#ostomy

[theangryman]

i got an ostomy

Jesus Christ

can someone tell me how this is going to change my life

[b-j-d]

A throwback to 2018, when Stan Lee was only 5. Today marks 13 years. Bit crazy to think about really.

Also, why did 2018 Stan Lee Stoma look like Sam Claflin in Enola Holmes? Did Netflix steal my idea 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[feralenergy22]

Lately, as the heat and humidity have rolled in, I’ve been feeling the realities of this imperfectly imperfect body a little more deeply. The truth is, there are days I want to be on the beach with my feet in the sand and salt air filling my lungs. I’m a Cape Cod kid after all. The ocean has always felt like home to me. The sun was always somewhat of a challenge for my body, even long before I understood why, but over the years, that sensitivity has intensified to the point where I can only tolerate short periods before it begins to take a physical toll. The very thing I love most now requires limits, pacing, shade, and careful listening to my body.

There are days I want to be out playing basketball, planting in the garden for hours, walking farther, moving more freely, and simply existing in my body the way I once did. But chronic illness, chronic pain, an ileostomy named Daisy, connective tissue disorders (hEDS), dysautonomia, MCAS, menopause, and all the layers that have unfolded over the years have changed the way I move through the world. Sometimes the more I push, the more my body pushes back.

And yet, I keep showing up.

Not perfectly. Not gracefully every day. But honestly, intentionally, and with gratitude for the body that has carried me through more than I ever imagined it would have to endure. This body may not look the way it once did. It may swell, flush, sublux, exhaust, and protest. It may require more rest, more flexibility, more patience, and more compassion than I ever expected to give myself. But I have learned to speak to her kindly and to thank her for her resilience and all she has survived.

The healing dance continues with all its ups and downs. The ocean still flows imperfectly, and somehow, so do I. To those who now look different than they once did, but whose spirit remains fully intact and vibrant inside, no matter how much it has been pushed to the brink — I see you. We move like the willow, flexible and flowing, bending when we must, but still rooted deeply in who we are.

I still believe in spiraling upward, even if the path looks dramatically different from what it once did. I still believe in possibility. I still believe there is meaning in continuing to create, connect, write, advocate, and share these experiences openly.

Because this was never just about me.

It’s for every person navigating chronic illness, disability, grief, change, pain, or a body that no longer behaves the way the world expects it to. It’s for the people who keep showing up anyway. The people adapting in real time. The people learning to hold both heartbreak and gratitude at once.

And no matter how long this memoir takes — emotionally, physically, creatively, or financially — I will reach the finish line. Perhaps not on other people’s timelines, but on my own. And that is enough.

[fir-bag]

Welcome to my side blog, y’all! You can find me on my main at @fir-fireweed, a space dedicated to my Interactive Fiction works.

This space is dedicated to my journey with my upcoming colorectal surgery, and after, adapting to my new life post-surgery with a colostomy bag. I think it will be therapeutic for me to document this journey. I am a writer, after all. I write about hope and heart and real connections. And if ever there was a time for me to seek solace and healing through writing, it’s now.

I am also eager to hear from other ostomates about their experiences. I welcome any advice, tips, and humor you can bring. I am eager to hear your stories! I want this to be a safe space for all. Understand that I will not tolerate ridicule or shaming on this blog. Be respectful, or go away.

If you followed me here from my main writing blog, thank you from the bottom of my heart! You have no idea how much your support means to me. 🫶🏻 If you stumbled upon me randomly, welcome! Pull up a chair, grab a blanket, and prepare to laugh, cry, and share all the feels. ❤️

[anne-maria]

What a month it has been. Due to my chronic health issues on April 10th I had my ileostomy reversed, colon removed, along with a total hysterectomy -ovaries and all. I went septic & ended up being in the hospital for 3 weeks. Finally was able to come home but have to still be on TPN for now. Hopefully I will wean off the TPN at the end of this week. I see my GI surgeon this afternoon for my first in office follow up since being discharged. My OBGYN post-op appointment yesterday went great. On top of everything I had to buy a new car yesterday. I really wish I could've waited until I was back at work but I couldn't trust that my old one would last that long. Recovery has been super slow & a lot harder than planned. I would appreciate any prayers that could be sent my way 💜

[chronic-jessii]

Who needs an alarm clock, when you can have an ostomy bag on the verge of bursting.

[alaydabug2]

Ok ok ok so

TMI from here on out on this post but this is for anyone who has had a colostomy in the past and since had it removed

I had a colostomy when I was very young as u was born without an anal opening so until they could create that opening I had a colostomy bag or a little under 3 years of my life

I do not remember having it as I was so young

However

I've always had really bad bouts of diarrhea ever since I can remember

It's not that my stomach was upset or anything or what I ate it's always just hit me out of nowhere and I've got T-minus 5 minutes max to get to a bathroom or else everyone is going tk have a bad time

So we learned very quick that if I have to go to the bathroom I need to go to the bathroom and have told teachers accordingly to let me go in a 504 plan

I've always theorized it may be because of my past ostomy as that seems to he the only logical explanation with nothing else seemingly qrong with my bowels

But I wanted tk ask other people with removed ostomies if you all have similar experiences or if my body genuinely just hates me

[chronic-jessii]

Introduction

I'm Jessii, 26, (she/her) lesbian. Living with chronic illnesses (EDS, POTS & gastroparesis), have an ileostomy (protectomy) and neurogenic. bladder. I also have a GJ tube which is for all my medications and nutrition.