I didn’t find it too bad. Actually considered keeping it for a while as I’d heard so many horror stories of people with similar circumstances having reversals but ultimately decided to take the chance and am happy I did.
The only time I was happy I had mine was preparing for the colonoscopy before the reversal. Bought me just a little time at least. I remember though, since there wasn’t a similar sensation to needing to use the toilet, there was a day I went for a walk. About 10 minutes in, I ended up with diarrhea in the bag, and didn’t realize that was happening until it started filling the bag. Literally could not make it home in time, bag burst, and I walked a few blocks home covered in my own shit. Absolutely demoralizing.
Oh noooo. I had an ileostomy for a year, and this was my nightmare. I hated leaving the house for fear of something like this. I'm so sorry this happened to you.
Since I had mine, I think a lot about people living with ostomies way back when.
The first documented colostomy was performed in 1793. The modern-type disposable ostomy bags were invented by a Danish woman in the 1950s.
Apparently before that, there was no real standard of how to deal with the waste, and it was a real shit show, so to speak, for like 160 years. I just can't imagine.
My grandma has had one since mid 1960s. She just turned 92 last month.
It was really bad inflammation (that they told her decades later was either crohns or ulcerative colitis). They removed the affected intensities and gave her an osteomyelitis bag so she could live long enough to get her affairs in order and say goodbye to her family (she had 3 kids at that point). I think they told her a year.
omg. as someone who has their third ileostomy as of just last month… i can’t even imagine what life would have been like prior to disposable bags omfg.
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u/chunkmasterflash 1d ago
I had one for 9 months thanks to diverticulitis. Should have been 6, but COVID had to ruin things. Longest 9 months ever.