Warning!
If you scroll down, you will see pictures of my ostomy and disemboweled colon and rectum!
This is me!
My pre-surgery belly.
My ostomy nurse marking the location of my stoma.
The location that my ostomy nurse marked for the surgeon so she would know where to place the stoma.
Trying to smile post-op.
This is where they took the drain out. One of the keyhole incisions on the left side of my abdomen.
My mom made an ostomy bag for my pet rat, Henry.
My undetectable pouch!
My ileostomy...stoma with fresh pouch attached!
My stoma.
Colon 01
Colon 02
Colon 03
Colon 04
Colon 05
Colon 06
Rectum 01
Rectum 02
Rectum 03
Rectum 04
Rectum 05
Piper,kinda went down the same track some what. In the military after 1st gulf war,hurricane andrew claen-up somalia, and gitmo i became sick 15-20 bloody bowel movements at 25 when i was 10 foot tall and bullet proof. did the prednisone and such then had surgery released from the Army struggled 14 yrs trying to handle it then had surgery tried many types of meds to no avail. Now 40 and the prednisone has kicked my butt. trying to keep a positive attitude but some days i slip but just try to back up and re-group.If you look on edgepark medical a company called Phoenix makes a belt that goes around your tummy snaps and then tuck the bag into a pouch and snap it up. has made a huge difference in my ability to sleep and be active. I will get you the page number and item number to send to you. ii try to think i am in my mid 20′s but truth is i am getting old but keep fighting it. i put pics of my stoma which i named Fat Stanley like flat stanley and the idea was to take pics so folks could try and figure out were he was. I did add pics to face book so my familiy and friends could see as i believe it has been made taboo and people are scarred to talk about it. I will be following you blog.
Thanks
Steven
Thanks for the feedback, Steven! I think it is great how the internet enables us to communicate with others with similar experiences. Prednisone kicked my butt too… I became dependent on it near the end. Very glad to be tapering off of it.
I think that people are either grossed out and don’t want to talk about it or they are actually really very interested in it. I post the pictures here on my blog so family and friends can come here at their own risk if they want to.
I have seen the belt online. I don’t really have trouble with the ostomy doing normal everyday things, but I have been thinking about getting a bike and it would probably help keep things in place while exercising. I also work in an animal hospital; when I go back to work, it might be nice to have everything secure while wrestling with rottweilers. Does insurance cover things like this?
My grandma has a colostomy bag and i help her out all the time.
Hi Piper,
I followed your link from the YODAA site. I love your blog! I also love your hair cut, it’s really cute. I also love the ostomy bag for your pet rat, lol. I think it’s a great idea that you put all this up and I’m gonna check out the other blogs too.
~Lea (Waif)
Thanks, Lea! I thought the little rat bag was hilarious.
I figured I would write about what I was going through because it helped me a lot to read other people’s blogs before I had my surgery.
I wish I had gotten to see the bits of my colon that they removed. Is it weird that I’m totally jealous that you got to see yours?
Loving the mini-ostomy bag for the rat! I might make one for my teddy!
Haha, definitely not weird! Er… or maybe it is really weird and I’m just weird too.
Isn’t the ratty bag awesome? xD My mom made it and took a picture of it while I was still in the hospital and I was like IT IS SO COOL THAT YOU DID THAT!
Hi you ok? Thanks for adding me on facebook. I thought id better look you up since your on my list. Looks like your surgary was quite recent. Iv had a loop colostomy for the past 2 years and it doesnt work properly because i still go through my botom as well as the bag. Iv also got crohns desease and my meds arent realy working for me.
Well anyway i look forward to chating with you at some point. I have lots of stories to tell and im sure you do too. I love how your so open about everything. JNK
Hi! I’m doing great so far. The ileostomy has cured me of all of my pre-surgery Crohn’s symptoms. The only medications that ever really worked for me were prednisone (which didn’t work that great and was a bad idea to use long-term anyway) and remicade (which stopped working after almost 2 years). I’m pretty much an open book, plus I think it is important to raise awareness.
You’re the only person I know who had pictures of their rectum and colon, like me! Did your surgeon look at you like you were nuts like mine did?
Haha! I think my surgeon was fine with it, but some of the nurses looked a little disconcerted. I took in a digital camera for them to take pictures with, but Dr. Vachon just took them with the laparoscope and printed them out for me! I was like just waking up from surgery all drugged up and going “where are my pictures?”
Yea I think im gonna start pushing for pictures of the insides or maybe a video. I mean its not like I can go back and get it all later! Its gotta be now or never!!
I thought I was the only one who wanted to have pictures to see just how rotten my innards are!!! I’m getting ready to have my surgery and just happened to find your blog and I enjoyed reading it. I’m nervous and wondering all kinds of things so I’m reading a lot on the net. GL with everything!
ps I made an ostomy bag for my teddy bear to take with me for moral support!
Are your photographs available to be used for educational purposes? If they are available, what acknowledgment information would you like displayed with the images? We are interested specifically in your stoma site marking images.
Cool pictures. My grandma has a colostomy bag and i take care of her alot so i learned alot about this.
Piper,
I’m the marketing manager for the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board. http://WWW.WOCNCB.org
We are interested in using the photo of you and your nurses – where she’s marking the stoma – on the cover of a scholarly nursing literature review.
Please contact me so we can discuss the possibility.
Marsha B