I'm 24 Years young and have a Permanent Colostomy (AKA i poop in a bag) AMA!

Does it make dating difficult? How do you go about telling a guy that you've got a bag full of poopy?

I wouldn't know, Luckily enough my boyfriend has been with me for 6 years so he fully supported me getting it. He has been super amazing about it and i am really lucky to have him! I do think about the dating thing and it WOULD be quite embarrassing... especially when you can't control your .. gas.. especially in intimate moments!!!

Because of the absence of your small and part of your large intestines, how long does it typicaly take for you to pass a meal or something you ate out of your system?

Because of the crohn's disease it can be quite random (If i eat say Brie cheese i won't pass anything for several days unless i use laxatives! It bungs me up really bad.), but usually its around 4 or 5 hours? have to eat quite early at night e.g. 5.30 - 6.30ish - just so i don't have to stay up all night emptying my bag. :)

Thanks for answering. Now i know :)

No problem! It is different for everyone though :)

so, how did it feel to pretty much post your new butthole on reddit?

what did they do with the old butthole?

It felt good :) my old butthole is in a fridge in formaldehyde at the rents house

Is your actual butthole sewed up? Is there a chance of reconnection?

My butthole is gone. In formaldehyde in my parents fridge (dad wants to find a cool jar for it) with the rest of my guts from surgery. They sewed it up so it is basically like a barbie butt. Just a crack.

How security personnel in an airport react on this?

Never had any problems. I also got a medical note from drs just in case. I have heard of horror stories of people having to take thier bags off for cavity searches... ahh

Do your friends know about it? What was their reaction when they heard about it? Do they treat you differently?

Yes they do! I am really open with it. Everyone who knew me around my time of surgery (3 years ago) Knows all about it. But new friends, i don't really go out of the way to tell them but i am not ashamed of it so i will tell them if it is bothering me. No one treats me differently, because i am no different (I Just feel better!)

Oh as far as their reaction to it, I guess they felt sorry for me. But i am pretty positive about it so that probably wore off quick :P

you ever put a finger in there whats it feel like? how do guys react when you get down to sexy times?

Haha, I have it just feels sguidgy... it doesn't really feel at all. Except when i first got it it was really ticklish when i touched it! lol!

Your Chrone's must have been very bad to warrant a bag at 24? How had life changed for you in a positive way since the surgery? Less pain? has it been worth it?

Yeah it was quite severe and i had fistulas which are horrible little tracks that burrow out from the bowel to the skin. I had had many surgerys to correct them but this was really the last option. My life has changed in the way that i actually have a life now. I can do a lot more. Ive been in remission for the longest period i can remember before i was 13. Sometimes i get angry and sad cause i get pain around the skin of the stoma from pressure but i would take that any day over the debilitating effects of severe crohns disease.

I'm off to bed now but ask away and i will answer in my morning (In 9 hours or so) :D

What's been the hardest thing to adjust to since you had the surgery? And one more question, not quite sure how to word this but I'll do my best... What is an awkward moment that you look back on and laugh about now, where your colostomy bag made loud noises at an inappropriate time?

Oh i just remembered a recent embarrassing moment, at my boyfriends parents house we were there for dinner and my stoma went off like a foghorn, it was very embarrassing! :P

The hardest thing... has been not being able to control my farts! Also, i get really gross pain sometimes and the only way really of describing it is that it is like having your guts pulled through and attached to your tummy! (its more from not finding the right bag, and possibly crohns - this isn't a normal thing as far as i know ). As for embarrassing fart stories, i can give you a thousand. i have found that just ignoring it is the best thing.... if the person doesn't know you they may think its a violent tummy gurgle but it sounds just like a fart to me! It is very annoying (ESPECIALLY AT THE MOVIES!!!) .

Could I ask... Is anal sex possible? Or just a bad idea..

Its impossible as i dont have an anus :p

Hi :) although it seems like the bag can be awkward, would you say your life has improved since deciding to have it? Do you still have any pain in your stomach? Thank you for sharing :)

Hey! Heck yes it has improved. I do still get occasional crohns pains but nothing longer than a usually :) the stoma pain has been a big issue lately (i cant basically do bugger all like walking without being in pain from it) but its slowly improving with different bags :) still better than when i didnt have a bag!

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I don't see why it should be NSFW? It is a part of my every day life and i talk to people and friends about it all the time. Also i can't take another pic of it because i have a bag on at the mo but i can tomorrow night (That photo is an older photo i had on my comp - i am new to the whole reddit thing :) )

I'm sorry if that came across as insensitive. NSFW doesn't mean it's something unnatural nor something to be ashamed of. Just to warn people at work that it's a semi-naked pic. I was a bit caught off guard I think because proof pics are usually some dude with a silly face and a sign with their name on it. This pic probably doesn't warrant a NSFW tag, but I wasn't sure.

Oh thats fine ! Its always hard to tell what people mean by typing :)