I have had a sizable hernia on top of my stoma just six months after getting my colostomy.
I am now investigating having my colostomy reversed to the opposite side.
I just cannot deal with the hernia any longer. My colostomy is a breeze to handle...but not with the hernia.
Hi, I have had my hernia for 15 years. It came about 2 years after receiving my stoma. I first had it stitched, but it didn't last very long. Then I had a mesh, and after a short time, it came back. I tried belly bands, and that didn't help. They say don't lift anything heavy, but when you have a 2-year-old daughter crying to be picked up, what can you do? After it came back, I asked the surgeon what he could do, and he suggested moving it to the other side. I asked if that would fix the problem with hernias, and he said probably not. I asked if he could do it and mesh it straight up, and he said no. And it's likely the hernia would return eventually, so I wasn't going through the pain to do that, so I have just lived with the hernia. It sucks as I hate it! The other thing I had to consider was that each time the large bowel was going to be shortened, which was also a concern. Maybe things may be different for you, especially since you're unlikely to lift heavy weights constantly like I do, being a male. May I ask what difficulties are you having?
Cheers, Dennis
Why Join MeetAnOstoMate?
First off, this is a pretty cool site with 37,000 members who truly understand you.
It's not all about ostomy. We talk about everything.
Many come here for advice or to give advice, others have found good friends, and some have even found love. Most importantly, people here are honest and genuinely care.
🛑 Privacy is very important - we have many features that are only visible to members, ensuring a safe and secure environment for you to share and connect.
Create an account and you will be amazed by the warmth of this community.
I was close to having the surgery, but then I opted out and am dealing with it by strength training. I finally did some troubleshooting to find an appliance that works, as the leaks were a major concern. I opted out of surgery as the recurrence rate of it coming back was high, and why subject myself to yet another surgery with no promise of success?
