Experiencing Bowel Movements with an Ileostomy: Should I Worry?

I've had an iliostimy for 1 1/2yrs.  I'm surgically sewn completely.  I get the urge for bowel movements and today I passed a small stool.  Why? How?  Should I be worried?

Hello Amelia11.

When you say you are 'surgically sewn completely', I presume you mean internally with regard to your iliostomy and not with ragard to your anus.  If the latter is still intact, you will still have a portion of the bowel attached. This will almost certainly be producing mucus, which often just comes out as a slimey liquid. However, it can build up to be a hard lump, very similar to a 'small stool', It can also come a in a range of colours, depending on what it is bringing out with it. 

Generally speaking, this is nothing to worry about and it's 'better out than in'. However, if it contains blood, or if you are at all concerned about it, then the best thing to do is to take the 'sample' and have it analysed (if only for peace of mind). 

There have been many past posts about anal mucus and  it will not surprise you that I have had something to say about it in rhyme:

Best wishes

BillL

RECTAL STUMP MUCUS.

If there’s one thing’ gives me the hump
it’s mucus from my rectal stump.
They did not tell me this would be
a side–effect of ostomy.

With no faeces coming through
no way did I expect this goo.
It is so inconvenient
that I am still incontinent.

I thought that this would be all cured
once my ostomy matured.
However, it’s not gone away
and I fear it’s here to stay.

Sometimes brown and sometime white
but mixed with blood is never right.
Then there’s yellow and there’s cream
which will flood out like a stream.

Sometimes it’s soft and sometimes hard
sometimes it’s slippery just like lard.
Occasionally I’ll get a chunk
but mostly it will look like gunk.

The mucus used to irritate
and refused to irrigate.
That method didn’t work so well
although it minimised smell.

When I reflect I must admit
sometimes I get fed up with it.
For I was not expecting this
every time I have a piss.

With both a plug and inco’ pad
you’d think it would not feel so bad.
But I still moan and I will grump
about the mucus from my stump.

                                      B. Withers 2012

Hi Amelia,

  Bill hit it on the head, so no worries.  It is interesting that some actually get enough mucus to make them want to poop much later (or earlier) than others.  And the consistency of what comes out can vary from purely liquid to something firmer, depending on how much has naturally been re-absorbed.  After I got my front-ass I got the urge to poop about 3 weeks after my surgery.....and I was thinking....this seems strange.  And while I was sitting on the throne it felt like I was actually pooping real stuff.  Then when I got up and turned around to see what I made I saw it was just some liquid mucus.  But it sure felt like I was really pooping........which at the time was blowing my mind.  Now I get the urge maybe once a month, if that.  Just your body's way of saying WTF just happened???

regards,

bob