I'm due to go into hospital next week, possibly to have my bladder and bowel removed and be left with a stoma. This will be my third surgery in six years for melanoma, one of which removed my vulva. I also have melanoma in my pelvis and shoulder.
I am terrified. Not of the surgery but of living with a stoma and of subsequent treatments. I live alone and have no-one to talk to. I do have a cancer nurse but I really need someone I can sit and cry with. The phone doesn't do it!
Hi Beniciam and a very warm welcome to the online community which I hope you'll find is an informative and supportive place to be.
I don't have any experience with the type of operations you're possibly having and I can understand why you're terrified at the thought of having to live with a stoma.
I've had a look in this group and both Laydeh and Shebu have posted about living with their stoma. I've tagged them into my reply to you in the hope that they'll pop in and talk to you about it.
You might also be interested in joining the ileostomy, colostomy and stoma support group as the members there help each other with any queries they have about such things as bag recommendations, managing a stoma and foods to avoid. If you'd like to join the group clicking on the link I've created will take you straight there where you can then join and post in the same way as you did here.
Macmillan have recently started a blog on stomas and if you'd like to take a look at it clicking here will take you to the first part.
When you feel up to it it would be great if you could pop something about your diagnosis and treatment into your profile as it really helps others when replying to you and also when looking for someone on a similar pathway. It also means that you don't have to keep repeating yourself. To do this click on your username and then select 'Profile'. You can amend it at any time and if you're not sure what to write you can take a look at mine by clicking on my username.
x
"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
