Ostomy Topics

Yup, I said it, RED SOLO CUP!! Grab that solo cup while rolling when changing and fill her up and HAVE A PARTY!! So I have an ileo and I literally never have a quiet time. So bag changes are super fun, lol not really but hey, that's ostomy life, takes me anywhere from 2-3 hours and after that a very short window of about 5 mins to slap on a bag. So while sitting there for over an hour trying t ...

I have a double-barrel ileostomy. Had it for 4 and a half months now. This morning I felt like I needed a bowel movement. Now I know it's normal to get phantom feelings. Only I did pass a motion that was almost black and thin. It's worried me sick since. Though I feel fine and had no pain. Has anyone else experienced this, please? To put my mind at ease.
Thanks x

I just got my period back after having the initial ileostomy surgery in September. I had minor spotting in November for a day, but I would only consider this month's cycle to be my first real one. My doctor told me this is normal after abdominal surgery to miss a few periods. I remember that before my surgery I would have to go to the bathroom more during that time of the month, and I noticed ...

I have so much pain in my small intestine because I have a new obstruction from Crohn's, which I fully understand. I haven't been having symptoms since I had an ileostomy for 13 years now. So, they put me on TPN after a 3-week hospital stay, sent me home on it, and scheduled surgery for the 21st to remove this obstruction and possibly get a new stoma for the fourth time. I keep getting hernias ...

This may be a dumb question, but I haven't gotten the chance to have a proper sit-down with my doctors yet. Yesterday, I was diagnosed with diabetes, and I was wondering if it affects your stoma or output at all. All my family and friends that have diabetes are telling me the medication affects their stomach and causes them to poop more than usual, but none of them have an ostomy bag. So, I'm ...

I have had an ileostomy since Sept. 23, so about 5 months. I had to have my upper teeth pulled in Dec. of '23, thanks to prednisone use off and on for several years.
In January, I had my first of three blockages. I purée my food or chop it extra fine with a food processor when I have meat, fruit, or vegetables. I do not eat anything that is listed as causing blockages. I drink 3-4 liters of w ...

I need some help. I had a big hernia and a small one. My intestines were getting caught in my hernia and making a block. I asked my doctor to fix it, and she didn't want to. I don't know why. Anyway, the last time my intestines got caught up in my hernia, my doctor cut 6 inches off my stoma, hoping it would be short enough that this wouldn't happen anymore. Which she didn't tell me till after ...

I had my ileostomy five months ago. I am eating pretty much the same diet as before, not sure about trying new foods yet. My diet is pretty bland and has no gas-producing food. I am having a lot of ballooning and do release air, but it comes back again. All my family is out of state, so I am concerned about this when flying. Thanks.

Is it necessary to use remover wipes, or will you develop too much adhesive residue? I'm wondering if the remover wipes are creating the sticky mess even though I'm thoroughly washing the area and rinsing after using them.

Hello everyone, I have a question about my fourth ostomy surgery. I have been having issues for the last year with hernias and an abdominal fistula with an abscess. I had drain tubes, CAT scans, and x-rays, and I was just hospitalized for 3 weeks to find out I am malnourished and now on TPN. I got my first surgery in 2011, so I've had a stoma for quite a while, been disconnected from my large ...

My day for questions! I wear a Hollister 8901 ostomy bag. Any tips for emptying the mushy stuff? I mush and push the stuff out. Is it better to let it fill up more before emptying? The liquid stuff is easy peasy, but this mushy stuff is really hard to push out of the opening. I was thinking if there was some way to kind of open up the bottom, the mushy stuff would come out easier.
One more que ...

An update on my baby being on day 3 without anything to eat and being just on IV fluids. They want to keep her NPO because her ostomy output is at 17 kg/ml and needs to be at 10 kg/ml. Like I said, I believe in my first post, I have read in the popular topics of high outputs and how people live with it in their daily lives without being dehydrated or having to run to the hospital. I need suppo ...

Are hernia support garments meant to be just for comfort, or do they stop a hernia from getting worse?
Just got my first and don't like it at all - two reasons:
1) It's extremely uncomfortable and keeps rolling up at the bottom - maybe I should try and get a narrower one?
2) I'm sure it inhibits the "flow" into the bag.
I deliberately time my meals, planning to change the bag morning and eveni ...