For anyone with a colostomy

Please feel free to read, share your thoughts, your stories and connect with others!
PEEJAY
Posts: 54
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 2:28 am

For anyone with a colostomy

Postby PEEJAY » Wed Sep 09, 2015 10:48 pm

I've had a full colostomy since May. My output varies from week to week, but, for the last four days I've had hardly any. I'm even eating foods that historically give me a lot of output and still nothing. I have no other symptoms of a bowel obstruction. No pain, no stomach distention, nothing. Just an almost complete lack of output. Anyone with any experience/advice on this issue?
Age 33
Stage 4 CC with 20+ mets to liver 1/20/2015
8 Rounds Folfoxiri feb - april 2015
Colon Resection 5/2015
Permanent Colostomy
Peritoneal Carcinoma found
Folfiri + Erbitux 6/2015 - 9/2015
Angiomapping for Y90 9/24/2015
Y90 Treatment 10/13/2015
Power port re-placing sched. 10/23/2015
Due back for chemo 10/29/2015 (right before trick or treating!!!)
11/26 Chemo not working
My colon cancer podcast "I'm Dying Here" in iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/im- ... 1035722798

Sams wife
Posts: 753
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2015 2:49 pm

Re: For anyone with a colostomy

Postby Sams wife » Wed Sep 09, 2015 11:37 pm

To quote mr wu. More agua? (More water)? Just kidding but I'm always on hubby for that.

They decreased chemo 25%. He's had 8 or 9 so far, but was getting constipated.
Hubby was only going once every 4 days after chemo started again. ( Doc said sounds like you need more chemo.)They up"d his chemo last week back to what it was. And now he has went 3 days in a row. Yay. Hubby is happy about it anyways.
Idk if that helps but I hope so.
His potassium was a little high. I'm not sure if it was not peeing good or # 2 but hopefully something gets fixed this week.
I can't help on obstruction. We haven't been there yet. Sorry.
Husband dx 1/13/15 St.2 CEA 7.1
Chemo/25rad 2/15 till 4/24/15
5FU/leucovorin
Surgery 6/8/2015 Stage IIa T3N0MX microscopic cancer left
Watching 4 lung spots
0/5 lymph nodes. Lap. APR
25% less 5FU/leucovorin 7/14/2015 x 26 CEA 3.4
25% more 5fu 9/2015
9/16/15 CEA 7.7
1/16/16 @ 9.2 during allergy?
3/16 New lung spot 4x4 mm
6/16 CEA 6.9 spot 5x5

Deborah614
Posts: 23
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2015 10:24 am
Facebook Username: Deborah Melchi

Re: For anyone with a colostomy

Postby Deborah614 » Thu Sep 10, 2015 12:33 am

I have the exact same thing going on with me. I got my colostomy in May, too. I've decided not to worry yet because I'm not having any discomfort and am passing gas, so something is working in there. Maybe we should put a call into our stoma nurses if we continue to have output concerns. I was wondering if a salad I ate last week slowed my bowels, but seems unlikely to still be that. I have no answers, but sure do relate with you wondering what's going on. I heard blockages are very painful and that's the last thing we need after all we've been through lately. I hope we can both fill our bags tomorrow:)
dx 12/17/14
stage 2 rectal cancer T3N0M0
standard treatment 28 days radiation w/xeloda, surgery, 8 rounds Folfox
22 shots neupogen 32 days in hospital for infections
60 years old
mother of 6, grandmother of 10, wife of 1 for 35 years
Jeremiah 29:11
05/28/15 APR, Barbie butt, permanent colostomy
May 2016 Cat scans NED!
May 2016 mammogram
June 2016 invasive ductal carcinoma breast cancer left breast stage1
August3 '16 mastectomy with reconstruction, genetic screening scheduled

PEEJAY
Posts: 54
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 2:28 am

Re: For anyone with a colostomy

Postby PEEJAY » Thu Sep 10, 2015 9:55 am

I'm pulling out the big guns today. Gonna eat some donuts. If that doesn't work, I'm putting in the call!
Age 33
Stage 4 CC with 20+ mets to liver 1/20/2015
8 Rounds Folfoxiri feb - april 2015
Colon Resection 5/2015
Permanent Colostomy
Peritoneal Carcinoma found
Folfiri + Erbitux 6/2015 - 9/2015
Angiomapping for Y90 9/24/2015
Y90 Treatment 10/13/2015
Power port re-placing sched. 10/23/2015
Due back for chemo 10/29/2015 (right before trick or treating!!!)
11/26 Chemo not working
My colon cancer podcast "I'm Dying Here" in iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/im- ... 1035722798

User avatar
Rob in PA
Posts: 2022
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2009 9:16 pm
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: For anyone with a colostomy

Postby Rob in PA » Thu Sep 10, 2015 10:05 am

Yes, lots of water. I also used to massage my guts and do torso twists to get things moving too. I've had colostomy and two iliostomy. Colostomy definitely lends to bigger bowel movements and greater time passed between movements.

First sign of major cramping and not hearing/feeling any bowel sounds or passing any gas....call your doctor! I just got released from hospital last week after having a bowel obstruction and it was one of the most painful things i've dealt with in my life!
dx 11/07 crc IIIb @ 39
Xelox/Rad/ temp colostomy
LAR/J-pouch/ temp ileo
Folfox-8
Failed reversal
2/09 liver mets; liver resect/ileo reversal
Folfiri/Avastin - 12
2/11 5 lung mets
Folfiri/Avastin 2011
SBRT 3/12
Lung met 5/13/ said NO to more chemo
SBRT 8/13
2 lung mets 5/14, VATS 8/14, NED

User avatar
teacher49
Posts: 189
Joined: Sun Aug 14, 2011 10:34 am

Re: For anyone with a colostomy

Postby teacher49 » Thu Sep 10, 2015 10:30 am

I've had colostomy since 2011 and I know my system pretty well. Everyone is different so what I experience in regularity may not be your experience. Chemo (FOLFOX6) did make me constipated at the outset and then change to diarrhea.

With that said: If I did not have output for 4 days, I would know that something is wrong with my system and I would take some steps to avoid the impending pain of blockage.

- Stop eating (because if it's not coming out/eventually it will start coming up) and I hate vomiting
- Drink lots of fluid and use recommended dose of Miralax
- small glass of warmed up prune juice
- Take a warm bath
- Use a heat pad on tummy ( this stimulates colon)
- Massage belly
- 1 or 2 Dulcolax tabs ( with plenty of water) (hate to have to do this because Dulcolax will forcefully move your bowels if they are slow)
- irrigation ( this will help if you have a bolus stuck close to your end stoma)

Note: Pain and vomiting for any significant amount of time......with no relief.......call your physician and go to ER!
F, 62,CRC, Adenoca, mod diff
cT3N0M0 Stage IIA May 2011
chemorad
APR on 9/27/11 Margins & Nodes Neg
comp.after surg/2 pelvic abscesses/Sepsis/Hosp 40 days
10th FOLFOX 6/6/2012 feet went numb
5FU to finish
NED 8/11/2021

User avatar
Annemiek
Posts: 304
Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2015 4:05 am
Location: The Hague, Netherlands

Re: For anyone with a colostomy

Postby Annemiek » Thu Sep 10, 2015 10:39 am

If you drink a fizzy drink like cola, do the CO2 bubbles come out after 15 minutes or so?
If I haven't had output for a day and a half, I drink a big glass and let it bubble through my colon. Usually have output a few hours later.

After 4 days I would call in the stoma squat.

Annemiek

43 yr mum of a girl aged 7
10/2014 coloncancer stage IIIc
11/2014 HIPEC, tumor removed + 12 positive out of 60 ln
hysterectomy, abdominal lining partly removed
Peridonitus, stoma fitted, 6 abcesses drained in abdomen
MSS, kras
3/2015 Folfox, someones playing kill Bill inside me
9/2015 finished 12 rounds,
First scan results: NED!!!!!!!!!
4/2016 ct scan: NED!!!
7/2016 ultrasound: NED
10/2016 cr scan: NED
5/2017 ultrasound: NED 2,5 yrs!
CEA 8/2017 1.8 stable.
CT scan 11/2017 NED! 3 yrs
CEA 1.9

PEEJAY
Posts: 54
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 2:28 am

Re: For anyone with a colostomy

Postby PEEJAY » Thu Sep 10, 2015 12:47 pm

Thanks for the tips, everyone. This issue seems to have resolved itself for me this morning. I definitely won't let it go for this long again before trying more of these remedies.
Age 33
Stage 4 CC with 20+ mets to liver 1/20/2015
8 Rounds Folfoxiri feb - april 2015
Colon Resection 5/2015
Permanent Colostomy
Peritoneal Carcinoma found
Folfiri + Erbitux 6/2015 - 9/2015
Angiomapping for Y90 9/24/2015
Y90 Treatment 10/13/2015
Power port re-placing sched. 10/23/2015
Due back for chemo 10/29/2015 (right before trick or treating!!!)
11/26 Chemo not working
My colon cancer podcast "I'm Dying Here" in iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/im- ... 1035722798


Return to “Colon Talk - Colon cancer (colorectal cancer) support forum”



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 117 guests