Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Stoma Stan meet the world. World meet Stoma Stan.

Well, it's about time I introduce you to my little friend, Stoma Stan.  Everytime I change my bag I try to take picutres of him, but majority of the time he isn't cooperating.  Luckily the other day he decided to cooperate.  The following are a few pictures I took of him.  They aren't real high quality pics, it is tricky to try and capture a few shots before he gets all active again and bathroom lighting is horrible.  As you may notice, my Stoma is male.  There are two main reasons for that. One, as I mentioned in an earlier post, only males would have no qualms about farting and pooping at inappropriate times, for example at the dinner table.  And two, as you'll see in the last picture, his appearance is a bit.  . .um. . . masculine.  

This is the whole abdomen from above. (The top of the picture is my pelvis and the bottom is my rib cage.  So I guess technically this picture is upsides down,  but it is how I see it every day.)  You can faintly see one small scar on the left side, parallel to my belly button and above the dolphins.  There is another scar inside my belly button, and the main scar is right below the towel.   (Sorry the main scar is to "low" for me to feel comfortable posting on the web.) That scar is only 4 inches long!  Can you believe my entire 4 ft. colon came out of a 4 in incision?
Stoma Stan's close up.
Another above shot of Stoma Stan.  You can see some of the irritation below him.  
Stoma Stan, from the bottom.  Stoma Stan "points down", and that is why I get some irritation below him.  That small vertical slit you see is his "opening".  You may notice his "manly" characteristics in this picture.  

Stoma Stan will be with me for only two more weeks!  Over the last 7 weeks I have developed quite the love/hate relationship with him.  Yes, at times he is a nuisance, but I have come to respect him for his role in saving my life.  If down the road something were to happen to my j-pouch and I had to go back to an ileostomy.  I'd be ok with that.  

12 comments:

Aunt Deb and Family said...

Steph, Those pictures are not what I thought stomas looked like. I was just on a website I found while looking around to find info to fully understand your ileo. I came across one that was like a blog I guess, with a couple of different people, and their experience threw their surgeries. Their pictures didn't look like yours. Do all stomas stick out like yours?
Thanks for the pictures and the updates. I am very interested. Love ya, Aunt Deb

Steph said...

Aunt Deb, I believe most stomas do stick out. Sometimes they are flush with the skin, but for the most part they stick out. Also they change shape, move around and 'sputter'. Would you send me the link to the pictures you found? I'd be interested to look at them.

Aunt Deb and Family said...

http://ucstory.wordpress.com/surgery-photos-your-story/

Have you been on this sight? As I look back I can see that the stoma stick out. Your photos are at a different angle. I haven't seen it from that angle. I was all over that web site. I felt like a busy buddy.

Keri said...

Interesting. I really had no idea what a stoma was, but I was picturing a hole or something. I didn't realize it stuck out like that. Very interesting.

Unknown said...

Wow! I am not sure what I was picturing or what I was basing it on, but that wasn't it. Interesting..I going to go that site too..

Sugarmouth O'Riordan said...

Awesome. Great pics. You are brave and bold woman.

I wish mine had been a bit higher like yours--Oscar was about as far beneath my belly button as yours is above. I could never get Oscar placed correctly WRT my waistband--he would get squished either way.

Steph said...

No Sug', Stoma Stan is lower than my belly button too. The 1st pic is technically upside down. Yeah, he is right at my waist band. Hence why I have been living in dresses and sweatpants.

Sugarmouth O'Riordan said...

Ah...That actually makes a bit more sense as I did think for a sec that your ribs looked kinda funny...guess those are your hip bones! :)

This would be where I would say "I only felt comfortable walking around in skirts/dresses if I had my special ostomy undies on" but you're already into takedown countdown, so there's little sense in making a special purchase for such a short period!

I'm so glad your relationship with Stan is already on the downhill...Hope the time goes quickly for you. :)

Anonymous said...

Kudos to you for showing your stoma off to the world!

Mine stuck out, but, not quite that much........

2 weeks and counting....*tick tock, tick tock*

Charlie from the Yahoo Group (and J Pouch Board)

Christina said...

Wow! I had no idea what this looked like. Thanks for sharing!

Martina Kancyte said...

Hi,

I have quite strange request. I am working with one company who are producing stoma care products (I can not mention the name quite yet as you might say not agree to what I want to ask you). So the request:
I would like to use (with your permission only) your healthy looking (relatively too what we have) stoma picture for one application guide poster. There will be 50 copies produced only and it will be used in one children's hospital. Would you agree to donate your stoma picture for this purpose?

Could you email me on martina.kancyte(at)gmail.com

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