Oh the pong!

Hi P22

i am sorry I cannot help you with this but have read that some foods can cause more odour than others. Hopefully someone on here are able to advise or maybe colostomy UK can help? Good Luck

Julie

P22

I totally understand how you feel but please remember is that the smell that comes from the bag is exactly the same as when you go to the loo in the toilet bowl.  You are probably as I was in the beginning, I was so aware (I am four months from having a stoma) I was spraying like mad with an ordinary air freshener.  And now I don't even think about it.  It really came home to me a couple of weeks ago, I broke my right wrist (and I am right-handed) travelling home from Spain, and I couldn't even change my bag on my own.  My husband didn't even bat an eyelid, he just helped me through the procedure and that was it. 

The way I think of it is your body waste comes out of a different place, that's all.  And (in my experience a long time ago) my boyfriends never held back from grabbing my bottom near to where it used to exit!  You are just as feminine as you always were.

Irene xx

Hi P22 

I never use air freshener but I do use Fabulosa loo spray. It’s small enough to pop in your bag to use when you’re out, smells lovely and a few sprays at the loo is enough!

Sarah xx

Oh Irene what a pain! I remember when I broke my wrist a week before flying out to Tenerife and we had rented a beautiful apartment overlooking the harbour for six weeks! They put it in plaster but had to split and tape it due to the prospect of it swelling whilst flying. But what a nuisance it was being away from home and having to arrange for it to be taken off in Spain due to the six weeks in which I couldn’t give the hospital a landline for the call to go and have it done which I think was there to deter tourists patients. They X-ray before taking off plaster in Spain but here they just whip it off. My arm went so thin it slipped out at the end!
Since having anal cancer and the regular examinations we endure we kind of have to give up all the inhibitions we had. I recently had a bleed which took me unawares but put it down to going five times the previous day so probably inflamed the skin. I just emailed the team and the specialist nurse rang me that day and asked questions and said did your stools contain blood. I said no and I thoroughly inspect my stools every morning for any signs and who would have thought we can talk about poo! As you say it’s just body excretions and we all have smelly poo, even our adorable babies did in the day. Apparently onions are renown for causing more of a stink and certain foods but I suppose it’s a case of hold your breath and get on with it. Glad you are doing okay and hoping it gives you more freedom than before to get on with your day

Julie

Oh no, you too!  I broke my left wrist three years ago (also in Spain) walking down a mountain track and I slipped on small stones under my feet and disappeared over the edge!  Fortunately there was a bush that stopped me and my daughter was with me and was able to call my husband.  And yes, I had to have my wrist x-rayed every week (it was broken in three places) and extremely swollen.  This time I was walking the dog at a petrol station and stepped off a pavement expecting a 10cm drop - it was nearer 35cm and I went down really hard.  We had a ferry to catch home so my husband strapped it up and I went to A&E when we arrived in the UK.  But just a splint this time, thank goodness, I passed out when they took the cast off in Spain, it was so thick and they struggled.

You are right, I thought I had no more inhibitions to lose after childbirth but how wrong was I.  And yes, we don't  think anything cleaning up after our children!

Irene x 

Thank you so much . I’ve ordered Fabulosa so fingers crossed

Hope you find it effective-I think it’s much better than air freshener !

Sarah xx