Poop from anus 8 months after ileostomy and hemicolectomy

I am 8 months post-ileostomy for cancer at the recto-sigmoid junction. I felt something solid in my rectum, and my stoma nurse told me to use glycerin suppositories, which I did. I can't believe the amount of fecal-type matter that came out, as everything was cleaned out prior to surgery and the top part of my rectum is sealed. I don't think this is just mucus. Can anyone explain, please?

Hi... welcome. Sorry you are going through this stuff... it's rough the first year.

Hemicolectomy? What exactly is that? 

Did you mean semicolectomy? 

I read your profile as I do with many members.

You said your colon was sewn on top. And you still have rectum and anus and discharge.

Mine was done the same way as yours, hoping to reconnect later, but it never happened. Had to remove everything 7 years later. 

I have nothing down there now.

Is your surgeon planning to reconnect you later?

The stuff coming out now should just be mucus or, worse, bloody. I never had anything formed coming out. Something might be wrong. You may need a scoping. Was there talk to have it removed? 

It can be very surprising the amount that is discharged the first time, especially when you're not expecting anything at all!

By the sounds of it, your discharge has been there for 8 months, so again, it's not surprising that it resembles something more than just mucus. In saying that, though, it sounds like a normal discharge and is nothing to worry about. But if you still have concerns, then contact your stoma nurse or surgeon.

That is normal. Debris from your rectal cells will come out.

Hemicolectomy refers to removing one side of the colon, typically the left side.

Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

Ahh... a fancy new term I was not aware of... so how is this different than saying my ascending or descending colon has been removed? Those are the two sides. It sounds like the descending colon (left side) was removed, no?

I see subtotal colectomy for removing some of the ascending or descending colon. Why use the term hemicolectomy? 🤔 It does seem like semantics sometimes.

My thoughts exactly. 

Last I heard

the term "hemi" was in a Dodge Ram pickup truck. 

What's next? Super-sized stoma? 😋

My understanding is that surgeons are looking at the patient (colon) as having two hemispheres in the case of a hemicolectomy. 😉

That's like having a semi... colon... right? 🤣

It's too confusing... New terms not even in the mainstream yet.

Transverse, ascending, descending. Simple layman's terms. Proper location identification. No guesswork as to what hemisphere you are in.

I am in the Northern Hemisphere and excited about autumn 🍂

I read the operative report for every new ostomate I see in the hospital before I meet with them for their first ostomy education. It helps me know what to expect from a surgical standpoint when I see them. I definitely recommend every patient request their operative report and read through it. It's good to know the terms and what procedures were done. You can learn a lot from reading your operative report.