Well, new to this!

I feel a little apprehensive going into my first online website to find and get to know fellow OstoMates! It feels exciting because I feel I would have a lot to discuss! Both sharing and listening! It is hard to talk to anyone in my daily life normally for obvious reasons. It is even difficult to talk to family about things; however, I am sincerely hoping I can find someone I can talk to here!

Hi. My name is Pam and I too am trying to adjust; my surgery was 7 weeks ago. Here you will find kindness, understanding, and great friends. Please go to the general chat room. You will find wonderful people there, with understanding. Take care.

Hello Fae and Pam: I don't know, every time I have gone into the general chat room there has not been anyone there. Hope you find what you're looking for.

Hi all, I agree with Zywie, but chatting through posts helps and offers great support; that's what I've found.

Hi Taz: Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that people don't reply on the forums. The people here are great. Right after I wrote the above, I went into general chat to see. Lo and behold, there were 3 people in there! Since then, a lot of people come and go. I guess I was just hitting the wrong times.

Fae: This is a good site. The people here try to help in any way they can.

Stories of Living Life to the Fullest from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

Guys, it is a good idea to post the time you plan on being in the chatroom in advance so others might make themselves available. Heck, I've been in chat for an hour already tonight and not one visitor, but I didn't know I was going to stop in either.

It would be nice if we could post times - but I'm not a planner. I pop in when I feel like it. Sometimes I'm in such a mean mood, I figure I better not; even though I have made a few nice friends in there and I'm sure they would just love to try to talk me out of my mood. ^^What would be nice is if I could leave the Chat up while doing other things and it would notify somehow that someone came into the room (of course I don't always have my sound on) but I can't leave it up and still do anything else on the net - it shrinks the chat down and doesn't notify if someone comes in. You know, like Skype, MSN, Yahoo. Unless I just haven't found the magic button yet.

Bottom right, click on the little speaker; it turns on sound when someone (including you) enters an entry into the chat window, whether minimized or not. Of course, you have to have speakers, and they must be the default. The above applies to Windows. I'm not sure why there is a Popout icon other than when you click on it, it opens up another window which can be useful in case the Chatroom backs up or stops working.

Hi there, does it have the same setting with Mac?
MettaJo

I'm not sure my Mac Power something G4 isn't working too well. But it works on my Android tablet (if I can find the little speaker icon) and on my stupid smartphone (not that smart). Just be careful about who you meet in the chat room. I hear Anon is real trouble. Just ask eddie, or MMSH, or ZywieEd.

Hi, I'm post-op March 10th and was really having a bad time. We've had some real bad luck over the past year with me, and my wife Barbara was diagnosed with leukemia last August. She is really poorly after a bone marrow transplant, and I found it really hard to keep from her how down I was. I have picked myself up now and have even returned to work, but there are days when I just sit and think. I'm determined to get the better of this and would love to chat and try to help anybody else.

Hi Faelaw, I don't get on here too often, but when I do, a lot of nice people post things that help me out. Stay positive. I have had an ileostomy twice. The second one was since September 2013. I have been through a lot and am not ready to give up. Enjoy life to the fullest.

Keep going and well done, you. You are amazing!!!