Posts by Daniel Morgan6

Hey there, Carol Price6!
Regarding food, I was super strict during those first two or three months, making sure I stuck strictly to the allowed stuff... but after that, I slowly started playing around with all kinds of different foods. Now? Man, I eat pretty much everything and in massive amounts! My stoma works like a dream, though I do steer clear of peanuts because they give me some nasty abdominal cramps...
The thing I really wanted to mention is that, given your diagnosis, you'll probably end up needing an ileostomy. If I understood you correctly, your large intestine is in pretty rough shape, and honestly, I have no clue what kind of diet works best in a situation like that. You might want to check out some websites run by patient advocacy groups or stoma associations, like www.ostomates.org (it's in English) or maybe even some US-based support forums.
Wishing you the best of luck!!!

Hey there, Carol Price6,
I’ve been rocking a stoma for almost three years now. I ended up needing it when I was 36 after dealing with some colon cancer. Man, that surgery is no joke... they have to go in from both the front and the back since they have to remove the anus entirely. Those first few days in the hospital are rough, honestly. But bit by bit, they start pulling out all those tubes and drains, and you just feel better every single day. You’re usually looking at about two weeks before they send you home. One big thing you've gotta watch is your diet for the first two or three months—you really don't want to risk any bowel obstructions. I actually had my procedure done at Mercury, and they gave me a full list of what's safe to eat and what's a total no-go.
Plus, while you're still at the hospital, they’ll walk you through everything regarding the ostomy bags—how to use them, how to order more, all that stuff. It’s really not scary; they're actually super easy to manage once you get the hang of it.
As for living with a stoma? Seriously, don't sweat it. Eventually, you'll get right back to doing everything you used to do. For me, life hasn't changed one bit... I still run, ride my bike, hit the gym, go swimming in the ocean, and spend time with my family and friends. Everyone who knows me knows about the stoma, and I’m not ashamed of it at all. At the end of the day, it’s the thing that saved my life.
Hope this helps even just a little bit.
Good luck!!!