New to the Group and Recovering from Major Colostomy Surgery

After years of diverticular problems, and a 4-month-long never-ending attack, I finally went to the surgeon. I had a colostomy with the removal of my sigmoid and about 2 inches of my transverse colon about 3 weeks ago. The surgeon tells me it was the worst she had ever seen. I had "fistulas running everywhere," my colon was "fused" to my bladder, which had 6 holes in it. Apparently, there was fecal matter impacted around my pelvis. Basically, I was a real mess. Frankly, I'm not sure how I was functioning.

 

She tells me it will be a long recovery, but that she expects to be able to perform a reversal in 6 months to a year, and to expect the one-year mark as being more realistic. I'm here to just learn what I can as I move along through this.

Welcome to the group.

Good place to learn about your new friend and all the ups and downs. Don't forget, venting is good relief. Many people here will listen and let you vent. If you read many of the past posts, you will find lots of answers.

Well, I'm sure there will be plenty of venting to come. I really do not like this thing, but I accept it was necessary and have been doing all I can to learn about and care for it. It's just that I am utterly repulsed by it at the moment, though as I grow accustomed I'm sure that will diminish.

 

I see you are in Montana. My wife and I are planning a move to Wyoming in a few years' time.

Yes, none of us liked it at first, but after time it becomes part of you, and most of the problems I faced were more me than others. I was lucky to have good support from my family, mainly my mom and brother in the family part, then I also had a few friends that just accepted that it was part of my life, and lots who couldn't handle it, so you will really find out who is a true friend and who is not. To this day, I have gone through a couple of surgeries, one relocation, and then now a new one, prostate cancer, 15 days post-op, so I get to miss bow hunting this year as I am not yet healed.

 

Welcome to the group. Hope this group helps you. 😊

Getting Support in the Ostomy Community with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

Hello currentsitguy. As with your other posters I welcome you to the group and hope that you get plenty from it. 

I find it has been  a worthwhile learning process as well as being entertaining browsing through the contents section and reading past posts on all sorts of different subjects. The 'Premium content' section is organised so that it makes it easier to select subjects of particular interest but I tend to brows through all sections if and when I have time.

These early days  tend to be the worst in terms of making adjustments so, if there are any questions or things you want to share, please feel free and I'm sure thee will be someone who will be happy to engage in conversation with you.

Best wishes

Bill 

I can't say enough about my wife. She has stood by me all through this. I have a few very good friends as well, one of whom is deeply embedded in the local medical community. When the insurance finally kicked in, she was instrumental in getting the ball moving very quickly. Basically, she got me in with one of the top surgeons in the region, who usually has a months-long waiting list, in two days' time. The surgeon even canceled her European vacation to do the surgery. There are a lot of people I owe a big-time debt of gratitude to.

Hi, Currentsitguy, My name is Marsha, and I've had my permanent ileostomy for more than 50 years, since I was a child. 4 years of ulcerative colitis, treatment, hospitals, complications, was all that I could handle, and I was so grateful that there was a solution, that I accepted my ileostomy without question. I was a "kid", and all I wanted to do was to get back to my pain-free life at school, and with friends... Through the years, there were ups and downs, and I had to make adjustments. Those were the olden times, and the supplies reflected that... It's gotten so much easier over the years, with disposable appliances, and the variety of supplies. Managing the colostomy is a "journey" and being "repulsed" by your new "belly button", is counterproductive. It does the same thing as your "anus/asshole" did for you...but now it's relocated. "Shit" is still just "shit", was my philosophy as a kid... It washes off with water, clean the skin, prepare the bag/wafer, and paste it on. Some people with colostomies choose to irrigate... They filter water into their stoma... (with a tube) wait about an hour...relaxing in bed, or on the toilet, until the "liquified" stool makes its way out. Some do it daily (at night) and others every other day, depending on your system. It's a way of regulating the output, so you can be out and about more easily. Will you have accidents? There are no guarantees. Sometimes it just happens. Just something to live with...It helps to read the posts on this site, and chat with people whom you think can help you. Best of luck, Marsha.

Hello and Welcome to MAO~ We're here to help the best we can so read on as others have suggested. If you still have questions ask away.

Well I will say I have had no real problems with "regularity". Very quickly I reverted right back to my regular schedule of get up, drink coffee, have bowel movement. Next day repeat. For that I am grateful.

 

As I have said, I am doing all I can to make this as successful, complication free, and brief as possible. My wife and I work from home, so that makes things a bit easier. I have not, however, allowed it to stop me from enjoying life. Yesterday, which is just past 3 weeks since the surgery, we resumed our regular Sunday schedule of going out for a nice, long pleasure drive throughout Western Pennsylvania. Yesterday's premise was to visit several microbreweries along our 250 mile round trip.

 

We are in the planning stage of a Fall trip out West to Wyoming. We plan to relocate there in a few years and want to do some land shopping. I am determined to not let this slow me down.