Thanks for your response and tips...I'm definitely not enabling her and she is
suffering the consequences. She says she wants to find solutions, but doesn't
want to talk to people about it- also not sure why she hasn't gone for the
2-piece appliance. I don't think she's old, but she has mentioned that she is
having trouble dealing with it since she got it so late in life- also, she
didn't; know she was going to get one until she woke up from the operation....
Is there a particular brand you would recommend?

Appreciatively,
Diana

vctry06cocr <no_reply@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Diana
About traveling without bathroom facilities. I go camping with my
family and deal with an ostomy. I am a 55 year old scout leader. I
use a two part disposable system and that is great for any gas
problems because you can easily open it a little to let gas escape.
To dispose of the used bag I simply place it inside a zip-lock style
plastic sandwich bag. I then wrap a piece of paper towel around the
sandwich bag. I then place the item in a brown paper sandwich bag
that can easily be dropped into any garbage container without
drawing any attention. This method works well in hotels as well and
prevents any odor from the used item. I pre-wrap my pouches by
putting each one inside a sandwich bag with a folded paper towel
sheet inside before I leave home. I also carry a small box of
disposable baby wipes and liquid hand sanitizer for any clean-up
that is needed. All of this fits easily in a fanny pack for camping
or hiking.

As for your mom being afraid that the bag will explode again. Well,
that happened to me just once and I learned quickly to change to a
two piece system. You might buy a book for your mom called "Who
Moved my Cheese". The book deals with changes in life and how we
choose to adapt to them or not. She won't adapt if you enable her
by feeling sorry for her or by preventing her from suffering the
consequences of staying with her one piece system. Offer to help
her order a two piece system or tell her she will have to deal with
the consequences on her own and miss out on life...it is her truly
her choice. None of us can change what has happened to us. We can
only choose how we react to the change. I have tried to set a good
example for my teenagers...maybe she could consider doing the same
for you. She isn't a baby...don't treat her like one...and she
isn't that old either!

There is a philosophy in life that I try to adhere to....To want
what I have, to take what is given with grace....
best regards,
Leah




--- In peopleswithostomy2@yahoogroups.com, Diana Russell
<russresearcher@y...> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Please bear with this rambling message. My mom, in her late 60's,
has had a colostomy since 7/03 and has not come to accept it. I know
it is an individual thing as to how long it takes someone to process
such a life change, but I'm hoping I can help her with some
questions. First, she doesn't have a computer, so it's not likely
she would ever join this listserv. Second, she's a very private
person and not much of a joiner to begin with, especially in this
situation, though she has subscribed to a newsletter that contains
information.
>
> The main issue that plagues her daily is an excessive amount of
gas. I know gas is an issue for all ostomates, but hers has not
improved with ANY of the OTC (Maalox, bean-o, Gas-x) or even
prescription medicines her doctor gave her (unfortunately, I don't
know the names of the latter at this point). She has tried not
eating certain foods, but no matter what she eats....tons of gas.
And, for some reason, she doesn't want the bag with a release valve
(can anyone describe the pros and cons of this so I can understand
her point of view?) She has had at least 2 instances where the bag
exploded, one of them in a store, the other in the car. She has been
scarred by this and, as a result, will not eat before going to a
movie, for example (though she normally eats frequently...I read
that skipping meals can cause gas). Afterwards, they go to a
restaurant and she wants to go home immediately afterwards. This is
a quality of life issue that I hope she can overcome even a little
in the future.
>
> The other question is in regards to travelling in a car long
distances where there are no bathroom facilities available. Is this
a situation that can be overcome easily or is it just as well she
not make such a trip? She doesn't want to be off in the woods
somewhere dealing with the bag.
>
> Thanks, in advance,
> Diana
>
> __________________________________________________
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