#colon surgery

[ophidian-petals]

I Am An Ostomate...

For those of you that aren't familiar with this term, you might recognize it if you know what a colostomy bag is which is similar to what I have which is an illeostomy.

Early last year I had rushed colon surgery which left me with an ileostomy. A colostomy is for the large intestine and an ileostomy is for the small intestine. I have an ileostomy because they removed most of my large intestine.

I was told that the ostomy (general term ileostomy, colostomy etc.) was temporary, but due to complications I am going into a year of having it. The complications of having an ostomy can be rather stressful at times not to mention expensive!

I have a great wound care nurse that actually fought to get me the supplies I needed. Now, to understand this, my insurance does cover what I need, but only so much per month. When leaking issues are rampant and your quickly exhaust what supplies you have long before your next shipment... things can get expensive. Thankfully I had tax money to help then I was able to go back to work which also helped.

I was given a basic overview of ostomies while in the husband, but as time went on I realized, too late, that there was a lot more to know. I won't go into detail, but I feel like a person that has an ostomy for the first time needs to be given much more an education! Almost a year in and I realized that what I thought was a weird should strap for a travel kit was in fact an ostomy belt. I knew about ostomy belts from early on, but when looking them up they looked completely different.

Growing up my grandmother had a colostomy bag which minorly prepared me for having an ileostomy which I don't think is much different from having a colostomy. I knew about burping your bag which is a lot more convenient with the Hollister snap on kind. Originally I would hold the bottom of the bag upwards to then open it and press the gas out of the bag or if I have to I will open the bottom over a toilet and press the gas out that way. With the Hollister strapon kind all I have to do is unsnap a small portion of it and if need be press the gas out, but it usually comes out pretty well.

Not until here in the last few months have I really had an issue with skin irritation or rather erosion as what I assumed was stomach acid present in the stool would eat away at the skin around the stoma (I feel like I'll have to do another post specifically about these terms etc, but the stoma is the part of the intestine thats exposed... basically it refers to your new butthole). This can be very unpleasant, but I was given some miconazole powder (antifungal) to use any redness. In other words, use it before it gets bad. It does work.

Shortly before Thanksgiving I was admitted into the hospital due to a severe case of skin irritation possibly an infection. The doctor and nurse both said they don't if it was due to an infection or just irritation, but they put me on antibiotics anyways and it did eventually heal up. I was having issues with the wafer sticking and I was going through supplies like crazy. It was like it was right after my second surgery when I was having to change my otomy up to five times a day! Needless to say that is not supposed to be the case! I didn't want to waste anymore supplies and it was over the weekend so wound care wasn't open and my surgeon's office wasn't available. I did what I thought was the best possible thing to do with what I had on hand... tape a grocery bag to my stomach. I am a bigger person so I could tuck half of the bag under my stomach and tape the upper half to me. Just over the course of three days, most of my stomach on that side become red and weepy. The weepiness is what was causing the wafer from sticking and it just got worse... I was finally able to get to the wound care on tuesday which she urged me to go the hospital that same day which I did. They kept me over night and released me the day before thanksgiving.

There were only two things that seemed to help with the weeping issue. The wound care nurse either used a skin protective barrier which kind of reminds me duoderm or this purple stuff (Marathon brand, its cyanoacrylate, a medical adhesive) which worked wonders, but is super expensive! Later on, I learned about crusting. Technically I learned it from the wound care nurse, but I thought crusting was dependent on the purple stuff. Crusting is where we take Brava powder and sprinkle it on to the affected area. Then we take protective barrier wipes and dab the area after brushing the excess powder off. Do this two to three times and a crust will begin to form. The powder will only stick to the areas it needs to stick to and dabbing rather than wiping ensures that the powder doesn't get wiped off but coated with the barrier liquid.

Having an ostomy is no fun, but it is manageable and even more so if you actually pay attention to what should be avoided. Early on I was told to avoid certain foods such as fruits with the peel on, mushrooms, seeds etc. That these things could cause a blockage which I assumed was in reference to intestinal blockages, but after learning about pancaking, I believe that might be the reason for it. You will notice that certain foods don't get fully digested and might seem to move right through you like it wasn't even touched! Chew all you want, but sometimes food slips by. The thicker the stool, the more it might build up at the stoma site causing it to eventually push through the barrier and come out from underneath the wafer... yeah, always a pleasant experience! The problem was that this would happen with liquids too. I've learned alot since getting my ostomy back in February of last year, but I feel like there is still things to learn and improvements to be made. For example, they really need to explain pancaking and why avoiding certain foods is necessary! For the longest time I didn't know that this little pack of deodorant they gave me was actually a lubricant to help things move down into the pouch. Early on I knew that there was deodorant items I could use if need be, but nothing about it being lubricant. I can't get this through my insurance while getting other things, but using a small amount of olive oil seems to help when leaking doesn't occur. I had so much leaking issues that I would leave an ostomy on for as long as possible reaching into a two week period! I, personally, don't think I have ever had to change an ostomy because it had been 3-7 days. Its always been because I had to change it due to leakage. I would even put large sheets of tape that I had leftover from wound care (the surgery incision) on to the areas surrounding the wafer to help contain any leaks and it helped! I ran out of the tape though and started using other medical tapes. I even thought about getting some adhesive like skin-tac or mastisol to try and re-seal the areas of the wafer that came lose either on their own or due to leakage. I've had times where the wafer won't even stick!

Going back to the grocery bag incident, which I am now going through the same thing again, but this time it was due to constant leaking. Not just Hollister, but Coloplast as well. The thing is that the ileal fluid (basically intestinal juices from the small intestine) cause skin irritation, because there was nothing there preventing it from getting on my skin, I tried several different things. I didn't think to tape it up, but first off I tried applying hand lotion. Why? It has oil in it and oil and water don't mix so I figured it would create an oil slick... I don't think it worked in the long run. To help dry up the area, I tried crusting, but it wouldn't dry for some reason and the liquid would just wash the powder away anyways. I'm trying to add miconazole powder this time to help kick any fungal infection in its butt. I read on a forum that some liquid antacid that is no longer being made could be used... I don't remember the name now, but it was like mylanta. I didn't some research and saw that this particular type had two ingredients that the others didn't have both of. There was also an inactive ingredient that the other didn't have. This form made it sound like it would dry up on the skin and the generic stuff I got did, but not on the weeping skin. I was looking for something to create a barrier, to dry the area up, but what went over my head was that it was an antacid and was primarily used to soothe the pain due to ileal fluid being acidic. Mylanta etc. neutralizes acids. Another source said to use hydrocortisone cream (ointments are more oily) and let it sit there undisturbed for about ten minutes. In that time it would dry up, but like the mylanta stuff would. Didn't work. There was also hydroclloidal sheets that I didn't try. No reason other than money.

Before wrapping this all up I want to state that I got a lot of help including many supplies from my wound care nurse (all of them were great at the clinic!) and multiple free samples and help from an individual at a local pharmacy. Yes, free samples! Now, I can't promise and will not promise that your pharmacy would do the same, but I think they just took an understanding to me. Given I've been through a lot and my age might have had a role to play. People usually notice the seemingly shocking fact that someone so young had colon surgery and has an ostomy. My next post op appointment is next month, but I'm going to see if my surgeon will do the surgery sooner than later despite the risks...

Have a good day and a blessed New Year!

[olivia-wang-tan]

Dr Tan Wah Siew is our female general surgeon who subspecialises in colorectal surgery and piles surgery. At Surgical Associates clinic in Singapore, Dr Tan performs colonoscopies, appendix surgery and advanced robotic colorectal surgery, amongst other treatments. Visit our clinic or call us at 6454 0054 to book an appointment.

[heardatmedschool]

“The water goes under the bridge.”

About the ureter and the gonadal artery.

[pretty-roach]

Help Me Get Treatment For Colon Cancer: Urgent!

hey y’all. tumblr vet here coming to ya with something i’ve never had to do before: fundraise in the name of my health. February 6th I was diagnosed with colon cancer and February the 16th I underwent surgery to remove the tumors. We are still waiting on the test results on whether i’m 100% cancer free. In the meantime i would really really appreciate it if you could donate or like and reblog. Even if you don’t have the funds now sharing the link can be a life changer. Im still on a lease for 4 months, im financing a car and im not currently able to move around or walk without pain which makes a full time job out of the picture. Those of you who know my irl know i don’t ask for much and wouldnt be doing this if it wasn’t super important. So please please share🙏🏿💛

[coochiequeens]

Just the trans cult comparing their cosmetic procedures to people with real medical conditions.

By Amy Hamm June 29, 2024

A trans-identified male in British Columbia, Canada, is suing the provincial Ministry of Health after it refused to fund the out-of-country vaginoplasty he demanded be performed in Bangkok, Thailand.

The man, referred to only as KW in legal documents due to a publication ban on his name, originally lodged a complaint at the BC Human Rights Tribunal (BCHRT) in 2019 alleging discrimination. KW claimed that being denied funding for the out-of-country surgery was akin to sex-based discrimination on the basis of his transgender status.

In his legal complaint, KW insisted that a female would not have been denied the same laparoscopic sigmoid colon vaginoplasty — a procedure that is sometimes performed on females who are born with exceedingly rare disorders of sexual development. The surgery includes utilizing sections of harvested colon tissue to craft the appearance of a vulva and vagina.

KW claimed that he was unable to apply for the surgery because he could not find a specialist to complete his application form, and argued that a female could have accessed a gynecologist to do so.

The BC Ministry of Health (MOH) sought to dismiss KW’s claim on the basis that it held no reasonable chance of success, but was denied in a May 10, 2024 ruling. The matter will now be scheduled for a hearing.

The Ministry argued that they did not discriminate against KW, deny him medical care, or treat him differently “than any other beneficiary who requests out of country medical services.” They also noted that KW did not fully complete his application for surgery, adding that vaginoplasty procedures are available in Canada “and as such, the public health system was not obligated to fund the service [he] was seeking overseas.” 

The MOH gave approval for KW to undergo a fully-funded vaginoplasty at GrS Montreal in October of 2017. However, months later in January of 2018, KW applied to the MOH to instead fund his surgery in Bangkok, Thailand.

He was advised that the application had to be completed by a BC specialist, and not the plastic surgeon from Thailand.

A letter from the Ministry read: “When surgery is available in Canada, the attending specialist in BC may recommend surgery outside Canada. The specialist must include peer reviewed medical articles with the application to confirm surgery outside Canada will result in a significant difference in success. The recommendation for surgery is sincerely respected; however as surgery is available in Canada, provincial coverage was not approved for surgery in Thailand.”

Ultimately, KW never completed his application and accepted the vaginoplasty at GrS Montreal on January 6, 2020. The hospital performs penile inversion vaginoplasty, in which penile tissue is “flipped” to create a vagina-like canal. This is the most common vaginoplasty technique in North America.

BCHRT panel member, Shannon Beckett, wrote in her May decision that the tribunal is also going to consider discrimination on the basis of gender identity, though KW did not allege this in his filing. She argued that the Ministry of Health made a “problematic” statement when they refuted KW’s claim about females accessing this type of procedure. Beckett appears to have taken specific issue with the Ministry’s explanation that vaginoplasties are “rarely performed on cisgender women, and only in cases where it is medically necessary (i.e. due to disease or injury).”

Beckett wrote that the Ministry’s usage of the term “medically necessary “ has “implied that where transgender women are seeking the same surgery, it is not in cases ‘where it is medically necessary.’ This argument appears to be based on stereotypical and outdated ideas about the nature and reason for gender-affirming surgery. There is no indication in the context of this complaint that the gender-affirming care KW was seeking was not medically necessary.”

This argument is reminiscent of a 2019 procedural decision by BCHRT member Devyn Cousineau wherein she referred to notorious trans activist Jessica Yaniv having his male testicles waxed by unwilling women as “critical gender affirming care.”

The hearing dates for KW’s suit against the BCHRT have not been scheduled, and it will likely take months if not years as the BCHRT is facing an enormous backlog of almost 5,000 active files.

This case is not the first of its kind in Canada. Earlier this year, and as reported by Reduxx, an Ontario man successfully sued the Ontario Health Insurance Plan to have the province fund an experimental surgery in Texas that will leave him with his penis as well as a surgically created “neo-vagina.”

The man in this case broke his own publication ban when he posted about his diaper fetish on Reddit, and openly admitted he was the individual documented in the highly-publicized case. 

[dazedasian]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mohammad Okasha❤️‍🔥 (@okasha.joker)

[novalin]

I'm scared. My stomach hurts since two days ago. I had my spleen removed in 2021 and they had to move my colon for that. Since then it's a bit sensitive.

Now I'm afraid it might get infected or what not and that it has to be removed and I have to get an artificial exit that gets infected all the time like my co-worker's does...

Help the downward spiral is real. I thought it would sort it out over the week but it still hurts and it's only Saturday.

And I start working in 1,5 weeks again. Which is great in general but maybe this is psychosomatic? That would be fucking stupid because I want this gone by that!

;_;

[nedsseveredhead]

Consultation for ass surgery tomorrow. Theyre removing my ass. 😔

[darlingknave]

If we get four more years of trump hell because of some stupid fuckin protest vote

god

not again

Please, his last term very nearly killed me

[audley-and-cherry]

And here's a quick update on my me:

Had my colon surgery, spent three days in the hospital. Got home the following Monday and on Tuesday received the news that my cancer had spread to my lymph nodes. I went to the ER on Wednesday because I couldn't control my pain at home. Spent Thursday, Friday, Saturday shitting uncontrollably, found out it was a c.diff infection on Sunday.

Then last week I had a surgical followup on Tuesday. I really can't expect to feel normal any time soon, whee, but at least my staples are out. I'll meet with oncology on August 9, I can expect to start chemo at the end of August.

In the meantime, I've been watching Letterkenny and sleeping.

Miss you all, hope to be back at this place a little more as I become less fatigued.

[bougiebutchbitch]

Wilson just spells it out straight <3 I love him

[heardatmedschool]

“I’m just a more advanced plumber.”

Colonic surgeon.

(According to him, his job is to connect and repair pipes.)

[daydreamsofh]

.

[jesusology]

already anticipating that i'm going to be getting a permanent end-ileostomy sometime within the coming months so if anyone here can share any advice/tips/support/etc i would really really appreciate it because Boy oh boy...😔 i'm very stressed about it.

i had a subtotal colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis done last year for reference and everything has been getting worse since then. cries

[aixelsyd13]

Glad that's over.

Make every day count. Get small medical stuff checked out before it becomes big stuff. Be there for your people.

I had a rough patch last year. My wife just recently shared this photo she took at the time. It hit me kind of hard. I was in & out of the hospital for about 3 weeks in a month due to an infection from & complications with a drain from diverticulitis. I had my sigmoid colon and part of my rectum removed, with robot-assisted orthoscopic surgery. Recovery was rough while I was in it, but…

[ostomyeducation]

Hi Sky, I saw that you recommend maybe watching videos about ostomies for people who have just gotten them. Are there any particular videos you recommend for info?

Absolutely!

This is a super helpful video from a YouTube vlogger, LetsTalkIBD, who is both a person with an ostomy and a registered nurse. This is one of the best demonstrations and explanations for the placement of a new ostomy bag I have seen!

The same vlogger has a super considerate and insightful video on intimacy with an ostomy. It is helpful hearing these thoughts from a young person with a good sense of humor.

A YouTube channel, Truly, shares the story of Paula who went from dying of a bowel infection to being a fashion designer - for ostomy bags! - and content creator on TikTok. She describes her grieving process and how she discovered her love of sewing by making ostomy bag covers that match her outfits.

Truly also shares the story of a young man named Joel who learned about his condition through intense flares. He describes his battle of coping and grieving his condition and learning to love himself despite his ostomy and autoimmune condition. He says that his ostomy saved his life.

Shield HealthCare shares the story of Laura Cox's decision to have her ostomy surgery before her disease process progressed to an emergent state. She discusses the things she wishes that someone told her before her surgery; all of her points are inspiring and informative to a person considering an ostomy placement. Laura shares a similar video regarding top concerns with ostomies on the same channel.

To pair with LetsTalkIBD's video on new ostomy bag placement, Mr. ColitisCrohns shows both how to remove an old bag and place a new one. This video is particularly helpful for men or those who have extra body hair on their abdomen.

I am so thankful that the Internet has brought so many people with "invisible" illnesses together! The resources are truly abundant when you know what to look for.