February 2010
Page 10
What I Do Not Like About My Ostomy
by Don Korbin
My colon was removed in March. It's really gone. I know, because my surgeon brought it to my hospital room during lunch one day, six and one-half pounds in a glass beaker. It looked like a brisket. I wasn't hungry. I opted for a continent ileostomy. So now I'm a kangaroo of sorts, except my pouch is on the inside. Getting used to the new plumbing hasn't been bad. Considering the shape I was in before surgery, I'd say this new system is better than the original, with one exception. The concern isn't the stoma. Mine is less than the size of a dime... it disappears beneath the briefest of swim suits. It's not the diet... I have no dietary restrictions. Nor is it physical limitation... I'm even contemplating cross-country skiing on Oregon's Mt. Bachelor. No, what I dislike is the operation's effect on one of my favorite pastimes. I used to spend many quiet moments sitting in the bathroom. Now I don't. Dr. Koch's efficient catheter system makes it unnecessary. A lifetime reading habit has been shattered. THAT'S what I don't like about my ostomy!
SOURCE: Solona County Ostomy News & Chippewa Valley Ostomy Association & Evansville Ostomy News, January, 2010: Okanagan Mainline, February 2010, via Inside Out On-line Feb/10
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