If you want a good ahhhh cancer you still haunt me laugh

Helen321
Helen321 Member Posts: 1,460 Member
edited November 2015 in Colorectal Cancer #1

So I have a permanent ostomy and I had a serious "explosion" at work.  It's a big office, 18 floors.  I ran up one floor and used the bathroom there because it is private and has a sink and shower.  I quietly went up the back steps, got in, washed everything, slipped back out and was back at my desk without anyone knowing.  Picture rancid diarrhea and that pretty much sums up an ostomy smell during a blowout.   There are no windows here, we're on the 40th floor. So all of the sudden I'm back at my desk for 5 minutes or so and one of the other secretaries comes by and says OH MY GOSH the smell coming down from 40 is terrible, can you smell it.  I said "no I don't smell anything".  She said "I can't figure out what the smell is.  It's a burn smell or a chemical smell or something, it's coming down the stairs, it's so strong".  I thought "that my dear is sh*t" lol but I just said "no weird, I can't smell it" (thankfully I really couldn't).  I had to laugh.  I'm never going to tell anyone here because then they'll always know it's me.  I'll just use bathrooms on different floors whenever I have a blowout.  I feel really sorry for these people.  I ate about 6 apples in the last few days, just couldn't help myself.  Boy the price they're paying for my apple eating.  lol

Comments

  • jen2012
    jen2012 Member Posts: 1,607 Member
    #2
    Oh no!!!  At least you were

    Oh no!!!  At least you were prepared and good thought to go to a different floor :)  

  • Helen321
    Helen321 Member Posts: 1,460 Member
    #3
    jen2012 said:

    Oh no!!!  At least you were

    Oh no!!!  At least you were prepared and good thought to go to a different floor :)  

    Well there's not private

    Well there's not private bathroom on this floor so my friends on this floor should consider themselves lucky!  lol  It's not the first blowout at work but when she said "it smells like a chemical burn" I just had to laugh.  I happen to be sitting by the steps today so I was the first one she saw to bring it up to!

  • lp1964
    lp1964 Member Posts: 1,239 Member
    #4
    Dear Helen,

    I had a couple of episodes like that. Last summer in Europe i left all my supplies on the train 4 days before my return. I started imagining a scenario like your on the 10 hour flight back, Fortunatelly a small country hospital helped me out and I still use the kind of pouches they gave me, because I like them better. 

    As you know I do cleansing with Milk of Magnesia every 4 days so besides the avalanches during the cleansing I don't have any output. I also wear my pouch sideways this way I can utilize the whole capacity and I can let the gas out on the side if I have to. Life is easier this way. 

    Mum sorry that you had to experience such events. But you know what? These things make you stronger and not to give a damn about other people little pitty problems. 

    We have a job to do here: SURVIVE!

    Take care,

    Laz

  • jen2012
    jen2012 Member Posts: 1,607 Member
    #5
    Helen321 said:

    Well there's not private

    Well there's not private bathroom on this floor so my friends on this floor should consider themselves lucky!  lol  It's not the first blowout at work but when she said "it smells like a chemical burn" I just had to laugh.  I happen to be sitting by the steps today so I was the first one she saw to bring it up to!

    You know what is awesome for

    You know what is awesome for quicking covering up the smell?  Peppermint oil.  When my husband first got his ostomy and had several issues in the hospital, thats what they used.  You know the smell got stuck in the room and he was unfortunate enough to get stuck with a not so sensitive roommate that didn't care for the smell...as if the  situation doesn't suck enough, he needed someone complaining... Anyhow, the nurses would bring in peppermint oil and dab some on some cotton balls and leave here and there.  You can probably find it in a small spray bottle you can carry with you.  Then people will just think you have very powerful gum!!

     

    You have an awesome sense of humor about things.  Good for you for not letting it get you down!

  • John23
    John23 Member Posts: 2,122 Member
    #6
    Hmmm....

    Re:

    “….I also wear my pouch sideways this way I can utilize the whole capacity…..”

    Every manufacturer of every pouch made provides the same instructions:

    “Empty the pouch when it is no more than 1/3 full”

    They do not say that to sell more appliances, since the longer use we can get from one provides better insurance for return sales of that specific item (and likely all other items offered by that company).

    I have had a “high output Ileostomy” since 2006, and a “short bowel/high output Ileostomy” since 2010. I rarely, if ever, suffered a “blow-out, in spite of the extremely highly acidic and 99% liquid output of these types of ostomies….. All I do is follow the manufacturer’s instructions, and I strongly encourage any/all ostomates to do the same.

    Do NOT accept any company’s telephone representative’s information as fact; they are base-line employees, often misinformed and opinionated. Written, typed and printed text originated by those that were directly responsible for that product’s development should be considered as factual.

    You’ll find information that may be of help on my “blog” here.

    There are reasons for “blow outs”, and simply following the manufacturer’s instructions can help prevent the failures of the product.

    Be well.

    John23

     

  • Coppercent
    Coppercent Member Posts: 158
    #7
    Love your positive attitude!!

    You have a great attitude and laughter is the best medicine. Love her description of the smell.  Thanks for sharing your story!  

  • Helen321
    Helen321 Member Posts: 1,460 Member
    #8
    jen2012 said:

    You know what is awesome for

    You know what is awesome for quicking covering up the smell?  Peppermint oil.  When my husband first got his ostomy and had several issues in the hospital, thats what they used.  You know the smell got stuck in the room and he was unfortunate enough to get stuck with a not so sensitive roommate that didn't care for the smell...as if the  situation doesn't suck enough, he needed someone complaining... Anyhow, the nurses would bring in peppermint oil and dab some on some cotton balls and leave here and there.  You can probably find it in a small spray bottle you can carry with you.  Then people will just think you have very powerful gum!!

     

    You have an awesome sense of humor about things.  Good for you for not letting it get you down!

    Thanks!  I was thinking maybe

    Thanks!  I was thinking maybe a candle or a few matches but I'll try the pepperment oil! I'm sure my kids will appreciate not having to smell it all the time either and me too at times.  It does get me down sometimes, more often than I'd like but days like that just crack me up.  Her face was classic.

  • Helen321
    Helen321 Member Posts: 1,460 Member
    #9
    John23 said:

    Hmmm....

    Re:

    “….I also wear my pouch sideways this way I can utilize the whole capacity…..”

    Every manufacturer of every pouch made provides the same instructions:

    “Empty the pouch when it is no more than 1/3 full”

    They do not say that to sell more appliances, since the longer use we can get from one provides better insurance for return sales of that specific item (and likely all other items offered by that company).

    I have had a “high output Ileostomy” since 2006, and a “short bowel/high output Ileostomy” since 2010. I rarely, if ever, suffered a “blow-out, in spite of the extremely highly acidic and 99% liquid output of these types of ostomies….. All I do is follow the manufacturer’s instructions, and I strongly encourage any/all ostomates to do the same.

    Do NOT accept any company’s telephone representative’s information as fact; they are base-line employees, often misinformed and opinionated. Written, typed and printed text originated by those that were directly responsible for that product’s development should be considered as factual.

    You’ll find information that may be of help on my “blog” here.

    There are reasons for “blow outs”, and simply following the manufacturer’s instructions can help prevent the failures of the product.

    Be well.

    John23

     

    I have a colostomy.  It has a

    I have a colostomy.  It has a different kind of output.  Blowouts are very common because it is made for solid content and sometimes it's a sudden heavy, unexpected liquid.  Blowouts are very common with colostomies and to be expected as a part of life.  Not a big part of life, but a part of life.  It happens whenever we eat too much fiber like 6 apples.  It wasn't the instructions I didn't follow, it was the food rules.

  • JanJan63
    JanJan63 Member Posts: 2,478 Member
    #10
    Aw Helen, I'm sorry you have

    Aw Helen, I'm sorry you have to live with that worry. But it sounds like you have a good story for at least one incident. I have a loop illeostomy. I rarely have incidents (knock on wood) but I worry about it all the time at work and anytime I'm out. I use the little stickies that come with it to cover the so-called vent. I find that it does not let the air out but it can leak and it can make me smell like someone's baby with a dirty diaper.

  • Helen321
    Helen321 Member Posts: 1,460 Member
    #11
    JanJan63 said:

    Aw Helen, I'm sorry you have

    Aw Helen, I'm sorry you have to live with that worry. But it sounds like you have a good story for at least one incident. I have a loop illeostomy. I rarely have incidents (knock on wood) but I worry about it all the time at work and anytime I'm out. I use the little stickies that come with it to cover the so-called vent. I find that it does not let the air out but it can leak and it can make me smell like someone's baby with a dirty diaper.

    I use a two piece so it only

    I use a two piece so it only smells if I open the bag, I rarely open it at work but when solid becomes liquid it's like niagara falls and montezuma's revenge all in one.  lol

  • nkeelty
    nkeelty Member Posts: 18 Member
    #12
    Helen321 said:

    I use a two piece so it only

    I use a two piece so it only smells if I open the bag, I rarely open it at work but when solid becomes liquid it's like niagara falls and montezuma's revenge all in one.  lol

    First blow out

    My first blow out happened at a restaurant....lucky fo rme and my group it was on the way out. I ran back in the ladies room did what I had to do and hoped the other patrons were not to close to the ladies room. Some things you just can not control. My one thought on the way out was...they were overpriced anyway!

  • UncleBuddy
    UncleBuddy Member Posts: 1,019 Member
    #13
    OMG, I love your sense of humor!

    You are just too funny. My brother doesn't have an ostomy or colostomy but has accidents. he uses the depends.

    I like the peppermint oil suggestion. people on this site are just amazing. Such great suggestions.

    Thank you for the chuckle, it was a tough day, so I needed that.

    Lin

  • Helen321
    Helen321 Member Posts: 1,460 Member
    #14
    nkeelty said:

    First blow out

    My first blow out happened at a restaurant....lucky fo rme and my group it was on the way out. I ran back in the ladies room did what I had to do and hoped the other patrons were not to close to the ladies room. Some things you just can not control. My one thought on the way out was...they were overpriced anyway!

    Hahahaha That's

    Hahahaha That's great!!!!!!!!  You handled that like a champ, I'm not sure if I could.  So far I've been lucky.

  • Helen321
    Helen321 Member Posts: 1,460 Member
    #15
    UncleBuddy said:

    OMG, I love your sense of humor!

    You are just too funny. My brother doesn't have an ostomy or colostomy but has accidents. he uses the depends.

    I like the peppermint oil suggestion. people on this site are just amazing. Such great suggestions.

    Thank you for the chuckle, it was a tough day, so I needed that.

    Lin

    I am ordering peppermint oil

    I am ordering peppermint oil too=)  It's worth a try.  That and smelly candles. Matches work pretty great too but you still need a scent.

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