Stoma’s aren’t always Sunshine and Rainbows

I more often than not sing the praises of my ileostomy and how it has given me a third chance at life, third time’s a charm so they say right? It really has improved my life and although I have other diagnosis’s to deal with that means I am not as healthy as I had hoped that isn’t entirely to do with having an ileostomy (scar tissue anyone?) So this time I thought I would let people know about the times during the little over two years I have had my red blob and why I get annoyed with it; because I on occasional get really annoyed with it and that is okay.

Like I said for the most part I have found my stoma to be fine and really helps me live my life as I have been able to have Baby Button since having my Barbie Bum, get a new job and when money allows have a social life! However there are some occasions where it really drives me up the wall and I could do without it – not that these things are worse than having Ulcerative Colitis/Pouchitis!

So in no particular order the things that drives me batty about my stoma are:

• having eczema under the base plate – I never had eczema there until after my surgery
• having high output
• pancaking whenever I eat chips or roast potatoes because it thickens it up too much – actually that is my number one pet peeve because I bloody love roast potatoes; in fact just this week I have gone through 5 bags of only a couple of hours wear each due to the extreme pancaking that comes with potatoes
• when you can see the spout edge outline in your underwear and it looks like I have the wrong genitalia
• that in certain outfits I just look fat
• I can’t wear low rise jeans because I don’t like m bag flapping about, layering can get too hot, belly overhang due to lack of muscle tone from surgery scars
• I have had to cut down fizzy drinks because ballooning is a real issue
• after over two years I can still feel the damn thing move or it pooping and that is still creepy

So those are the things that make my opinion of my stoma less than 100% positive all the time and like anything in life you can’t like stuff all the time, I just wanted those out there who think being grateful means always loving your stoma to know that it really doesn’t, I am so grateful to have my ileostomy but clearly I don’t like it all the time!