Stoma patient, mucus from anus

[shmila19]

I’m seeing mucus from my anus, just this past week. I’ve had a bowel tumour that perforated in April 2023. I’m due my scan on 4th October. I have a stoma and no chemo ?

I also have a hernia behind the stoma , awful pain from constant irritation on the skin surrounding the stoma? Some backache too?

Could this be symptom of any sinister going’s on? Anyone heard of this? I’d appreciate any of your input please

[aysedeniz]

I had a perforated bowel too I didn’t get stoma. But I know people with stoma. It requires a very good care for a long time. We patients we should be awere of that the surgery is not the end. But everthing starts after surgery. And nurses are very important at that step. I know that my nurse go to these patients clean them and help them to sustain a healthy life. He teaches them about foods and exercises to follow. Of course as the surgeon or the doctor prescribed. Good luck

[GCCA-Survivor Administrator]

Hi shmila19

Thank you for posting with us. I read your bio and you definitely have a lot going on here. And the fact that you’re not getting a lot of feedback from your doctors is a big concern. I hate that you’re left with trying to find things out on your own. I hope some people on this site have been beneficial, but I wish your doctors and GP were more informative with you.

In my case, I can get good information from the place where my medical records are kept and I can have access to them. It’s a thing called “Mychart” and my local hospital and doctors are all on there as well as the research hospital that I did a clinical trial with. It is extremely beneficial to have access to these things. Perhaps there is a way for you to have access to this (your records) as well? Contacting a “patient navigator” at the hospital or facility that you are dealing with may be beneficial. I hate that you are not getting any professional responses to your questions.

I see that you’ve had a bowel tumor that perforated in April 2023. Do you know the histology surrounding the tumor? I see you’re scheduled for a scan Wednesday this week. This would be a good opportunity to get your questions in front of a GP or NP at the facility. If you don’t get good answers from them, ask for a referral to speak with a "patient navigator" so you can get some good answers. There should be some kind of patient support going on there. I would think there would be specific stoma support as well. Or, given your questions, where would be the best place to go to speak with somebody about what’s going on. You shouldn't be left to just Google a bunch of things and fill your head with nonsense that’s either could be true or could be false and then you have to speculate.

I hope that some other people on this site will have some information for you on this topic. I know in some of my other cancer groups there are very active ostomy people that can share a lot of information from first hand experience. I could ask them for you. But I would think that some others on this site may have that personal experience as well. If you don’t get any answers, I will do that. The stoma people do have some specific things to deal with surrounding that whole situation. I hear that others have to deal with hernia situations as well. I would think that that is not uncommon given the situation surrounding the stoma.

I do wish you the best in finding out more answers. Good luck with your scan on the 4th of October. I hope it can give you some beneficial information. I hope you get more answers surrounding your situation from that visit. Perhaps write down your questions so you don’t forget what needs to be asked bcause a lot can be said at these appointments.

Thank you,

~Tom, GCCA Survivor - Colon Cancer Connected Site Administrator.

Just a reminder - this group is here to offer support, share experiences, and offer our thoughts - but this is not medical advice, and you should always consult your medical professional(s). Additionally, for all emergencies, seek urgent medical care, never delay.

[Snowdrop1234]

I have a stoma following bowel cancer. Passing mucas is perfectly normal. It can occur at irregular intervals or daily. There is often no pattern to it. It can be quite painful sometimes and is irritating to deal with. It is worth mentioning to your surgeon if it becomes difficult to manage, as there are things they can do if it is severe. The skin irritation is also common. You may have become allergic to your stoma bag or it could be due to leaks. Calamine lotion can help with this, or switching to an alternative bag. If you have a stoma nurse I would contact them as they will be able to help you deal with this. It’s also possible you may have a fungal infection. Unfortunately hernias can occur when you have a stoma. I don’t have experience of this, but they can be surgically repaired. You need to speak to your surgeon about this. All these things are common issues when you have a stoma. The back pain may be of concern. It isn’t a typical side effect from having a stoma, so I would raise this with your doctor, just to be on the safe side.