Colostomy experiences?

[Eliza]

hello everyone.
My mom has been diagnosed with a cancer colon tumor. It is low in her colon but is very soft and extremely small. In the beginning of all this, there were fears it had spread to her liver, but that was ruled out. Now they are going to do the ultrasound of her colon to stage it and determine what route they must take. If it's early, they'll just scrape it off. If it's more advanced, they'll try to shrink it with radiation and then try to scrape it, OR she'll need a colostomy. I am writing to ask if any of you have had any experience with this or can help us out here? Her mom died of colon cancer that had spread throughout her body. She had had a colostomy (this was back in the 1970's) and died just two years later. At the time, docs said that was the expected course of things. I KNOW it's not that way now, but she's a wreck from hearing that word and I have been sent to this site in hopes of some advice and words of experience from any of you. I have to tell you that reading through this site has been a blessing....no one should have to go through this. Does anyone have any thoughts about colostomies?
I'm scared for her.

[Bryan S]

Sorry I don't have a colostomy but I have something else for you to worry about. How are you and your siblings? If you are over 40 you are overdue for your own colonoscopy. Also any of your moms brothers and sisters are also due. Sorry to add to your worries but it is important to take care of yourself also.

[irish]

I don't have the colostomy but an Ileostomy. If she needs one the
Colostomy will normally be on her right side. An ileostomy is on the right side. Both are near the natural waistline.
The appliance is the biggest adjustment. There should be a support group in your town. I had a hard time finding an appliance that would say on. It is trial and error.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask and I might be able to help.
Irish

[tennislover]

Hey there. I have a colostomy and just as a side note it is on the left side of my body and very low. I am 29 years old and have had it for about 6 months now. I will say this, I have a love/hate relationship with my colostomy. Before I had it I was chained to the bathroom all the time, now I have more freedom to do things. The only frustration I have with it is getting it to seal the right way with my skin. It is hard to adjust to seing it on your body, it is not the prettiest thing ever but I think you do get to the point where you can realize the benifit to having it and being so grateful that technology is what it is so that we can have this available to us!

[Eliza]

Thank you for the replies, everyone. I am taking every precaution to be proactive about my own health, in light of my mom's disease. She began getting colonoscopies when she was 42, which was 10 years before her mom was diagnosed. I will do the same. The frustrating thing (and it is a moot point, really) is that she is a poster child for colonoscopies! She's like the Katie Couric of the Great Lakes, you know? She was going before they were really "humane" things and you passed out from the pain. She still went, every other year. Her bleeding was always tossed off since she had not polyps. Then it's like BAM--hey , you have a tumor. She's dealing well with it, but the events of her mother's disease sort of haunt us all. From a tactile perspective, her doctors are hopeful that it is early since it is so small and very,very soft...but it will be the staging ultrasound that determines it, you know. If it's later than T2, they'll use radiation to shrink it if they can to save her colon. Does anyone have any info on the success rate of radiation used for shinking a colon tumor? You just want guarantees, don't you? But we are learning that we've entered a realm where there just are no such things. It seems like NO doctor can really say anything helpful! Of course, she's still at the "diagnosing" stage right now.....treatment comes later.
Anyway, I'm rambling. As for my siblings and me, we are concerned about our own health too. We'll be getting screened and I have always been a whole grain, veggie, Fiber-con type gal anyway, so it will just be more of the same for me and my children.