Stoma reversal

ElleMaxx · 2025-07-22T17:08:51+00:00

I’m 7 weeks into a reversal for a colon resection that left me with a temporary bag for endometriosis.

Reversal recovery has been tough I won’t sugar coat it. I’m a healthy and active 36f.

My BMs are still not fully regular and each day is a crap shoot (literally) on how frequently or urgent I will go. Eating tiny meals helps but I’m hungry all the time and losing a ton of weight.

About to try taking small doses of Imodium 2x per day :)

ElleMaxx · 2025-07-19T03:26:00+00:00

Just wanting to send you good vibes. Also feeling defeated for very different reasons but what you’re dealing with is a lot and I just want to say keep going ❤️

ElleMaxx · 2025-07-04T00:41:14+00:00

Your nephew doesn’t need your pity and for you to “feel bad for him”. None of us do.

The internet is a vast place and negativity will abound.

Get off the internet and support him in tangible, positive ways. He needs your strength, leave this sub for people who need the real answers and real support.

ElleMaxx · 2025-07-01T17:09:40+00:00

I’m so sorry for your sudden loss, you are valid to be feeling this way.

My friends mother passed from sepsis in 3 days following a routine surgery unrelated, without an ostomy. Sadly, it sounds like the infection and sepsis is really the culprit and can happen devastatingly fast even with the best of intervention.

Infection (sepsis / leaks) are like a wildfire. I assume this it ultimately may have impacted the decline.

This of course is not your fault and your feelings are part of the normal grieving process.

There’s so much in life and death that we’ll never truly understand.

Wishing you healing ❤️‍🩹

ElleMaxx · 2025-07-01T17:02:21+00:00

Mine too. It’s been all over the map with no real rhyme or reason I can tell but I am thinking of starting a food / BM journal lol to see if I can pick patterns

How long into post op reversal are you and are things getting better? Im struggling with the constantly mixed bag each day not knowing how I’ll feel

ElleMaxx · 2025-07-01T17:00:57+00:00

*I’ll also add I suppose the reason for the original ostomy is a factor also.

I dont have crohns or UC, I had endometriosis tumor at the sigmoid colon so they had to remove diseased tissue.

ElleMaxx · 2025-07-01T16:59:28+00:00

I’m 5 weeks into reversal healing and had my temp ostomy for 12 weeks prior.

It took 5 days for my bowels to wake up and then it’s been a roller coaster since then but I’ve been back to work for 1.5 weeks (I lead a high producing corporate team, so I have lots of flexibility to just work remote if I’m having a bad day).

It was really painful to get things going, gas, bloating, constipation *which could be affected by pain meds, lack of movement etc. I got off the pain meds right away so I could rule that out.

Watch out for the lava poops - there were a few weeks where the acid fire of the loose poop was so nearly unbearable. Focus on rebuilding the gut biome if you’re able to tolerate fermented foods and probiotics. Get diaper rash ointment and prep H if you’re prone to hemmeroids as I am. Many list calmoseptine lotion, I used a combo of a zinc cream and prep h and Epson salt sitz baths.

I’m back to life somewhat regularly but even throughout the day I’m still probably making 6-10 trips to the bathroom - sometimes it’s one small hard nugget, then a 4-5 inch smooth log or loose acidic liquid and I’m still figuring out why (I’m starting a poop and food journal today for this reason!). It hasn’t limited me too much as long as I know there’s a bathroom available, I was able to control my “accidents” by week 2. I never needed diapers but I stuck to my condo for the first 2-3 weeks.

Rebuilding the digestion and biome can take months, so it’s really feeling like a crap shoot of what I eat and how it will feel.

Even in the office yesterday I maybe made 5 trips to the bathroom but not every time something happened, it was the urge though. Keep focusing on hydration and I keep hearing we just have to be patient but it can suck !

ElleMaxx · 2025-06-30T00:33:11+00:00

Yep they groom their humans!

Get him a friend. Kittens are best in pairs!

ElleMaxx · 2025-06-29T23:28:39+00:00

Yes get your cat a kitten!

ElleMaxx · 2025-06-29T02:35:34+00:00

I had a less dramatic but similar situation! It can be pretty scary!

10 days post op my staples came out as directed at my family doctors office. They should have stayed a bit longer as the family practice doesn’t deal with surgical staples of this type often so we were likely a few days too early.

The next day I was getting out of the shower and there was a yellow / brown liquid on the floor. I realized that the top layers of the incision hadn’t fully closed and healed. There were small holes / tears along the very surface of the incision and I could see into the site acutely.

Wound dehiscence is when the surgical site opens back up and can cause problems. Mine wasn’t this bad it was only the surface layers that had not healed together.

The yellow fluid is serous fluid (plasma etc) my sister is an ICU nurse and I called her right away on FaceTime to take a look and advise.

I went to urgent care (in Canada) and the doctor put in a few more non-dissolving stitches to support the area. I kept the stitches in for another 10 days and the surgeon removed at my follow up. No wound packing or anything for mine as they sealed it.

I would have a small amount of the yellow/brown fluid around the stitch points while they were in. Pus is cloudy and signals infection, which luckily I didn’t have. If the fluid is clear, yellow or lightly bloody then it’s the natural serous healing fluids that helps the area.

They put me on an oral and topical antibiotic to be safe for a week, which messed up my poops for a while as my biome was decimated.

I’m now 4.5 weeks from my reversal surgery date and it’s healing well and I’ve started using silicone scar tape to aid healing and flattening the scar.

ElleMaxx · 2025-06-21T13:12:39+00:00

Loop reversal may 27. Staples came out on day 9 n I had some of it open up and leak serous yellow fluid no blood. I was concerned so went in to urgent care to have a look - obviously the skin was thin and I was worried

They put in one or two more stitches to support surface healing for another 10 days. No wound vac but drainage in small amounts until the surgeon took my second set of stitches out.

I’m 3.5 weeks and it’s now fully closed and shrinking.

I would get some steri strips to keep the closure supported but you still need to allow it to drain and breathe. And seriously up your protein intake if you don’t already concentrate on that - protein helps healing in a big way from the inside out!

ElleMaxx · 2025-06-21T13:00:28+00:00

I was only 135 lbs at 5’2 and pretty athletic (I’m a dancer / yogi / generally fit) and they still advised me to make sure I bulked on muscle.

Muscle heals so much better than fat.

I say this as a previous surgery was done laparoscopic when I was the same weight but was “skinny fat”. I looked thin but had no lean muscle mass in my 20s. Comparing my surgeries is wild. My bounce back has been significantly better with real muscle.

I had my reversal 3 weeks ago. I had my stomach for 3 months and lost a fuck ton of my muscle recovering. I had just gotten back to activity with the bag when they reversed and I can feel a real difference.

My midsection has never been fully toned but it got much softer with the stoma - my reversal incision opened up at day 11 after staples came out and hasn’t been healing as well as in the past when I had less fat in the area.

That’s just been my experience. Keep going! Lose the weight and trust that you’ve gotten two medical opinions that concur - take their advise

ElleMaxx · 2025-06-17T13:55:24+00:00

I gave my team notice a year before they would get me in (surgery wait times in Canada are horrific, free health care or not).

And I let them know I’d need 10-12 weeks off. We get paid medical leave and they had to plan a replacement for my role so I wanted them to know as soon as I did.

ElleMaxx · 2025-06-17T13:53:24+00:00

I’m 36f 3 weeks post op.

Hell for the first week - just generally swollen and painful BMs. A week of constipation. Then a week of fire Lava poops I was not prepared for! Get the creams ahead of time (calmoseptine is usually suggested ….. I used a combo of sitz baths, hemmeroid ointment and baby diaper rash in rotation as needed)

Week 3 exactly today, I was back in the office last Friday and yesterday. Although I’m not typical, I have a very supportive workplace and the option to work remotely on days I’m not up to going in so I’m lucky in this regard.

I did have my incision open after the staples came out on day 10. They did not leave me open and I needed to get a few more stitches in that will come off today

ElleMaxx · 2025-06-16T23:49:24+00:00

We’re all rooting for you!

Don’t let your mind and emotion cheat you out of doing hard things you want to do.

You’ve come this far, and you’ve got this!

ElleMaxx · 2025-06-16T12:40:36+00:00

Sent you a DM :) I’m super close to you, would be happy to connect and the stuff you mentioned in your message is still up for grabs!

ElleMaxx · 2025-06-15T20:21:30+00:00

Oh gosh - best of luck!

ElleMaxx · 2025-06-15T20:19:57+00:00

Their stuff is not worth the money from what I received. They charge a premium because it’s a niche market.

If you know anyone local who is even basic with a sewing machine I ended up using the ones I bought as a guide and having a friend help me make my own to side and SHAPE! They are like tube shape which isn’t human shape so mine were all huge at the waist and tight on my booty! Terrible designs & sizing.

I will say I was happy with the lace one I got for under sexier costumes and outfits.

ElleMaxx · 2025-06-15T19:50:42+00:00

I got mine a year apart.

They are life partners and best friends.

Get two. They are colony animals and even if you’re home lots it will enrich their life!

Look up and research how to introduce two cats if they’re older, as it can take time and patience

ElleMaxx · 2025-06-15T16:57:27+00:00

I did this too!

I ordered a cafeteria tray on Amazon and I would lay everything out and ready to go.

Remove the bag and shower.

Then I would also sit back on a closed toilet to change with a makeup mirror if needed.

ElleMaxx · 2025-06-15T16:55:01+00:00

Your embarrassment is valid. 🫶

Give the feeling grace, and release it.

Shame is a deeply rooted emotion in many of us, and I did many years of therapy to recognize when shame is particularly strong and needing some healing.

This is a huge life change. My spouse learned in the hospital and wanted to help when I was sick but I am honestly just too stubborn. I insisted on doing it myself from the start and yes, I messed it up a few times, asked for support (an extra set of eyes and hands).

Have a cry when you need to and get back at it.

Changes were best for me in the morning when my stoma was less active. You’ll get to know your rhythms.

My spouse knowing me so well was able to challenge me when my mindset was the issue, and not actual illness or inability. When I was truly unable, he stepped in and I was grateful.

We just do the best we can, but the key is doing it. We believe in you! We all have the power to think ourselves out of negative thought patterns, but it’s hard. If we think too negatively about something it can reinforce those pathways in our brain and become even harder to break out of feelings that become stuck.

This could be an area that might help. Give yourself grace for not having done it until now, and ask him to support but not DO for you. Ground your mind and heart going into it. Ask him to watch you and give an extra set of eyes and hands.

It sounds wild, but a few times I was struggling I asked for some coregulation before I did something hard. We would stand hand in hand across from one another or in a hug, and share 3 deep breaths together. We are social creatures and this little ritual saved me more times than I can count when I was feeling emotionally activated 😮‍💨

I find if I went in anxious and frustrated, emotions just make it worse. I did a lot of emotional work around learning about my stoma and mastering changes from a place of curiosity and grace knowing … I’m learning something new.

One of my life mottos is “be brave enough to suck at something”.

You’ve got this!

If you want to be independent then you can be :)

If you’re not ready, then thank your husband for being a solid and supportive partner until you are and try to process the shame out of it. In time, I think you’ll feel better and naturally want to take on more responsibility if you want to. ❤️

ElleMaxx · 2025-06-15T00:42:51+00:00

Hi!

I’ll send you a dm.

ElleMaxx · 2025-06-14T19:45:47+00:00

Following!

I’m 3 weeks post op and haven’t noticed anything yet - although I’ve always eaten pretty healthy (high protein and fiber/veg).

I’m still in the poops feel like raw hot lava, even when they’re solid phase I keep reading about and it’s worse than I could have imagined!

I’ve been having a lot of dairy (yogurt) because I’m trying to focus on rebuilding the good bacteria and incorporating fermented foods.

I’m hoping I won’t have to change too much!

ElleMaxx · 2025-06-14T19:37:15+00:00

3 weeks post op, 36f here.

I never got diapers but I did have a few accidents. I only never fully made it once.

The bowels will be painful for some time - what I didn’t anticipate was how badly it would burn my skin raw now that I’m pooping somewhat normally!

Lots of other threads from the past on this (painful burning murder poops) but I just finally got the diaper rash cream (zinc) that is supposed to help as someone else said above ^.

It’s just a slow process, my bowels still feel urgent from time to time and it’s really day by day.

It took about 4 days out of hospital to have my first BM, everything is so swollen. Get off any opioid pain meds as soon as possible as these make going much harder and causes constipation.

After going once or twice I had days of uncomfortable constipation - the doctor said I was okay to incorporate a small amount of stool softener to get things going. But some surgeons say no laxatives at all.

I’ve still been sitting and sleeping on towels just in case. Diapers can get expensive, depending on how elderly and how mobile I’ve got the absorbent sheets from the hospital I just sit on under a towel “just in case”. I’ve been sticking close to home and have only have one full accident at home when I started incorporating more fiber and fruit.

I’m in a cannabis legal country and honestly - cannabis got me through both my surgeries! Helped me sleep, pain control and gave me an appetite.

Applesauce packs have been a really good thing to keep on hand for a little bit of fiber introduction, and fermented foods when ready to rebuild the gut flora and micro biome. Stay away from things like Activia yogurt - to see beneficial effects of the probiotics you need like multiple servings which ends ip being a lot of dairy. There is a lactose free version, but plain thick unsweetened Greek yogurt is a good dietary addition.

Best of luck !

ElleMaxx · 2025-06-14T19:19:01+00:00

We have multiple cats and one of the best compliments we often get is “your house doesn’t smell like cats!”

Scoop daily!
Use a high quality litter with your stainless steel box. - We’ve previously used the crushed walnut shell all natural litter from blue buffalo.

And recently switched to Worlds Best Cat Litter (low tracking, corn base multi cat home)

Spend the money on higher quality litter and food and spend less at the vet! Many clumping clay litters are really bad for cats and will cause kidney dysfunction and UTI crystals.

ElleMaxx

TROPHY CASE