Ostomy Topics

I have a colostomy and have developed a rectal vaginal fistula, I have had two procedures to fix but neither has worked, really fearful of more surgery, didn't do well with recovery, does anyone out there have the same issue. How do you cope?

I'm beside myself with excitement and anticipation. And I have a whole new level of respect for my digestive system.

My first colon resection was emergency surgery. I was sitting at home in major pain when the fever started, after a few hours I drove to the ER to learn that one of my diverticuli had burst. I lost about 8" with that one, but was successfully reconnected.

My second colon res ...

I have a few tips for my ostomy friends out there when you travel locally or on extended trips: I never leave the house without an emergency change out. When I travel on an airplane, I carry a backpack with extra supplies and a change of underwear and a t-shirt and extra pants. I carry rolled up several toilet paper sheets (folded 5 times) and a 3 oz. container of baby oil (airlines allow up t ...

I have an ileostomy and I wear my ostomy bags horizontally.
I have an international trip coming up and I am interested in getting a proper shower bag.
I find that the bags are geared toward vertically placed bags. What can I do?
This is the bag I was interested in:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/EMPOWERYOURCHANGE%C2%AE/Products/page/53A34752-EB1E-41FA-8039-D08D5A5CD876?store_ref=bl_ast_dp_brand ...

Hello! Does anyone with a colostomy have first-hand experience with flights that are more than 14 hours nonstop? I know from my pre-colostomy days, those flights cause digestive issues such as bloating, dehydration, indigestion, and constipation. Does having a colostomy worsen those and add other issues? If so, any suggestions for how to minimize and manage them? I'm hoping to travel to Austra ...

When I was in the hospital, the stoma nurse showed my wife how to handle my ileostomy care. She used a skin protective swab that she called a “lollipop” - which we much prefer to the wipes - but we can’t find them anywhere. Can someone tell me what brand these might have been? Where to find them? Thanks!

Hello!
I got a loop ileostomy on July 2nd and was fitted with a Hollister 2-piece system with a drainable pouch. I'm actually doing really well with this system so far, but my biggest issue is how long the bag is.
I'm fairly medium-tall for a woman too, so it's not like I'm petite, but the Velcro area is down on my thigh/crotch area and it's making wearing anything but baggy pajama pants prett ...

Had my colostomy reversal about a week ago and was wondering if it's okay to eat solid foods or how long I should wait.

I've been asked to go fishing on a boat in the morning. My bowels are very active in the morning and sometimes I have to drain my bag 2 or 3 times in the AM. Any advice would be appreciated.

So... last week my bag sprung a leak. Not a big deal, but this happened a while back with a bunch of Hollister bags right out of the blue. I've been using them forever without any problems, so things had been good until this bag developed a hole in the exact same place the others had. Luckily, it wasn't a major leak because I wasn't near home when I found it. So, I get home and replace the bag ...

Good afternoon. Ileostomate here. 2.5 months from surgery and I am going to try to see which ostomy supplier I am going to go with. Came out of the hospital with Coloplast 2 piece soft convex. Hollister 7805 barrier ring. But thinking with all the free samples out there, I would start trying others.
Here is what I have found. Coloplast has a really nice bag; the Velcro drain works really well ...

It's been a year since I started what would be the worst 2 months I have ever experienced. My diverticulitis flared up and IBS was on overdrive. Add to that a very stressful job, weekly doctor visits, a myriad of medications, and hospital stays. Unfathomable pain, mental exhaustion, panic attacks, and anxiety, I was the quintessential hot mess!
Nothing worked, I was not living, merely existing ...

Hello fellow Ostomates!
I am new - 3 years last month. I have tried a scented lubricating deodorant (their scent made me nauseated) and now unscented; however, every time I use a liquid bag deodorant, it seems to create a mess at the bottom (drain). I had heard something about sachets and have often wondered if they work and what exactly they are?
Thanks in advance for info and advice!

Hello,
I am supposed to have reversal surgery this Friday, but I have requested it be postponed to October as I am unsure about the success of such surgery and I am pain-free at present. I suffered from diverticulitis for 5 years and was forced into the ER on May 19th, 2023, where I was given emergency surgery to remove part of my large intestine, resulting in a stoma. I am looking for anyone ...

Hey, so back in January '21, I had an emergency ileostomy revision. They left me with a mess of a wound, cut away too much tissue. I had lots of problems with it healing, lesions that would not heal, lots of pus, infections, etc. I saw a new surgeon who thought it was maybe pyoderma gangrenosum and suggested opening it up to let the pus out. Wrong! I have seen two dermatologists who said it wa ...