Hart2Hart, I'm glad so many people chimed into this post. Wednesday is my chemo day, and yesterday was complicated by my newest port (#3's the charm!), so I couldn't really respond. But it looks like you got some really good perspectives.
There have been a couple of older threads that include ostomy pros and cons and discuss quality of life. Most of my story is included in them, so I'll link them and not repost it. Some posters who don't come by as often, or who have passed, also commented here - but I think their input may also be helpful as Pete makes his decision.
I have an ostomy - and I'm OKUnderstanding the attitude towards ostomies...Full disclosure: I started both of these older threads, in an effort to bring some positive discussions of life with an ostomy to the board. Why? Well, a couple years ago this place could be kind of intolerant towards or negative about ostomies. The anti-ostomy "guest" mentioned in one of the threads became my personal internet stalker for about a year after the first of those threads was posted. Luckily, her internet service provider finally stopped her behavior. But yeah - at one time, that's how difficult it could be to come out with positive thoughts about having an ostomy on this forum. So I'm really, really glad to see that someone can now ask questions about quality of life with a permanent colostomy and get supportive, honest answers from posters who respect each others' points of view.
re: "My pete is an architect who loves to cook (aren't I lucky?) .....so eating is a big deal in my household."
Well, I'm a foodie.
I have a food blog and write a food column for Examiner.com/Syracuse. So eating (and cooking) is a big deal in my household, too. I have had to adapt a few things - but several of them have been due to chemo and multiple surgeries.
I have a peristomal hernia, which does give me some food issues because stuff gets "stuck" in the loop of intestine inside the hernia, and then I risk a blockage. I can't eat more than one or two nuts or seeds unless they are ground into butter - or finely chopped to make a nut breading or topping. I can chew-chew-chew and the occasional walnut in a brownie isn't gonna kill me...but I am very very careful with nuts and seeds. I am also very careful with:
- raw veggies, especially the kinds with thick or tough skins
- raw fruits like grapes (same tough skins issue) and berries with big seeds
Popcorn is a no-no. For that matter, Utica Greens are a no-no, too, unless I make them and make sure the tough stems and veins are taken out and the leaves are chopped up really fine even to a chiffonade.
I can eat asparagus or broccoli pureed in soup, and actually can now manage broccoli florets that have been well cooked. But no way can I eat the stems, or unpeeled whole asparagus. OTOH, I can eat cauliflower any way. Go figure. Some things, Pete will just have to experiment with and learn as he goes. But as far as being a foodie goes, I can pretty much "taste" anything. I just can't have more than a taste of the stuff that I know gives me problems.
Hope this helps, and hope that Pete can make a sound decision with all this information. Whatever he chooses, it has to be right for him.