Well there we were driving down to collect our caravan for a nice weekend away to celebrate my 60th ( thank god I made it). I suddenly got some stomach pains which is unusual but thought it will pass when my Stoma literally exploded!! The bag was forced off and there was a terrible smell and for those of you with a Stoma, you can probably imagine the rest.
By this time, I’m crying and verging on hysteria shouting to my husband to stop the car. My husband is puking up with the awful stench - he’s not good with poo!!!
To cut a long story short, we returned home with me wrapped up in a dog towel and didn’t chance the caravan.
We can laugh about it now but certainly couldn’t on Saturday. Oh the joys of ovarian cancer/PPC. What’s it going to throw up next!!!!!!
Written by
Eriksendi
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It is a stoma problem even without OC. The colostomy association is great to join if you haven’t already.
I had that happen just before chemo it was all over my clothes in my shoes, up the toilet walls etc in the hospital. I was hysterical and poor Hubby had to clean me up. I had to wear two hospital nighties as they had a split up the back so one over the other to spare my decency then wrapped in blankets. I was mortified. Good job we were in the car to go home
It was my cue to carry a spare outfit with me. I really feel for you as at the time I imagine it was quite upsetting, I know it was for me
Thank you - it as upsetting at the time. My poor new dog was on the back seat of the car looking very puzzled and seemed to guess that the best thing was to lay still!!
I will also be carrying a spare outfit with me from now on. It’s the first time it’s done this in 10 months so was a bit of a shock.
What would we do without our husbands to help. Mine was brilliant once he had finished throwing up!!!!
I can empathise, I too had a colostomy after my surgery 10 months ago and have had a few close calls which have left me embarrassed in company with smells escaping but thankfully I’ve managed to get to change my stoma bag before any major explosions have occurred! It’s my one fear of that happening x
Good idea Lily-Anne to carry spare clothes think I will start doing that now x
Well with needing to carry spare stoma bags, wipes and disposal bags, now spare clothes I may need to invest in a bigger handbag, what a good excuse to hit the shops 😁
You have my sympathy - I have ileostomy which was always leaking as not well sited - solved it with convex bags and was no problem until after chemo when I went away to see friend - weird smell in dundee shopping centre so had to do quick clean up in toilet then buy new pair of knickers in topshop - I’m not really their target as I’ve huge arse so imagine how I felt asking skinny young thing behind counter if I could go and put them on in the changing room barely did the job and who wants to wear boy shorts with characters from Disney on anyway?!! X
Mine started playing up after the 4 chemos after surgery and still is not very settled almost 6 months later. Love the story about the 'new pants', you have to laugh, don't you?
You do have to laugh otherwise you’d sit sobbing - mine was ok during chemo mostly - the only two leaks I’ve had during day had to be miles from home - now I carry my own spare big knickers and always wear a sanitary pad as it at least catches it! Thought I’d seen last of them with hysterectomy. Tbh I’ve got used to stoma now and delayed reversal as I’d know three people with worse problems post reversal - since I’m now being checked for recurrence probably just going to be there forever now x
I've delayed my reversal too, just can't face the thought of more surgery at the moment. I've had the gastrographin enema and X-rays and all ok but need to get my big girl pants on!! My bowel perforated after my second chemo and before my debulking op. I had a resection at the same time as my TAH and the biopsies luckily were non cancerous and were likely to be diverticulitis that had burst. I was told mine was permanent initially but now told reversible. I tooam very nervous about more problems after reversal.
I was told stoma highly unlikely then woke up with a badly placed one as the cysts on ovary were stuck to sigmoid colon - I’ve history of endometriosis ( my tumour was an endo cyst gone bad) so insides a mass of scar tissue and adhesions and bits where they shouldn’t be so more surgery doesn’t appeal even though it might sort hernias out- friend had problematic stoma after vowel cancer so rushed into reversal and then was unable to leave house due to faecal incontinence so I have decided that stoma is better than that x
I've asked the same question - will I have problems after reversal and been told mine should be better than before as both bits of 'dodgy bowel' have been removed. The pain before and when bowel perforated was excruciating . Cancer wrapped round and narrowed my bowel so basically it burst out where it could get through. I also have a stomal hernia but stoma manageable most of the time so very nervous about reversal.
My bowel was fine presurgery though guessing eventually it wouldn’t have been - I’ve two incisional hernias but they aren’t too bad - I get lot of pain throughout bowels now as everything stuck with adhesions so I’m not sure a reversal would help as just more to squeeze through - I don’t mind my stoma and would rather avoid any more surgery - I get PTSD just thinking about admissions x
I'm exactly the same! As a child I had a phobia f hospitals (think it stems from when my Dad died when I was 13) and every time I went into visit someone I fainted. Things did improve over the years especially after I had my son. I avoid going in wherever possible. When my bowel perforated I laid at home in bed thinking this will pass for 4 days. It was only when I took my temperature and it was 38.6 6 days after chemo that I thought I needed to go. The rest is history but the surgeon said I was very lucky to be alive!
Oh no, how sad for you!! I'm so, so sorry that happened - and you had to go home. I'm very pleased to read that you're going away tomorrow. There's' no rain forecast for a week so I hope you have a really happy time. Belated Happy 60th Birthday wishes. Love, Solange 😊
I am now, thank you. Just want to get on with the Chemo and get the Throat Op. done. Throat Consultant let me select my own date to fit in with Chemo ( hope I've chosen the right week) and the nurse was able to fit the pre op appointment in the day before chemo starts. Very thankful as the Throat op, and pre op, isn't done at my local hospital. The thought of having to travel further if I have diarrhoea, which seems to be how I respond to Chemo, was scary 😳. Happy caravanning! 😀
Belated Birthday Greetings!!! I’m sure this time it will be much less dramatic. Poor you! Here’s to a great caravanning trip for you, husband and new dog.
That's a veritable nightmare, that is. Glad you got through it and see the funny side.
Ever since my first OC surgery, I've experienced a variety of bowel related issues.. including temporary near incontinence. Thus, even without a stoma, I keep driving around with a small backpack containing a spare set of clothes, some basic toiletries, a big resealable plastic bag and a phone charger cable in my boot... just in case. And I always wear a pad.
My god when I think back to my twenties where I'd just throw on barely there panties and a summer dress and that was good enough to last me a day.
Happy belated Birthday and may this be the only stoma incident for a long time. Xx. maus
Oh no! Saturday must have been the day for it. I complained to my niece that her supper smelled odd. Went upstairs to the loo and discovered it was me 🤭 not her. Colitis and pancaking not a great combination. Not an explosion though. You poor thing. Hope,it settles and you get to,the caravan
Firstly, happy 60th so very pleased you got there, it’s a milestone I wasn’t sure nearly 4 years ago that I’d reach either but here we are plodding on and still doing what has to be done cos we’re like that, as my grand children would say, it’s how we roll.
I can’t offer any advice at all re the stoma, I missed one by the skin of my teeth apparently but I have a picture going round in my head of both you and your hubby and a small pup on the back seat being quiet, we all know they’re never quiet so it must have been quite some experience for you all.
Have a safe and hopefully uneventful journey to the caravan, we’re in ours at the moment, the weather is turning out to be lovely again and I think there’s very little to top being in the van in lovely weather so enjoy. ❤️Xx Jane
I really sympathise as even the tiniest leak can smell terrible. My trial pills make me feel sick and one morning I threw up all over my husbands beautiful car- he was amazing and took it all in his stride. Now I carry sick bowls as well as spate stoma kits everywhere!
Hi - I feel for you. I had a stomach bug over the bank holiday weekend, which I coped with by not leaving home, but by the following Thursday, was sure I was well over it and tucked into fruit, with no adverse consequences at the time. However, come Friday morning, when I was getting ready to go out for the day with a friend and was changing my pouch prior to leaving the house, stoma decided to forcibly eject its entire contents all over me and the bathroom! The mess! It got everywhere! My poor little dog was so bewildered as I shouted at him to keep out of the bathroom as he peered round the door in concern. I was on the verge of hysterical tears, heaving from the smell, and about to call off the outing, but mentally shook myself and thought - it's only cleaning, everything can be washed. I did eventually get me and the room cleaned up and towels into a hot wash, and armed with loads of spare supplies, a towel, and a head to toe change of clothes just in case, made it to my friend's. She has OC too, though escaped the stoma, so I could laugh about it with her. I can't imagine how I'd have felt if, like you, it had happened en route.
I do sometimes look back with nostalgia to the days when bodily functions didn't feature so heavily in my life, but as the alternative is not being here at all, I'll just get on with it - with the support of you lovely people, to make me feel I'm not alone.
Over the years have had a few spectacular explosions.Most recent was just after a meal out when I sat down in the car and my bag literally came off withe force of a completely liquid poo!I was on antibiotics and that must have been a side effect.I went into a nearby supermarket loo for over half an hour until it seemed to stop and went home sitting on a plastic bag with the windows open. I was too scared to sleep in bed that night and stayed up all night.Another memorable occasion was in hospital when I had been given an enema into my Stoma to shift a bowel blockage at 2pm.They said it would work in about two to three hours but at midnight I fell asleep and woke at 3am in a bed of poo.It was everywhere,Ifelt so sorry for the nurses.Over the years it has made me more reluctant to go far from home which is very limiting. Take care Vivxx
I really feel for you. Mine has been quite good until now and I’m determined not to let it stop me doing things. I was pretty upset at the weekend but sat at home and my dented confidence mended and I’m back out there now x x
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Feeling angry - stoma supplies and dignity
Just arrived home after debulking surgery on Thursday. A stoma was never part of the plan 😔
Anyone with a colostomy tried irrigation?? 
How long til a stoma settles into a pattern?
