Frustrated

Hi guys. I am feeling frustrated because I might have to go back to the hospital; it would seem I am not all the way better, as much as I told the doctor who let me out. Plus, also my stoma is being cranky. It keeps farting loudly. And I did something I haven't done since I had my ostomy: I lay on my stomach. I was coloring a picture because I couldn't sleep all last night. Nothing bad happened from doing that, but when I got up, my ostomy made the loudest, longest fart I have ever heard. Does anyone else dare to lay on their stomach since having an ostomy? Before I had mine, I used to sleep on my stomach. Also, I would do journaling while lying on my stomach or do any activity you can do lying on your stomach. So, I really miss that and feel very strange not being able to lay on my stomach. I am just worried about crushing my stoma or having the bag pop or leak. It's a stupid thing to worry about, I guess, but my mind is jam-packed full of stupid things right now.

Lee

Hi,

I used to be a stomach sleeper and lay on my stomach too. Like you, I don't want to lay on my stoma. From what I know, with babies having them, people surfing, and getting a back massage, it is fine. I woke up one night shortly after I got mine and I had been laying on it all night.

So, is the farting making you worry? Because your stoma is going to fart. I know when I eat certain things, you can hear her all the way across a room for an hour straight. 😆

Slept on my stomach for over 30 years with a stoma and never had a problem. Some put a pillow underneath them, but I've never done that. If you're not eating much, you will fart more; it's just a natural thing to pass gas. It could also be diet-related, even if you've been snoring, which can cause it.

Farting is a natural occurrence. 🤷‍♂️ I was a stomach sleeper too. Laying on your stomach for short amounts of time doesn't hurt anything. As far as your mind being jammed full of stupid things, I'm guessing you're easily influenced by others or what you see on social media? There's a very simple cure for that, turn it off. A person's life is as stressful as one makes it. Turn off what fills your mind with stress/anxiety (or whatever you want to call it), and life becomes way more enjoyable. Have a good day and smile.

I too was a stomach sleeper—all night long. However, stays in the hospital cured that—all the gear, tubes, hoses—not much chance of fully lying flat out on my stomach 😠.
When I got home, my natural instinct was belly down, but the mental fear caused me to lose sleep, and personally, nothing is more important to me than my sleep. Occasionally, I will wake up belly down, but now I find side sleeping is much more comfortable. Turns out, I should have been doing this my whole life—it might have saved me from many facial wrinkles in my old age!
I never could lie on my belly to read books, watch TV, or write—always gave me neck problems—probably because I never did these things while lying on a bed, and that dang floor is hard 😀.
Belly farts, for me, are usually food-related. Milk, my favorite, super inflates my bag very quickly…in fact, if it were helium gas, I would surely end up on the ceiling! jb

Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

The farting doesn't worry me, mostly what worries me is the pressure of my body on the bag and that it might burst or leak. My stoma farts regularly. I have come to expect it. My mom calls it "talking" and she will reply to it. I guess I just have anxiety and so I decided to focus it on that instead of what is really making me anxious.

Lee

You are kidding me??? Snoring causes stoma farts? Now that gave me a laugh. Thank you!!

Lee

I find it hard to "turn off" my mind. Maybe because I am apparently still manic. My mind lacks an off switch at this time.

Lee

It is a change for me; I started sleeping on my side after my first surgery. Now I mostly sleep that way. But I still have the urge to do activities while lying on my tummy, everything from coloring to reading magazines. I just want to be on my tummy. But I don't normally because I worry about the bag popping from poo not being able to go down the bag when I am lying on it. When my stoma was farting, I hadn't eaten anything in over 8 hours. I think I should have named him Gassy Gus instead of Marvin (the Martian).

Lee

I was a stomach sleeper all my life. Even with my pouch, I still almost get that way. I keep most of my weight at my left and middle. For the first few months, I slept only on my right side. This was due to all the tubes that protruded from my left side. Once they came out and the holes healed a bit, I went to my left side and eventually back to semi-stomach sleeping. But now that I am broken of stomach sleeping, I am glad for that. I would always end up with my arms under me and end up waking up with significant pain. No more. :-)

Daniel

Lol, your stoma is talking funny. I say the same thing, or she will sing hahaha. She gets attitude too. I wish I could help you out more on the stomach sleeping, but I became a side sleeper at first and then now a back sleeper... but a raised-up back sleeper with a million pillows. I had to after this last surgery.

If you are lying on your tummy, where does the poop go? Isn't that pressing a lot on the bag?

Yep, stomas have attitude for sure. My Marvin (the Martian) has attitude to spare. If I vary his routine, he thinks it's poop-a-palooza. And he always is in a hurry to mess up a fresh clean bag (sometimes before I can even get the bag on him). Yep, we call it Marvin talking. And my mom will answer him too! She also, from time to time, gives him a little pat or a gentle poke through the bag, or a funny little hand hug. It was his 8-month birthday on November 30, and Mom and I even sang Happy Birthday to him! Yep, we are nuts, but there is a lot of laughter in this house. It keeps spirits up.

Lee

Hi there, that doesn't sound weird at all, especially with the temperament and attitude they get when changing. Lol, I have sung to my stoma many times, especially because mine, like yours, likes to roll every time I change my bag. Lol, so I will sing to her 😂. I talk to her when she is going wonky... (Briella, stop doing that) or please, Briella, I need some time just to get the bag on. Lol

And that's a great thing, yes, jokes and laughter are the best.

😁Yeah, Briella, behave for 2 minutes until the bag gets on! I can be heard all over the house when Marvin mistakes the shower for a toilet; it's like "MARVIN!!!!!" I changed bags today and Mr. Marvin Rose did not wait for me to get the bag fixed to the wafer; he was in a hurry to make everything all messy again. I think he might be a pig masquerading as a stoma. He likes to roll around in his own mess. Lol

Lee

I still lay on mine most of the time. But I am not closed up. I can wear a stoma cap regularly. But the bowel movement hurts 😕. I was just to have it for two months, haven't been back, and that was 17 years ago.