Just stumbled on your group and thought I might like to post with
you.

By way of introduction, I'm 46 and have had this Koch's
pouch/continent ileostomy for 25 years, the result of raging
ulcerative colitis. The surgeon had at first attempted a pull-down
during the surgery to remove my colon but the rectum and anus were
so badly diseased that he had to go for Plan B - the next best
choice.

After my initial "poor me" phase, I realized that this was not a bad
thing. Life was going to go on and I could choose to make it a good
life or a miserable one so I opted for the good life. I was free of
pain, bleeding and medications and could lead a normal lifestyle,
although corn and mushrooms, peas and blueberries can cause "minor
technical difficulties" clogging up my drainage catheter so I'm
careful with my intake of those items. I had married only a year
before I became ill and was so glad because I felt I wasn't
very "marketable" - just didn't see myself as attractive. After
several years my marriage ended - other issues, not the ostomy - and
I was reluctant to get into intimate relationships. However, I have
had two wonderful partners since then who have assured me that I am
attractive and desireable to them.

Early on I had attended an ostomy support group a few times but
didn't really find anything there for me. For one, these were
people with conventional ostomies and I have no history or knowledge
of living with appliances. Secondly, I felt that a lot of the
people there had their ostomies as the central focus of their lives -
the ostomies were "managing" them rather than them managing the
ostomies. I prefer not to let this be the focus of my life - I
decided that quite early on. In fact, I have many friends and
acquaintances who have no idea I am an ostomate - there's never been
any real need to tell them. The people I do tell are always amazed,
somehow, that I am healthy and normal. I have never met another
person with a Koch's pouch and would love to compare notes with
someone some day.

The only real annoyance that I have lived with over the years was
having an embarrassing wet patch or stain on my clothing over the
stoma because I could never come up with a dressing that would
absorb the tissue fluid and mucus from the stoma. It took many,
many years to discover bladder/urinary incontinence pads - I just
cut in two and place over gauze dressing on stoma and the absorption
is very good. There probably is something better, somewhere, and
I'd love suggestions but this works.

Guess I've gone on quite long enough. As a writer and storyteller,
I tend to be a bit long. Just wanted to add encouragement to new
people. It has been interesting to look back on 25 years as an
ostomate.

Myrna