In my case I did opt for the colostomy. Of course had I been well I wouldn't have but I wasn't. Many people think that having an ostomy would be the end of the world. For many people the psychological aspects of having one are the biggest problem. For many people it can also come as a shock. They may have an illness that will literally kill them if they don't have surgery and they may find out they are going to get an ostomy very suddenly.
In my case I had done research for years. It usually also takes a long time before you get to the point where surgery is offered. Here at least the wait for surgery and other procedures can be pretty long and they always want you to have tried less invasive treatments first. My IBS was controlled pretty well most of the time with loperamide and my watching what I ate and I had done supplements and hypnotherapy et.c. so there wasn't really anything else to try for the IBS. When it came to the nerve damages I have and the resulting weakened sphincter control I underwent biofeedback training first. When that didn't help enough I was offered a procedure where they put in a pacemaker that stimulates the nerves in the sacrum but the wait for that was really long and neither the surgeon nor I believed it would work well enough in my case. So then I decided to go for the colostomy. By that time I had sort of seriously wanted the colostomy for about a year or so. From the time I started the testing at the surgery department to the time I had the colostomy surgery there was a time period of two years. So I certainly had time to think it through.
I have no psychological issues with the colostomy at all. I don't feel less attractive or anything. For me it certainly hasn't been the end of the world. More like the beginning. It is such a relief not to have to worry about BM when you're out and about.
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Re: Nice to see you, Ulrika!!
It is such a relief not to have to worry about BM when you're out and about.
