One Week Post-Op: Seeking Advice on Recovery Challenges

I'm home from the colostomy surgery. It's been a week. Here's a summary: it went as planned, but my leg fell out of the leg holder thing and it hyperextended, so now I can't lift it. So before leaving the hospital, I had a complete leg workup. No break. No torn ligaments. I have a referral to PT for when I can start PT.

I'm managing pain with Tylenol and my MS drugs. I'm shocked at how swollen my belly looks. My husband promises it will be better over time. I'm trying to stay positive. As a person with body image issues, this is a challenge. But not as big as…

Odor—I can smell the poo in the bag, and when emptying, I have to wear a mask. I'm very sensitive to all smells, so I shouldn't be surprised. I have the Hollister lubricant deodorant, but I don't see that it helps. I requested a sample of a similar product from Coloplast. Are there other companies?

When can I drive? There's nothing in my discharge paperwork except to resume activity as tolerated.

I assume that clothes will eventually stop hurting, but so far they all hurt.

Thank you everyone for your advice and the before-surgery assurances.

G-Day CL,

I hope your leg is much better now, and as for your belly, the swelling will go down in time.

When using a lubricant deodorant, do not use too much, or it will cause problems with the opening in your bag, that is, if you use a drainable bag.

I was okay to drive about 3 weeks after my operation, so spend that time learning as much as you can about your stoma.

Regards, IGGIE

Glad you're home. It takes time. Took me about 6 months to adapt to my colostomy. My stomach looked like hell for 4 weeks. Then it slowly got better. Now, if I didn't have the colostomy, you couldn't really tell I had major surgery.

Hang in there.

Hi there,

It's only been a week. It's going to take time for all of it. Just relax and heal. Don't push doing things too early; you don't want to go back to the hospital or get a hernia. Your stoma will be swollen for 6-8 weeks. I wouldn't worry about the way you look; you just had surgery. Make sure to eat soft and mushy food because your stoma is swollen, and you don't want a blockage. And as far as deodorant goes, there are a lot of different brands and companies. Just a few are Coloplast, Hollister (which also makes an M9 odor eliminator), Safe n Simple, Na'scent, and a lot of others. You can Google and find a lot more than that.

Smelling poop in the bag is 1) either a leak of some sort or 2) in your head. M9 drops are probably the best for odor control. Not sure how the stomach looks; mine looked normal the day after surgery. Was yours done robotically, or did they make a big opening? Driving-wise, I could barely sit, so I didn't drive for probably a month or so, and then it was just to doctor appointments. It takes longer to heal than the doctors say, and each person heals at their own pace, so don't think you're ahead/behind where others might be.

Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

You are way ahead of me. I was in the hospital for 6 weeks with the surgery itself. Granted, 3 weeks of that was rehab, but still... I wasn't home, and I wasn't up to worrying about how I looked.

Buy a couple of pairs of soft, loose-fitting elastic pants in a size larger than you normally wear. Buy cheap ones because you'll only need them for a couple of months. The therapists at the hospital recommended a loose house dress. I ended up not doing that because I already had the oversized pants. But that option may be more appealing to you.

As others have said, it will get better. These are very early days.

If you are truly smelling poop when not emptying the bag, then you have a leak. Work with your ostomy nurse to improve your seal. You may need a different product. Call for free samples to try.

I do not like the Hollister Adapt lubricant/deodorant drops. They made the smell worse. I have not used the M9 but heard they work well. I think there is one by Convatec also that is good. I believe it is called Brava?? But yes, Google it, there's a lot out there. Good luck with everything 🙏🏻

It was robotic. I have (5) 1-inch incisions and the ostomy.

Thanks, I will look for it. I requested a sample 2-piece from Coloplast and also a sample deodorizer.

M9 for the smell... I have a colostomy too. When I first opened my bag, the smell was terrible! And this was before M9 was on the market.

Luckily, I was able to irrigate for many years.

Same as me. I really had no swelling or anything like that. Obviously, I had basically no output either for a few days since I didn't eat anything before going in.

Hi there! I am almost a year post colostomy, and my belly was swollen for about 6 weeks. Really swollen. It did not bother me too much as my recovery was slow and nausea was prevalent for almost 2 months. I lived in pajamas.

It does get better, but as others have replied, don't push yourself. It takes as long as it takes to feel better. I could not drive for about 2 months. Just too weak.

I did not have a lot of pain at all. I agree with others that if you can smell output, you likely have a leak. I would get this addressed as soon as possible.

Hang in there and feel better!!

Brava lubricating deodorant is by Coloplast.

If you have an open-end pouch, you must thoroughly clean the open area after each emptying.

Forgot to add in my original reply:

I had open surgery. 8-inch incision.

Ah… thank you 😊