care to keep it dry. Dry off, then change the wafer. I used to wonder, "How do you clean the stoma?" I was going ...
Aug 20, 2024
I've gone over an hour with no bag on. Any more than that and I risk falling asleep and waking up to a mess.
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Douglas john

Marks & Spencer Launches Stoma Pants in Various Colors and Sizes

Aug 12, 2024 - Aug 18, 2024
Applies to the UK. The Guardian newspaper reported last week that Marks & Spencers have brought out a range of stoma pants for ladies (men as well if you like). They come in a range of colors and sizes and incorporate a pocket to accommodate a stoma bag. Are stomas becoming mainstream?
21 replies | 677 views
Aug 17, 2024
Hi Bill, it was a member of M&S staff with a stoma who suggested there was a market. The pants apparently have a full-width supportive pocket inside to hold the pouch close to the body. Also, they ...
Aug 18, 2024
I bought these last week. My colostomy is quite low and I was always uncomfortable with it. They have improved my comfort immensely.
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Jayne

Homemade Hydration Drinks for Ileostomists: What Works for You?

Aug 26, 2024 - Sep 13, 2024
I asked the onsite OstomyAI bot to search its database for the chemistry behind hydration, and it came up with the suggestions below.

My own question to the membership is: What blends of fruit juice or other fruits/drinks, other than branded premixed electrolyte drinks, have you found to be most refreshing and tolerable over time?

Thank you.

Here is the chemistry as suggested by the bot: ...
13 replies | 367 views
Sep 13, 2024
Thanks Emad

BW

J
Sep 13, 2024
JB

I was [and still am] wishing to find a simple, non-proprietary 'hydration aid' that one can implement when a bout of liquid loss is not immediately reversible - hence, I was hoping to learn w ...
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Mr.bonson

Stupid scissors

Jun 22, 2024 - Sep 05, 2024

When introduce to the ostomy procedures I was more overwhelmed with trying to use the scissors that come with the kit they give you flat flange and a clear bag and that was pretty overwhelming once I found the soft bags with the cloth and the charcoal vent and the velcro everything got a lot easier except for cutting those scissors are awful I don't know who can use them and make a smoot ...
12 replies | 565 views
Jun 23, 2024
There are curved blade scissors—I had to purchase mine as regular scissors were in my kit. Try turning the wafer, putting less pressure on the scissor blades. This makes for a smoother cut. It a ...
Sep 05, 2024
I need an oval shape! My hubby cuts mine with the blunt end scissors, and he says he has never had an issue. I could not use those... I also have a crippled hand.
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J3n84

Managing Constipation with an Ostomy and Cerebral Palsy - Tips and Advice

Apr 09, 2024 - Sep 07, 2024
Hi all, newbie here. I've had my ostomy since June of 2023. Lately, I've been dealing with constipation. What do y'all do/eat to get rid of constipation? I also have cerebral palsy.
11 replies | 506 views
Sep 06, 2024
Black tea??? Fizzy wine! How did you come up with that? I think it makes me nauseated, but anything is worth a try!
Sep 07, 2024
I have a colostomy and have thick output as a norm. I drink a cap of Miralax "polyethylene glycol 3350" daily and twice if needed.

Correct.
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Hisbiscus

Hep c

Jun 08, 2024 - Aug 25, 2024
It was hard for me to bring this up worrying about people being judgemental but it's a much needed topic for ostomates in this position and I will never see anyone here outside the forum anyhow.

Found out I had Hep c in the mid 90's and suspect I got it from my ex husband who actually had a liver transplant.

Anyhow I was always afraid of the horror stories of how rough the meds were to ...
71 replies | 1114 views
Aug 12, 2024
I did bloodwork again on Friday and Hep C viral load came out undetected. My liver function is within normal range. I see the hepatologist this Wednesday. I'm feeling great energy little by little ...
Aug 25, 2024
Had my follow up with my hepatologist on the 14th and he says I need to get another viral load test in November. He says if it comes out neg then I'm cured as most people are.

I had to give him ...
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jody1974

Safe Abdominal Exercises for Ostomy Patients

Aug 16, 2024 - Aug 21, 2024
Hello. I am an ostomy patient. I really want to work on my midsection and get it better in shape. I've seen the lay-down exercises online that you can do, but I am interested in doing exercises like sit-ups and leg raises. I have an ostomy hernia belt. It works very well, but I have been apprehensive about trying these exercises because I don't want to cause any damage to myself. I would reall ...
23 replies | 735 views
Aug 21, 2024
Stretching out - back straight, legs slightly apart, and arms out-down stretched to rest on a chair - only after careful progression with the bent knees sit-up etc., should this be attempted follo ...
Aug 21, 2024
Like Terry says - She built up to them first

:-)

J
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HenryM

A HOSPITAL CHANGEOVER

Aug 24, 2024 - Aug 26, 2024
IT HAS ALWAYS PUZZLED ME why people drink too much or do recreational drugs. Perhaps it’s what cartoonist Bill Watterson quipped in his ‘Calvin and Hobbes’ series: “Reality continues to ruin my life.” I’ve never desired to escape reality. It may occasionally piss me off, or cause me anxiety, but one has to just deal with it. It is what it is, as some say. It is life. I was i ...
7 replies | 209 views
Aug 26, 2024
Fair points all, Bill, but you might have simply told me that I'm full of shite I stand by my "full of shite" remark not as bullying but as calling BS when I see it. I expect the same from others ...
Aug 26, 2024
Hello B@tLady.
Thank you for your response to my post and for your explanation of your perspective.
I do not think that I could (or would) ever say that you (or anyone else) is ‘full of shite’ ...
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Mrivera8

High Protein Recipes or Snack Ideas

Aug 27, 2024 - Sep 11, 2024
Hi everyone!
I'm curious if anyone has any high-protein recipes they can share or high-protein snacks to suggest? I've been trying to help aid in healing my wound from a proctectomy but am struggling with options; Ensure protein shakes, pumpkin seeds, beef jerky, eggs, fish, and chicken have been my main diet since May. So, if there's a tasty recipe you'd like to share, my taste buds thank you ...
16 replies | 406 views
Sep 02, 2024
I make a "smoothie" with Naturade Protein Powder (2 scoops), 1/2 banana, 1/4 avocado, 12-14 oz milk and blend it all up. Pretty tasty and all good for you!
Sep 11, 2024
Bolthouse Farms chocolate drink has 30 gm. of protein and if you freeze it you have a Wendy's Frosty.

It has all the vitamins and minerals you can want without any of that nasty cardboard taste ...
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