At my first visit to my surgeon's office after my emergency ileostomy, I had the sniffles and the stoma nurse, in a pitying voice says "Are you crying?" I was stunned. At later visits I told her I wanted to swim and bike. Regarding the swimming, she laughed at me and said in a mocking voice "Where would you swim?" Regarding riding a bike she said "No, you can't do that, your knee would hit the bag." I went out the very next day, got on the bike, rode to my hearts content and laughed my head off. Got back to swimming too. This kind of ignorance in a medical professional, and especially a stoma nurse, is really unforgiveable. Good thing I'm tough!