New to all this , feeling helpless for my husband

Hi BTmum Yes it does suck but it just goes to show how important it is to do these screening tests. Bowel cancer is notoriously slow growing but very treatable so keep on being positive and focus on getting the tumour removed in the 21st. 
The stoma nurses will make sure he’s comfortable with dealing with the bag before discharging him and there’s lots of advice and top tips on the stoma board on here

 Ileostomy, colostomy, urostomy and any other stoma support

I’ve attached a link to a booklet about the operation which has a handy list of things to take - an extra long charging cable is a must

https://bowelcancerorguk.s3.amazonaws.com/Publications/YourOperation_BowelCancerUK.pdf

Hope everything goes well and please post if there’s anything we can help you with or reassure you about? We’re all at different stages of treatment and recovery so happy to help you and hubby through this

Take care

Karen x

It sounds like he is getting Rolls Royce treatment, which is most encouraging. He will soon realise that there is a massive, worldwide industry dedicated to making a stoma manageable and more of an irritation than a big deal. The stoma nurses are wonderful and will help him to arrive at the best solution regarding medical supplies. The main difference I found after surgery was an increase in my waistline, which I overcome by buying some long shirts and T shirts, together with casual trousers that didn't need a belt. In addition, I no longer have to worry where the nearest lavatory is. He will soon sort things out for himself and gain confidence.

Cancer is becoming more treatable as each week passes. It is the fear of cancer that does the damage and there is no point in being frightened of something beyond your control. Some people worry about the future but no-one on this earth knows what tomorrow will bring so it's best to deal with today and matters in hand.

Best Wishes for the 21st and don't let him overdo things in the weeks afterwards.

Dulac.