Crazy Iliostomy bag!!!

just4Brooks
just4Brooks Member Posts: 980 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I just though you guys who have a Iliostomy or Colostomy might get a laugh out of this. If I don’t laugh I’d cry. Well it all started last night around 7:30pm when my wife’s mother (Mom) made a plate full of fresh Asparagus. Now I don’t know about you, fresh steamed Asparagus is as close to heaven a guy can get and they looked so good!! Now I KNOW that it can cause some gas problems and at some point after eating my 8th or 9th one OKAY MORE LIKE 11 or 12th a little light in my head should have came on and said. “DUDE, YOU HAVE A ILIOSTOMY BAG… WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?” But no.. It didn’t come on until 4 hours later when I was sleeping in my nice warm bed with a iliostomy bag now blown up to twice the size of a Disney Land balloon and leaking!!! Well being the kind person I am and trying very hard not to wake my wife up. I yell OMG TAMMY (That’s my wife). I never seen two people move so fast out of a dead sleep before in my life and remember one of then has a half on half off iliostomy bag twice the size of a Disney Land balloon dangling from his stomach . I only hope that we can move that fast during a fire. It truly had to be a sight to be seen!!! LOL. I jump into the shower and slowly begin peeling off the bag while firmly holding onto the shower handle so I don’t go flying around the room under the air pressure. After 30mins we get everything changed. The bag, the Bed, Pillows, Blankets. You have know idea how air pressure can make “well you know” fly but I would bet if would be about the same as it hitting a fan!!!. The rest of the night went okay. I was just up most the night burping my bag every 3 minutes.


Life is funny sometimes

Brooks

Comments

  • Annabelle41415
    Annabelle41415 Member Posts: 6,742 Member
    I can relate
    Mine usually fills up with air in the middle of the night. It's surprising how you automatically (without knowing it) feel to see if it needs emptying or burping. I will wake up out of a sound sleep if I feel it's full. Glad you got it all taken care of :)

    Kim
  • StacyGleaso
    StacyGleaso Member Posts: 1,233 Member
    Laughter
    I laughed with you at this story! After a certain point, you just have to laugh. I remember the various ordeals I had with mine. What is even weirder is that when I had it reversed, I actually kinda missed it...but that feeling passed as does everything...(no pun intended! lol)

    May you have smooth sailing ahead!

    Stacy
  • coloCan
    coloCan Member Posts: 1,944 Member
    Should've hooked it up to a sailboat
    and sailed half-way around the world for free. I guess I've been lucky so far that my bag hasn't exploded too when its filled with air, Since i usually sleep between 30 and 90 minutes at a clip,I often get up to unclip closure to release air and flatten bag. Hope all else is well(Good thing you're so big.....otherwise the inflated bag might take you way up in the air)
    Steve
  • cyndi2324
    cyndi2324 Member Posts: 72
    Been there too. I love
    Been there too. I love Asparagus also I just can't eat very much of it. I almost exploded my bag eating Mexican food. It is funny to wake up in the night with a giant balloon on your stomach. luckily I was able to just burp it through the night.
    Thanks for sharing I got a laugh.
    Cyndi
  • Buzzard
    Buzzard Member Posts: 3,043 Member
    cyndi2324 said:

    Been there too. I love
    Been there too. I love Asparagus also I just can't eat very much of it. I almost exploded my bag eating Mexican food. It is funny to wake up in the night with a giant balloon on your stomach. luckily I was able to just burp it through the night.
    Thanks for sharing I got a laugh.
    Cyndi

    I wasn't so lucky......hehe
    Looked like I had a hula hoop on when I woke up.....They sell the bags with vents but as you sleep the vents clog up or you either pass so much gas it doesn't have time to filter it all before its "BOOM" time.......I told my wife twice in the middle of the night to get up and brush her teeth because her breath was awful, until I awaken completely and was told that it wasn't her breath. uummm, ok ...guess it wasn't after all......
  • karguy
    karguy Member Posts: 1,020 Member
    Been there
    I have a colostomy bag,and I've had that happen a couple of times,once when the bag was full of gas it flew off as i sat up.You will get used to checking it after a while.Mine have filters ,but they get plugged all the time,good luck.
  • KFen725
    KFen725 Member Posts: 108 Member
    Best medicine
    Laughter sure is the best medicine sometimes!

    Kelly
  • nudgie
    nudgie Member Posts: 1,478 Member
    I have been
    there with the blown up colostomy bag and been shopping when it came loose. I never know how much gas veggies can give one person :)
  • Shayenne
    Shayenne Member Posts: 2,342
    nudgie said:

    I have been
    there with the blown up colostomy bag and been shopping when it came loose. I never know how much gas veggies can give one person :)

    So Funny....
    It's so good to know I'm not the only one with these bag problems, thanks for the laugh Brooks, you crack me up LOL

    Hugsss!
    ~Donna
  • luv3jay
    luv3jay Member Posts: 533 Member
    I escaped the fate of having
    I escaped the fate of having a bag, so I can't really relate to the story, but I sure did get a good laugh just now! I do remember a time or two when I thought I had to pass gas but something "different" came out and sent me flying to the bathroom! YUCK!! Glad you can laugh about it! (poor Tammy! :-) )

    -Sheri
  • minibull
    minibull Member Posts: 56 Member
    OMG
    I can't relate but I had a good laugh, one of the few I've had since I was dx'ed. Sounded like it could have been a good Comedy Hour skit! Life really is funny sometimes.

    Laureen
  • snommintj
    snommintj Member Posts: 601
    minibull said:

    OMG
    I can't relate but I had a good laugh, one of the few I've had since I was dx'ed. Sounded like it could have been a good Comedy Hour skit! Life really is funny sometimes.

    Laureen

    Gassy?
    Everything I love gives me gas. Broccoli, cabbage, asparagus, sweet potato, spinach, and half a dozen other things. I started having problems with my bag right away. I fixed the problem. I left my bag open at night. I stuffed a cotton rag into the opening and then put on a really good rubber band to secure it. Gauze and cotton balls works too, but not as good. I seldom had leakage, only when things were at their runniest. Try it, it makes sleeping a ton easier.
  • VickiCO
    VickiCO Member Posts: 917
    Thanks for the laugh!
    I am leaving in 1 hour to prep for my colostomy, so your timing is impeccable! LOL! My daughter & family took us out to dinner Sunday (my last solid food before surgery!) and I ordered asparagus. My 10 yr old grandson leaned over and whispered "Gama, that will give you gas. Try to be quiet about it." I had to laugh. Wait until he hears my bag noises!

    Hugs, Vicki
  • amyboston
    amyboston Member Posts: 91
    Beano
    I love asparagus, does beano work?

    Blessings,
    Amy
  • P_I_T_A
    P_I_T_A Member Posts: 133
    Too funny!
    Sorry you had to go through all that, but reading the post this morning sure did get my day day started off right. I guess we know now it's not all the pasture cows thats causing the depletion of the ozone layer? Finally, we have the answer, asparagus and bags!

    -DJ
  • pluckey
    pluckey Member Posts: 484 Member
    Hilarious
    I had several bag blow-out stories too. This just reminded me how gross, funny and out fo control some things are!

    I always woke up out of a dead sleep when my bag inflated in the middle of the night...dead-man walking/running to the bathroom!
  • Shayenne
    Shayenne Member Posts: 2,342
    pluckey said:

    Hilarious
    I had several bag blow-out stories too. This just reminded me how gross, funny and out fo control some things are!

    I always woke up out of a dead sleep when my bag inflated in the middle of the night...dead-man walking/running to the bathroom!

    That
    Just cracked me out pluckey, and actually, I've tried Beano before, and it does not work for me. You have to take it BEFORE you eat anything, and I've tried, but nope, I still get the balloon!

    What was embarrassing was yesterday, my daughter Shana and I were at a Verizon store, where I was getting new cell phones, and my nagging nellie started to go off!! the noises she was making was horrible, and I tried putting my arm over her, and the salesman was just cracking up, my daughter was just giggling away, but this is actually the first time I had a public outing of Nellie LOL!! I was soooo humiliated, and she wouldn't stop, even putting my arm over her, I had to walk outside for a bit, and apologize to the salesman, I was mortified LOL..

    Hugsss!
    ~Donna