Colostomy Bag and Bulging Stomach - Is This Normal?

Hi everyone,

I'm new here and very glad that I found this forum. I was wondering if someone had a similar situation - I have a temporary colostomy bag and my whole lower stomach is slightly more bulged out from the rest of my stomach since I had my surgery. And if I try to suck my stomach in, I just cannot do that to that part of my stomach. Nothing hurts, everything is soft to the touch, but I was just wondering if that is all because I have a colostomy?

Thank you in advance!

:)

Hello Alex

I believe what you are describing is typical, I myself have a mound on one side which the stoma protrudes from. I believe it is from the incision having no support around it as it is just a hole. I know this because my stoma was removed during a reversal and my abdomen returned to normal once the hole was closed. Then after going back to a stoma, the "mound" returned. Of course this is assuming you have not obtained a hernia.

Hello Alex.

I do not know if this is a 'normal' situation but it certainly happened to me immediately after surgery and it's taken years to get to look 'acceptable'.

Best wishes

Bill

I too have a 'mound' and my ostomy nurse told me it was completely normal.

Terry

Same here. Seems to be normal for us.

I recently learned that 90 percent of us end up with a hernia too.

Forgot to mention, if I'm going out and tucking my shirt in, I use a girl's spandex boob tube over the lot and it hides it pretty well. I meant under the shirt mind you it might look pretty swish over the top of the shirt too, especially if you're wearing one of those little black mini skirts. Oh, I better stop now.

Cheers, Ian.

Staying Hydrated with an Ostomy with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

I'm about 7 months post-op. Temporary colostomy turned into a permanent one. I developed a parastomal hernia about 3 months post-op. I used to surf for 45 years, always was in good shape. Now... "Fergit 'bout it." I look like the guy in the Alien movie when the little beast popped out of his chest. I'm a little self-conscious about it, but don't obsess over it. As the months go by, your stomach will settle down. Right after surgery, my entire stomach looked like hell. Much nicer now.... except for that pesky bulge.

I too have had a protrusion around my ileostomy that may be a hernia; kind of like a smaller, partial tennis ball. My stoma nurse ordered a support belt from NuHope and it's made a real difference in flattening out my abdomen both when it is on and when I take it off in the evening. NuHope can be found here: https://nu-hope.com/

As for whether or not it's a hernia, one stoma nurse told me that the swelling is normal. Another felt that a hernia was definitely a possibility, especially because I had had a bad cough for a bit. Either way, the belt has been a really good support for me. Even if you don't have a hernia, this can help prevent one. I wish they had provided this belt right from the start.

Rich

This topic was a big help for me also....thank you. I have the same thing going on and I was a little worried. I'm pretty new at all of this. Xmas of last year is when I received my little buddy. I don't comment much, not much of a keyboard warrior, but I read A LOT and this website is a life saver. Thank you to everyone for all the topics/answers. I don't feel alone anymore. God bless.

Hi Alex, it definitely is from the surgery! It takes a long time to heal inside.

I was gobsmacked to wake up with a colostomy bag! I didn't think it would happen after avoiding it the 1st cancer.

They gave me a radical hysterectomy and operated on my bladder but my colon died on the table and I became a permanent ostomate. After my surgery I looked 6 months pregnant and was incontinent for about the 1st 6 weeks. By 12 weeks after surgery I looked about 4 months pregnant and had control of my bladder. At 20 weeks I had a small round belly that was bigger on the ostomy side by about 1 and 1/2 inches. That means using 1 and 1/2 wax rings to level out my barrier and bag to prevent leakage.

At 2 years of being an ostomate, my tummy is the same, mostly flat with a small mound around the ostomy. I still use 1 and a 1/2 wax rings to keep everything level.

Nobody has ever noticed I have a colostomy bag and unless Moana gets noisy or busy ;). I just have a little round belly lol

Good luck!

I have the same, now will check if I have a hernia, but sick of bad news, well they say the luck of the Irish that's bollocks bought a rocking horse on eBay it died.

Hey 2madogs, I'd pay good money to see you in that get up. It does sound solid and think of it as a corset? Hah ha.

Re: hernia... don't you just love dictionaries? "A hernia occurs when an internal part of the body pushes through a weakness in the muscle or surrounding tissue wall."

Gulp.

News flash folks. We all have a hernia. You have a stoma (intestine) sticking out of your tummy. However, not life threatening at the moment, perhaps.

I can deal with my stoma. It's the parastomal hernia that's pissing me off. Big bulge forcing my stoma to lean to the side. Named my stoma Herb. Now I'm gonna name that damn hernia too. I'm thinking of naming it after a stooge.... Curly. Nyuck..Nyuck...

While I don't have a mound, I do use a convex skin barrier which causes marks and grooves when I remove it. Painless but unsightly. I also really dislike the look of a stoma pouch beneath my clothing if it has anything in it at all—It makes me look like I have a bulge. I suppose that would be a positive for some, but definitely not for me. I handle this by wearing clothing that's flattering to the pouching system; though I'm not a huge fan of skirts, I've started wearing my favorite with shorts underneath to combat my issues with it. When I'm not dressed, I just try to remember that a little bit of an unflattering look is more than worth it for an operation that not only saved my life but improved it by a mile.

Great perspective PurpleBushie. Without the stoma and all the issues that go with it... Many good folks would be 6 feet under. Sometimes... I just like to moan and groan (a positive thing sometimes) about my little stoma beast.