colorectal surgery – Page 2

October 6, 2018

Trying to control high anxiety-#WorldOstomyDay2018

It is #WorldOstomyDay so I thought I would write about something that affects many IBD and stoma patients, which is anxiety and / or depresssion. It is a taboo subject that needs more exposure so instead of telling my stoma story I thought I would share this important message instead.

Knowing you are booked in for surgery is a scary time, no matter what surgery or how many you have had previously. The nearer it gets, the more nervous I am. I have had other scarier surgeries where I was extremely ill, but it doesn’t matter, to me this next one is just the same. One of my worries about surgery is getting through the anaesthetic, I always think that maybe I have developed a heart complaint since last time and I might not make it. I know it is probably irrational ( notice I say probably, another one of my things is if I think it will go ok , I jinx it) It doesn’t matter that I have a pre op, that just makes me think they missed something.

I have high anxiety levels, when I had counselling they said it was very high. I have lived with anxiety for years and had panic attacks if I was in a situation my mind couldn’t cope with. Luckily with meds the panic attacks are much less severe ( I used to actually be sick and that caused more panic when I was going anywhere in case I was sick). This seemed to all start when the ulcerative colitis started, I would panic incase I needed the toilet when out, or if I started with a flare I would worry how ill I could become, as my first few flares were terrible and I was in hospital for ages, and being in my early twenties and never having been in a hospital before, I found it very overwhelming and scary. I thought I would die. They didn’t know what was wrong for a while and it was awful, so I am sure that is why I became the way I did. It ended up that if I was going anywhere away from my normal life, the panic would set it. I went to see We Will Rock You in London with some friends and remember sitting there in this big theatre feeling very sick indeed and looking around searching for toilets. I got through the first half but in the interval we all went outside for a drink and a break, I just burst out crying saying I couldn’t go back inside the theatre bit. I insisted I would be ok in the bar on my own and waited there for them. I rang my sister and told her what was happening . She wanted to come and fetch me ( she lived in London at the time) but I decided not to as my stuff was at the hotel. It was weird that I felt slightly safer in a very quiet bar than go back into that theatre again.

The panic feeling lasted all through the night and all the next day, and it wasn’t until I got home that I felt better. This has happened to me many times and I would even turn down some invites away because I just couldn’t control the attacks.

I remember taking a plastic bag out with me on the simplest of nights out, just in case, and the counsellor said I was using it as a crutch and I needed to stop taking one out otherwise I wouldn’t get better. I totally understood the reasoning and gradually, along with meds ( although I think the meds did most of it) I improved dramatically. The only problem is I don’t ever want to come off them incase it returns, a vicious cycle. I have had to increase them occasionally since my initial surgery as depression sneaked in and I went through a very dark time in the hospital. You can feel yourself slipping, I have never had it before but you can feel it coming like a dark cloud and don’t know how to stop it. I couldn’t stop crying either and I wasn’t the only one on the ward to feel like this at times. I am glad that I am ok now, and I understand how easily depression takes over. It doesn’t make you a weak person, it means you are going through something that you need help with at that time.

The kind of surgery that I have had is traumatic and has big implications on body image, anyone who has had a major surgery, especially one where your body has been altered ( and I don’t mean cosmetic ) is a candidate for mental health issues and needs all the support they can get. I do think that we should get some form of counselling BEFORE the surgery and after. I know if it is an emergency then that can’t happen, but in my case I was an emergency, but knew stoma surgery could be a possibility the weeks leading up to it, and the doctor must have known that too, but it ended up being a very quick chat with a stoma nurse whilst I was on the ward ready for surgery the next morning

These are life changing surgeries and more pre care needs to be done to help patients come to terms with what will happen to them. I also feel that having IBD is life changing and more needs to be done to support those with these hideous diseases. I have been there and it’s not pretty. Helping the patients make the decision for stoma surgery is a must, you really don’t know if you are making the right choice to have one or not. If you had asked me if I would have had surgery sooner, the answer is a resounding “YES”. I was left to become so ill that the surgery became an emergency and the decision was taken from me.

August 14, 2018August 14, 2018

What is a perineal sinus tract exactly ?

SURGERY DATE FOR WIDE EXCISION AND GLUTEUS MAXIMUS FLAP 27TH SEPTEMBER 2018

Because I have now been pencilled in for my surgery date I thought I would explain what it is I actually have, and what they are going to do about it. I have mentioned that I have this complication but never went into real depth. At the end there is a youtube video of the same surgery i will be having, so if you are not too grossed out, take a look.

After having the proctectomy I stupidly thought that would be it for surgery and I could then get on with my life. I had been sewn shut ,so what could possibly go wrong ? Well there were plenty of things as it turns out. I noticed after about a month that there was fluid coming out from that area on to my underwear. It was watery and yellowish. I went to my GP who took a swab and it was an infection that needed antibiotics. I went on those for a few weeks but it didn’t really do anything.

Off I went to see my surgeon when I could get in ( which wasn’t very quickly). This had started in about December 2016, and I think it was roughly February at this point. He put me on my side and prodded and probed and said ” You have a perineal sinus tract”. Apparently it can happen especially after pelvic sepsis, and because I had had a lot of complications pre proctectomy with rectal stump blowout, I was the lucky one.

Because I had the large bowel and rectal stump removed, I developed a hole that leaked whatever was forming in the cavity space that was left. It is a long fibrous blind end tract covered in infected granulation tissue with an external opening. They can vary in size, and my surgeon wanted to do an MRI scan to see how big it is and how it affects my perineal area.

Now I had to wait for that scan appointment to come through. It took quite a few weeks, then I had to wait again for an appointment with my surgeon for the results, which took quite a few weeks too. At the appointment he said that there was a cyst at the top of the tract and he couldn’t be sure if the two were connected or not. He needed to speak to the radiologist to discuss and he would get back to me. It could mean a larger operation for a flap surgery or it could mean a smaller operation to get rid of the sinus.

I again waited weeks for this, and then had to wait more weeks to see the surgeon again. We were now in to 2018, over a year since the original appointment, and all this time I have a constant leak which often hurt to sit and made that area sore. I could almost feel it filling up and the pressure was painful then it would settle into a leak, then the cycle would start again. I often leaked through clothes even wearing pads, and that would stop me staying out , I would just go home. I have fabulous friends and family who would sometimes get me into the toilets and rinse and dry clothes with the dryers.

My surgeon decided to do the smaller surgery ( this still involved general anaesthetic) and try and excise the sinus. I got that surgery in May and I was left with a much bigger leaking hole, with not much information to go with it. I managed to get an appointment with my surgeon and he said that the sinus tract was too big to cure with simple measures and I have a large deep cavity close to my skin. I need the bigger flap surgery. I would need to see plastic surgery as they would help with the surgery.

I didn’t wait that long to see the them and he said I would either need a muscle from my inner thigh or the buttock muscle to put into the cavity to help heal, he thinks it is more likely the latter one as the cavity is deep and that muscle is larger ( thanks mate). I will be in hospital for about a week to make sure it has all taken well. I asked what if it didn’t work ? He said I had the other one spare. Let’s hope it works then. I am likely to be off for 6-8 weeks. I am very scared of this one, I know it will be uncomfortable to say the least, and although it is my only real hope of getting rid of the sinus, it could fail and isn’t guaranteed. I think about how mutilated I might feel and that I will look like Frankenstein’s monster before I am finished. I know that I need this, but really thought I was done with all this surgery malarkey.

It’s quite amazing how you and your body cope with all these ups and downs, it is so mentally draining and so into the unknown, you don’t know what the outcomes are going to be, and whether you will be ” cured “. You worry about the pain and recovery, you worry about work, you worry about body image. But in the end you have no choice, I don’t want to live with a constant leak , fatigue and a low immune system as my body tries to fight the sinus damage and fails to make a difference. Antibiotics don’t help in this situation either, so no matter what infection swabs show, they won’t eradicate it. It has to be surgery.

I HAVE DECIDED TO SHOW YOU THIS YOUTUBE VIDEO BY THE COLORECTAL JOURNAL, OF THE TYPE OF SURGERY I WILL BE HAVING AND HOW IBD SURGERY CAN AFFECT YOU IN WAYS YOU DON’T REALISE. I OFTEN THINK HOW WHAT SEEMS LIKE A SMALL HOLE CAN CAUSE SUCH A BIG OPERATION. IT IS FAIRLY GRUESOME, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED, BUT ALSO VERY INTERESTING AND MUCH MORE INTRICATE THAN OPENING ME UP AND STUFFING MUSCLE INTO THE SPACE THEN SEWING ME BACK UP AGAIN.

May 5, 2018

3rd surgery done, what next?

Dressed in my sexy gown and Teddy socks I am ready and waiting to have my surgery for persistent perineal sinus and exploration.

I nervously walk to the pre theatre room to have my anaesthetic, pillow tucked under my arm ( we are told to take the pillow with us from the ward.) There are a few people in there, my anaesthetist included. I have seen her already when she went through the choices I have with pain relief. I feel quite calm really, must be getting used to this.

My cannula goes in, oops missed, I will get a bruise. In it goes again, this time ok. ” Just giving you something to relax you” she says, it works really well and I feel pleasantly drunk. I tell them so, I then get the oxygen mask and don’t panic at all.

When I wake up I don’t feel any pain at all, just a bit of a sore throat. A nurse is sat beside me all the time in recovery. I go off to the ward to recover some more. I remember being told that my packing in the wound will dissolve and the nurse at the GP should just change the dry dressing.

I didn’t know that this would cause me so much stress. I go to see the nurse at the GPs after I am discharged and she seems to have never heard of dissolvable packing and that it usually needs repacking daily. She phones the ward but no one there seems to know the answer to what I had inside the wound. We decide that I would keep trying the surgeons secretary and she will just change the dry dressing as told on the notes. I wasn’t told much at the time and didn’t have a visit from the surgeon letting me know anything. I have a letter that states I will likely need further definitive surgery and he will speak to the plastic surgeons.

This is all I have so I ring around to try and find out if I need repacking or not, I get tearful after being told to ring back on Sunday when my notes might be on the system as they have gone to coding. I resign myself to this and worry about the future surgery, I know that is not going to be an easy surgery as it will probably involved mutilation of my buttocks to sort out a flap. ( This had been discussed previously ) If I thought my body image was wrecked with a stoma, then I ain’t seen nothing yet.

The journey from beginning to end is not over yet as I had hoped , but I will carry on in the usual manner and take it as it comes.

February 17, 2018

What does it actually mean to lose your large bowel?

I wanted to know what it actually meant for me to not have a large bowel. What system functions would change? What don’t I absorb now? Does this really mean that I am cured of the manifestations of ulcerative colitis?

I thought having a total colectomy would mean that I don’t need to take medications anymore, this to some degree is true, I take meds but not the hardcore meds I took before surgery. The azathioprine was the biggest relief to come off as this was a dangerous pill that could cause more problems than the ulcerative colitis if not monitored regularly. You could get liver damage, cancer and blood issues, I needed monthly blood work that often ended up with me having to reduce the dose. Steroids are another bad boy of the IBD world ( not the steroids used for muscle building I might add, Arnie I was not). This pill used to cause ” moon face”. In other words you would look like Hammy the hamster for months on end. I have found a picture of me from the year dot, with a moon face. Not very clear I am afraid, it was a proper camera or nothing in those days.

Now I am on Loperamide ( imodium) as my digestion is much quicker from mouth to stoma and this helps to thicken the output. Originally I was on eight a day, but as time has gone by I manage to control things with my food intake, and am down to two a day. Salt is absorbed by the large bowel so I don’t need to cut down on that at all, in fact I can use this to my advantage if I fancy scoffing salty crisps, ” But I need it now I don’t absorb it”

Annoyingly I have borderline iron deficiency, so I am on iron tablets, unfortunately this means my output after I have taken them in the morning, is black, and doesn’t seem to like being flushed away.

I have extremely low vitamin D which is possibly because I had a year of ill health and being in bed mostly, then surgery and in hospital for 3 months, then recovery. I have to take a high supplement of two capsules once a week for a month, then more bloods to see how it has improved. I did hear something about Vitamin D being absorbed from the skin through to the end of the small bowel, not sure how true this is but it could explain why many of my fellow ostomates are vitamin D deficient too.

The large bowel absorbs water from foods back into the body, which means I need to drink plenty throughout the day or I could become dehydrated very easily. This is a continual fight because it is difficult to drink large amounts all day long, especially if you are at work, but I am managing it well so far.

I can if I am not careful, get blockages of the stoma output because some foods are fibrous and clog together to prevent things passing through the stoma. Luckily I haven’t felt the full force of a blockage, just some mini ones where my output is like water and never ending but eventually recovers itself.

Does surgery really cure UC? I believe there is no medical cure so therefore surgery to remove the affected bowel and rectum does cure you of the bowel issues, there are other manifestations that some medical professionals and patients believe are still left such as painful joints and skin issues, I would agree with those people and also say that if Crohns disease can affect other parts of the body then colitis can too. They are both digestive diseases that can and do cause other problems, but I will also admit that removing what is diseased can improve other issues which would probably be worse due to the inflammation in the gut. This inflammation would cause systemic disturbances elsewhere in the body i.e temperature, tachacardia weight loss, vomiting, losing blood, to name a few. But, another theory is that most patients who have a J pouch often get pouchitis, is this ulcerative colitis that has affected the new pouch ( which is, incidentally, made from the small bowel) hmmm food for thought…..maybe Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis are even more alike than first thought. I was diagnosed as indeterminate colitis, which means they were not sure which disease I actually had, and was diagnosed with Crohns then colitis and back again many times.

All I know is, I am certainly much better having had the large bowel, rectum, and anus removed, but there have been trade offs.

( my new tat, which I love, it is everything about my surgery and how I feel, with a nod to Crohns & colitis UK with the purple centre)

October 22, 2017

No help for the families of IBD and stoma surgery patients?

I realised after the fact that my family just had to get on with it all without any real medical support, the support was all for us patients, and yes we needed it, plenty of it, but what of our families?

Most of us have been unwell on and off for years, and I don’t mean just a bit off, I mean full on housebound, bed bound, unable to attend events kind of ill. The year before my surgery I was a mess and my poor family rallied round and did things without me. I missed concerts that my daughter was in, quality time with my son when he was home from university, and my husband did everything and was marvellous. I had friends who did the running around for me too. Not everyone is as lucky and I cannot imagine how hard it must be for anybody who has to go through it alone. This would also apply for any type of chronic illness too.

My husband, wider family and friends watched me deteriorate over the year without proper support from anyone. The gastro team kept suggesting that although I had severe left sided disease I was also a bit depressed and should snap out of it. This was awful for me and my husband , because I thought he would believe them ( and he almost did, as they were the experts after all ) and I started to doubt myself, even though I was having temperature spikes, loosing a lot of blood and was constantly being sick. I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t being helped.

God only knows what my family thought. Yes I was ill, but was I as ill as I seemed? They had to wrestle with what they were seeing and what was being told to them. I had to wrestle with the feelings of illness and the thought that I was losing my mind.

Eventually my husband ignored the team and took me to A & E where I was admitted and was told by my surgeon that I needed a total colectomy within 72 hours ( it ended up being the next day, a Sunday). I remember my kids coming to see me before surgery was decided and I knew they must have been terrified even though we had discussed surgery within our family many times. My son said it would be the best thing and I would get off all those nasty drugs that I was given for the IBD. He was right of course, that was a good factor to consider.

As you can imagine, there were questions about why I had been left. But they never really got answered.

After surgery I was very poorly with complications and my husband came every day for nearly three months with me in tears every time. We spent our 20yrs anniversary on the ward, I was going to try and get to the Costa downstairs as our anniversary date( we live the high life ) but couldn’t face it. The ward had bought me a cuddly toy and anniversary card to cheer me up .

It took it’s toll on my family, and although I knew this, I was too self absorbed with my own problems to realise. Whenever I cried he said he felt that all eyes were on him and that they would think he must have done something to make me upset as I only got upset when he came. But in reality of course this wasn’t the case and the other patients knew I was in a dark place and very ill and often upset throughout the day, it just all floods out when a loved one comes to see you. The doctors don’t really have the time to sit with relatives and explain everything so they only hear second hand from the patients themselves and that can get twisted like Chinese whispers. I wasn’t doing very well so he arranged a visit from my sister in London as a surprise to see if she could help with my mood and get me moving more. I remember seeing her peek around the curtain and again I cried. This was becoming ridiculous. She talked me into getting in the wheelchair and taking a trip to Costa with them all. This was a military procedure as I had a rectal catheter in and couldn’t get very comfortable without a mass of pillows in strategic places, blankets etc.

I promised her I would try and get up every day, and I did. I wanted to do it for my family. I realised that I had been so self absorbed with my pain and worries I hadn’t even thought about my family’s feelings, I felt awful for this. It was the hardest months for us all. Even after I was discharged the journey wasn’t over. My husband would take me out in the wheelchair by the river , and each day we would get a little further and I would get out and walk back. There were times when I would be sick at the side of the path and I said on numerous occasions that I thought I would never be the same , would never be able to walk the whole path, would never nip to the pub for a quick drink with him after work (this one sounds weird to put in but this was something that we enjoyed and I missed). I wonder if he thought the same. He certainly never said, he just said that of course we would and things would get better. He was absolutely right but he must have had doubts.

In order for me to be allowed home he volunteered to empty and measure my rectal catheter twice a day, he would make sure I drank and ate enough, take my pills and generally be my total carer until I was well. He was my total rock but really got no support . He even packed my wound on several occasions so that they would allow me to go away for a few days. He is a tough cookie so many people think it didn’t affect him, but I saw the odd time when he could have done with someone out of our circle to talk to, but there wasn’t really anywhere specific to the needs of relatives in this situation. I have read many a story like mine with people who are in hospital for many weeks/months and their families just have to cope with all the ups and downs.

My friends had also left visiting times in tears seeing me in such a bad way. Everyone cared so much but they also could have done with some kind of support network. Maybe some information about what was happening and why, or a support group within the hospital for relatives and friends of those who have complicated illnesses or surgeries. I know this costs money and, to be honest, I would love to start something like this with the support of the wards, but I have no proper medical background so don’t think it would be allowed.

But I do have the experience, and that could be enough.

September 11, 2017

Tomas the stoma on holiday

Nerves are kicking in just slightly. Looking forward to going away with the girls to Spain, but still have some reservations regarding Tomas and my sinus etc….lots of potential issues.

Tomas is behaving pre holiday so that’s good to start with. Hopefully he is good while we are there.

As I was going away with close friends I was ok, but just because of my leak and bottom problems I was nervous on the way to the airport. I was given a Diazepam to calm my nerves and it worked a treat. I was totally calm, probably too calm as I fell asleep on the plane.

At the airport I had to go through the body scanner at East Midlands. I mentioned the ” bag” and all was well, I was just patted down and was on my way. They didn’t even swab me this time which I was surprised with because the bag was a bit full and could have been anything. We then had a coffee and then we were off.

After a few hours of me snoring on and off and waking myself up, we landed in Spain. It was lovely and warm. After we unpacked we went to the beach. I had two pina coladas and was totally drunk because of the Diazepam I expect. When we got back to the apartment I fell asleep, woke up later and felt brilliant.

I noticed a lot of looks on the beach at my bag, or maybe it was the cover with Tomas on , who knows. Because I am a member of a lot of forums and groups I see stomas and ostomates all over the web all the time and marvel at how many of us there are, so was mildly surprised to find that I appeared to be the only one on the whole of the beach each day. It brings it home just how uncommon it actually is despite the push from the media and us lot.

One woman said ” I like that” pointing to my cover, I thanked her and said I had had a big operation, she looked embarrassed and apologised, I think she thought it was a fancy bum bag lol. Now that is an idea !!!

I couldn’t go in the sea or pool because of the sinus leaking, I even had to wear a pad in my bikini bottoms. We went for some lunch and that was where I had an accident which upset me. Whenever I sit i tend to leak through the sinus tract, but this time I leaked through my shorts, my lovely friend Helen came to the toilet with me and took my shorts to dry under the hand dryer, and I changed the rest. I was in tears and felt so fed up. The feeling passed and I got on with it again. I was constantly checking myself though which was very annoying but it was something I couldn’t help. I remember lying in the sun with my friends next to me and knowing that I was the only one that would have to check my bag and my bum constantly, and would need to know where the loo was. luckily it was very nearby.

Talking of toilets, Spanish toilets are on the whole very nice. Their disabled loos are amazing. At the airport there were three disabled toilets, all were massive and clean, and had all the things you could possibly want. ( see previous post about toilets in Japan).

I changed my bag twice over the five days mainly because of the heat, I felt the skin was starting to itch but there were no other issues at all with the bag. I drank plenty of water ( and alcohol) and ate lovely food. I over did it one evening and was sick in the middle of the night, I say it was over indulgence, everyone else said it was mixing my drinks.?

I did enjoy the holiday and because the friends I went with are my very closest, I could relax enough to tell them if things were not great, but be open enough that I could change and air Tomas in front of them. I had fun, I drank, I ate and I sunbathed.

My stoma looked a bit like a dartboard though, white bits and red bits, but the red is just where the mouldable ring has pressed onto the skin and where I got a bit itchy with the heat.

On the way back from Spain, the airport again was non eventful, I didn’t even travel with a note about the stoma or any extra stuff relating to it. I just thought I would explain when the need arose, and it didn’t. They could hardly deny the facts. A few of us took extra suitcases and hand luggage, it meant I could take whatever I needed without worrying about space. Hand luggage on it’s own would have been a struggle, I wouldn’t be sure what to do with make up solutions , suncream AND stoma solutions in those see through bags.

I would definitely go on a girlie holiday again , but would be so much happier with the sinus gone. Having a constant leak is no fun at home, but on holiday it is a menace. The actual stoma side was ok up to a point ( you are never totally normal). There were some clothes I would have liked to have worn but the bag showed through a bit so couldn’t. Playsuits and some tighter fitting stuff, usually the lighter colours. I really need to invest in a nice not too tight stoma band, just to stop it dangling. If anyone has any ideas of comfy bands that are not totally tight like the support bands I would be very grateful.

The moral of this blog is… don’t be afraid to go away, nobody is perfect so why should you be the only one?

August 16, 2017August 22, 2017

Colorectal surgeon appointment today

Ok, so I have been waiting quite a while with a persistent perineal sinus, I had to have an MRI and this has been ongoing since Christmas 2016.

This morning I went to see my lovely surgeon, and I got the results of the MRI and his opinion.

Apparently I have a sinus tract in the wound AND a cyst. According to the radiologists, they are not connected. My surgeon is not so sure so he needs to speak with colleagues and radiologists to discuss what sort of operation I may need. It may be a simple laying open of the sinus tract to drain the contents properly ( when he says simple, that is simple to what I have had before). Otherwise he said it was possible I may need a more extensive surgery and in that case, he needs to consult a plastic surgeon so that the sinus has the best chance of not returning. ( Thought he was going to say , so that I would have a nice neat bottom afterwards , no such luck)

If the former, it will be a quick straightforward operation, if the latter, it will be more extensive and longer recovery ( but he assured me it would be nothing like my first operation which I was in hospital for nearly 3 months, glad to hear that ).

All in all, much as I thought except the added cyst. Could still be waiting a while…..

August 13, 2017August 29, 2017

Everything you wanted to know about a stoma but were too afraid to ask

I know that a lot of people don’t know much about stomas and would like to know more, either because they may need one in the future, know someone with a stoma and don’t like to ask, or are just curious.

All of these are ok.

I will try and answer some questions that I have been asked in the past, also if there are any questions you would like to ask, please feel free to get in touch.

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE AND HOW IS IT MADE?

Ok, you may have seen photos of stomas and no two are the same.

Let’s start with a urostomy. This procedure is used to divert urine from diseased or damaged sections of the urinary tract. The most common urostomy is the ileal conduit. The surgeon will attach a piece of small intestine to the two ureters ( these are the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys), the other end is brought through the abdomen to form the stoma. There may also be a pouch made by the small bowel that acts a bit like a bladder that can store the urine before it is released through a catheter ( continent urinary diversion).

Ileostomy and colostomy are made with the bowel. Colostomy is when some of the large bowel is brought out through the abdomen and ileostomy is where a piece of small bowel is brought through.

This is a diagram that is one common way to bring the bowel through the skin, as you can see it is turned inside out and stitched to the skin. It is from www.insideoutostomy.life , a great site for information and keeping fit with an ostomy.

Tomas is an “outie” as he is quite long but some are almost flush to the skin.

Does it smell?

Yes, but only when you empty it. Same as going for a normal poo. The smells might be slightly stronger because the foods are not as digested.

Does it hurt?

Not the stoma itself, there are no nerve endings in the stoma. Sometimes the skin around the stoma can get sore, or we may get pain behind the stoma. on the flip side there is no control over when the stoma does its thing,so that is why we need a bag / pouch to collect the poo.

What does the bag look like?

There are various types, some are closed and you change the whole bag ( usually for colostomies) mine is a drainable bag because my output is similar to porridge, the colon was removed and that was where the water was absorbed back into my body. This also means that I can easily become dehydrated. This is the exact type that I now use, Pelican Platinum contour mini, and I really like it for comfort and neatness.

The drainable end is cleaned and the folded up into the bag and secured with velcro tabs, nothing can get out and it doesn’t smell at all when sealed. You can get them pre cut to size if you know the correct size for your stoma, or you can cut them yourself, this is better if for example your stoma is not perfectly round.

Can you have sex normally?

Absolutely no difference ( except it can sometimes sound like a packet of crisps rustling about ) you can also tuck it inside itself a bit to make it smaller. There are some really small ones available but non drainable.

What about bathing or showering?

Some people will shower without their bag, I personally don’t because it can get messy and you can bet that Tomas will decided to work just as I am drying myself, and because I like to sit up on the bed and air Tomas, I am happy to clean it then. A colostomy might be easier if you know when you might be about to poo, or at least you could take a chance after you have pooed. ( with some colostomies, the poo is more like a normal poo). With an ileostomy or urostomy this would be like Russian roulette.

How do you empty the bag?

Some people stand or kneel over the toilet, I personally prefer to sit. I will make sure the toilet is clean ( This is a pain in public toilets, people can be so dirty). I will then sit right back on the seat and empty the contents between my legs. I will often put a bit of tissue on the front of the bowl as this helps to flush it away cleanly. it is like a having a normal poo but quicker.

How often do you change/ empty the bag?

this can vary depending on the type of ostomy. My experience is I change it every 2/3 days, and empty it when I go for a wee, or if it is more active it can be more.

What about at night?

I will empty just before I go to sleep, and sometimes I automatically wake up in the early hours to a fairly full bag, this can be more wind ( yes we fart into the bag) and that makes the bag balloon. One thing, if someone farts and it smells, it won’t be us. I find that ballooning can sometimes cause a leak,then I have to change the bag. Once you leak, thats it, there is no quick fix.

Why do you need a stoma?

For me it was a bowel disease called Ulcerative colitis, part of a group of bowel diseases called inflammatory bowel disease ( Crohns disease is the other main one). For others it could be many reasons, trauma from an accident, cancer, diverticulitis ( another bowel disease which manifests as inflamed or infected pockets in the colon. others get obstructions which can lead to perforation if left too long ( as can IBD). There are some patients who require both a colostomy/ileostomy and a urostomy. These amazing people are affectionately called ‘Double baggers”.

Can you get pregnant with a stoma?

The short answer is yes, you can go on to have a baby normally. There are some small considerations that your stoma nurse or midwife can help you with. The stoma can change shape along with the tummy, so the bags may need to be altered through the pregnancy. Scar tissue can stretch and be uncomfortable, but this won’t cause any concerns for the baby. There is support throughout pregnancy.

Does it feel different without the colon?

i have to say that no, it doesn’t feel different. I did hope to be slimmer around that area, but unfortunately other organs move into the space.

What does it feel like to not have a rectum or anus?

I still get the feeling that I need to poo the old way. It is a total impossibility for me, as nothing is connected and I have no “hole” ( unless you count the annoying Perineal sinus after proctectomy. )

the urge is a phantom pain, like after an amputation ,which is what a colectomy is, an amputation. Everything is removed and sewn or packed shut. This is where the term Barbie Butt comes from, because it looks like a dolls bottom now.

Because of scar tissue, it is not absolutely discomfort free for now, but I hope in the future it will be normal.

If you would like to add any more questions to the list please use the contacts form.

June 25, 2017August 7, 2017

What’s it like to live with a stoma?

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I have not been sleeping very well, having nightmares and generally blurggghhh. Woke up early and realised I had a small leak, but big enough to piss me off. I had to change my bag before work, and change duvet cover. I am glad it rarely happens to me and lucky that my husband is great about it all.

I normally like to change my bag when sitting up on the bed in the evening, its comfy and Tomas can get an airing for a good half an hour, so doing it quickly makes me uneasy, I worry about causing a rash because once they start, it takes a bit of sorting and can be unbearably itchy. I am blessed with a spouty stoma and not a flat one, so my skin isn’t too bad.

I go to work and all is good. I usually have to empty my bag about two or three times at work, but it’s not a big deal. I do worry about having a leak there though. I have no bed unfortunately, so will have to change it standing up ,eek.

For no apparent reason my output can be like water for a few hours, this means I usually have to empty a lot more. If you leave your bag for too long, it feels like the weight could unstick it, no thanks. So people, if I say I need the loo, I really need the loo.

I empty a few times in the evening and just before bed. This is usually when Tomas decides to wake up and be noisy as I am nodding off. I will then have a sixth sense at about 5am, and wake up to empty again. This is when my bag could be like a balloon, depending on what I have eaten. I am lucky that I can go back to sleep after.

Living with a stoma can be mentally and physically draining, but when things are running smoothly, it’s not too bad. For some, it can be awful, they have very sore skin, many leaks and really struggle to get the right products or help. For most, it saved their life and you have to learn to live with it.

I change the whole bag about 3 times a week all being well. You get a feel for when to change it, I start to get slightly itchy and like to change it then. I have never showered without a bag, having an ileostomy means I am incontinent, so I get output at any time, fine when you are actually in the shower, but not so fine when you get out and are trying to dry yourself. Same goes for a bath. Bags are waterproof and don’t come off in the shower or bath, so I just keep it on.

Life with an ostomy has its ups and downs, but I am glad I survived a terrible ordeal and yes it leaves scars, some visible some hidden, but I am here, and I am ok.

May 11, 2017July 26, 2017

What is ulcerative colitis ?

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Inflammatory bowel disease,or IBD usually refers to Crohns disease or ulcerative colitis. They are thought to be an autoimmune disease where the body attacks itself causing inflammation, ulcers and many other manifestations.

Crohns can affect anywhere along the gastrointestinal tract, from mouth to anus, and colitis affects the colon (large bowel). They are life long chronic diseases, and although surgery can get rid of ulcerative colitis, you may still get other symptoms affecting your body, that are associated with the disease. Crohns disease cannot be cured.

I had ulcerative colitis for about 30yrs, and when I had a flare up I would spend most of my days on the toilet, feeling very poorly indeed. Because the bowel would be swollen and ulcerated, stool would be thin with a fair bit of blood and pus. Crampy pain would accompany a flare, as would tenesmus, this means that we have the most intense urge to go to the toilet even whilst sitting on the toilet, and passing anything does not relieve that feeling.

Ulcerative colitis starts at the rectum which is proctitis, some people think this is a milder form of the disease but it can still be severe in that one area. If it travels into the sigmoid ( between rectum and descending colon) it is proctosigmoiditis. If it involves the descending colon, it is termed left sided colitis and distal colitis. Pancolitis is when it affects the whole large intestine. I started with proctitis, then it moved through the sigmoid with more in the descending colon. In the past I have had it across the transverse colon too.( see diagram) Normally left sided colitis can be treated with medication, but sometimes as in my case, the bowel was so severe that medication didn’t help. You can have fulminant colitis even if it is only a part of the large bowel, as fulminant means that symptoms are very severe with temperature, distention , continuous bleeding and generally in need of aggressive treatment. You can have fulminant left sided colitis.

Ulcerative colitis is assessed by colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, MRI , CT scan, barium meal or enema, stool samples and blood tests. Sometimes you may have indeterminate colitis, which means that the signs and symptoms cannot be differentiated from crohns of the large bowel. This is what mine was called, and even after surgery, it was decided it was MOST likely ulcerative colitis and not crohns disease, so I keep my fingers crossed.

Because the disease was pretty bad in my rectum, I wasn’t a candidate for a J-Pouch. This is surgery that connects the small bowel to the rectum forming a reservoir with some of the small bowel. This can enable a patient to use the toilet normally again. I have now had my rectum removed anyway, so no going back.

As I mentioned, colitis can also cause other problems that may never go away, these are inflammatory manifestations of the eyes, skin, liver and joints. Arthritis is common, as are skin conditions called Erythema nodosum ( deep tender nodules often found on the shins) and Pyoderma gangrenosum which are nasty ulcer type lesions that can vary in size, they are found mostly on the legs but have been found on other parts of the body too. Aphthous stomatitis is a type of mouth ulcer found in Crohns and ulcerative colitis patients. Episcleritis is an eye inflammation affecting the episclera.

Many others are often present but too many to go through with this blog, I suppose what I am trying to put across is that ulcerative colitis is much more than a bowel disease.

Mentally, it is a strain when having a flare up. You are unable to function properly , and although you look reasonably ok, you are often very ill. A lot of people put on a brave face as they don’t want to be seen as a moaning myrtle, who is always ill. If you are lucky like me, you have a supportive network around you. I had to rely on many people before and after surgery, and this was the case over the years too. Flare ups can vary , they can be fairly mild and clear up within a couple of weeks, or they can grumble along for weeks, months and years. When I read of the struggle for some people, I wonder why surgeons are not called in sooner, I certainly wished I had surgery earlier. I think on some occasions ,we are left for far too long by medics who are trying but failing to keep things at bay , and won’t admit defeat. I know this is major life changing surgery, and they are doing what they can to avoid it if possible, but I feel that sometimes it is quite obvious what the outcome will be.

Surgery for colitis is removal of the large bowel, rarely they will rest the bowel with a temporary stoma, but mostly its all or nothing. If you are one of the lucky ones, you can be a candidate for the J pouch surgery, although this is a big surgery with its own risks and failure rates. The rectum can be left for re-attachment, or removed. Mine was removed and sewn shut. It all sounds pretty scary, and it was, but you soon get used to it, and for me it was all worthwhile as I feel very well now.

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