Mick Kent

  • Posts: 1380
Anyone else here have a stoma bag?
« on: February 12, 2024, 10:08:19 am »
I had a battle with cancer a few months back and although i won the fight i now have an iliostomy stoma attached to my side which is likely to be permanent due to my large colon taken out and the join they made leaked causing me needing a 2nd emergency operation. I have been down in the dumps and never had it so bad with life etc. Id love to hear or know someone in the same field as me that also has 1 and how it affects/if it affects and how long till was able to get back on the pole again.
I have had it 3 month's so far yet can't lift a pole or do anything remotely heavy without it pulling and hurting. Have been told by surgeon, doctors and nurses to avoid any type of lifting anything more heavy than a half full kettle.
At this rate i will totally give up the glass and go back to canvassing again to put food on the table as i feel quite pointless in life right now.




Smudger

  • Posts: 13213
Re: Anyone else here have a stoma bag?
« Reply #1 on: February 12, 2024, 10:40:53 am »
Mick,

Very sorry to hear about your problems - health is a very precious thing - I have kidney failure  with complications so working on the tools is no longer viable

All do what I can by doing office work and quoting - it’s frustrating and can like your problem get you down but if you can try to be positive (not easy)


Have you got staff to do the physical stuff?
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

www.oddbodscleaning.co.uk

NBwcs

  • Posts: 837
Re: Anyone else here have a stoma bag?
« Reply #2 on: February 12, 2024, 11:05:52 am »
Sorry to hear that, try and bear with it for as long as possible as I have an in law with one and whilst there no denying it's a hinderence he does all sorts of manual stuff doing houses up, I've even seen him use a jack hammer so I'm guessing if you can arrange something in the short term, you will be able to do much more physical stuff in the long run.
.


matty72

  • Posts: 549
Re: Anyone else here have a stoma bag?
« Reply #3 on: February 12, 2024, 12:21:00 pm »
Bloody hell, good luck mate, maybe look see what else is out there, I know that's easier said that done good luck mate

cgh window cleaning

  • Posts: 540
Re: Anyone else here have a stoma bag?
« Reply #4 on: February 12, 2024, 01:50:16 pm »
I have no personal experience but know of about 3 people who have one and all lead a relatively normal life 2 are painters so carrying out manual labour.

One was really unwell but managed to get himself back to work and fairly fit with them eventually removing it after an OP.

Best of luck and just give yourself time to recover.

Jay Le Huray

  • Posts: 600
Re: Anyone else here have a stoma bag?
« Reply #5 on: February 12, 2024, 02:28:13 pm »
Sorry to here about this Mick,
 Although mine is not the same as your ailment I did get prostrate cancer 6 years  ago.

I had radio therapy and hormone treatment, the only after effects now is that it ruins your sex life and up every hour or so during the night dying for a wee.

I'm still working but I've slowed down now and take my time as I do get tired some days.

I have a blood test every few months and glad to say the cancer has held at bay so far.

Just take it easy buddy and do what you need to do to try and make things easier for you. Good luck
Jay

NBwcs

  • Posts: 837
Re: Anyone else here have a stoma bag?
« Reply #6 on: February 12, 2024, 02:57:13 pm »
Sorry to here about this Mick,
 Although mine is not the same as your ailment I did get prostrate cancer 6 years  ago.

I had radio therapy and hormone treatment, the only after effects now is that it ruins your sex life and up every hour or so during the night dying for a wee.

I'm still working but I've slowed down now and take my time as I do get tired some days.

I have a blood test every few months and glad to say the cancer has held at bay so far.

Just take it easy buddy and do what you need to do to try and make things easier for you. Good luck
Jay

Sounds like you need to take it easy too Jay.

simon w

  • Posts: 1580
Re: Anyone else here have a stoma bag?
« Reply #7 on: February 12, 2024, 03:22:41 pm »
Wishing you both the best , you've both been through such a lot and are very brave to have coped and come out the otherside. 8)

Jay Le Huray

  • Posts: 600
Re: Anyone else here have a stoma bag?
« Reply #8 on: February 12, 2024, 03:39:49 pm »
Sorry to here about this Mick,
 Although mine is not the same as your ailment I did get prostrate cancer 6 years  ago.

I had radio therapy and hormone treatment, the only after effects now is that it ruins your sex life and up every hour or so during the night dying for a wee.

I  do NB... I'm really slow now when working with a few breaks in between

I'm still working but I've slowed down now and take my time as I do get tired some days.

I have a blood test every few months and glad to say the cancer has held at bay so far.

Just take it easy buddy and do what you need to do to try and make things easier for you. Good luck
Jay

Sounds like you need to take it easy too Jay.

Jay Le Huray

  • Posts: 600
Re: Anyone else here have a stoma bag?
« Reply #9 on: February 12, 2024, 03:41:18 pm »
Sorry to here about this Mick,
 Although mine is not the same as your ailment I did get prostrate cancer 6 years  ago.

I had radio therapy and hormone treatment, the only after effects now is that it ruins your sex life and up every hour or so during the night dying for a wee.

I'm still working but I've slowed down now and take my time as I do get tired some days.

I have a blood test every few months and glad to say the cancer has held at bay so far.

Just take it easy buddy and do what you need to do to try and make things easier for you. Good luck
Jay

Sounds like you need to take it easy too Jay.

I do NB... I'm really slow now with a few breaks in between, when you get to my age your body tells you to slow down LOL

DJW

  • Posts: 927
Re: Anyone else here have a stoma bag?
« Reply #10 on: February 12, 2024, 05:01:21 pm »
I have sex every hour during the night and have had to lay off the beans.
I’m totally exhausted these days.

Splash & dash

  • Posts: 4364
Re: Anyone else here have a stoma bag?
« Reply #11 on: February 12, 2024, 05:17:26 pm »
Sorry to hear this Mick , if you are unable to be on the tool s at the moment can you do some canvassing to keep you occupied and feeling a bit more positive and bring in a few more £££ untill you are able to clean again ? What advice has the doctor given you about work and time scale ? Just take it easy and let your body heal but do what you can without making the situation worse . Hope you make a speedy recovery.

Bungle

  • Posts: 2230
Re: Anyone else here have a stoma bag?
« Reply #12 on: February 12, 2024, 05:30:46 pm »
I thought Mick hadn't posted in a while. I hope it goes well for you. This job is great when you are fit enough to do it, but when you get ill it kind of kicks you in the teeth. My health has been going down hill the last year. I'm trying to keep going for as long as I can and hopefully save a bit of dosh just in case I start to struggle.

Keep positive Mick!
We look at them, they look through them.

Stoots

  • Posts: 6029
Re: Anyone else here have a stoma bag?
« Reply #13 on: February 12, 2024, 05:37:24 pm »
Sorry to hear this Mick i dont know how i would cope with such a thing.

I will say though if you are good at canvassing (which i believe you are from your old posts) then you could make yourself a very nice business without needing to scrub glass again, lots of window cleaners crying out for a good canvasser.  If it was something i enjoyed and was good at i reckon i could make a lot more money than i could cleaning windows.

Best of luck

Martin Lane

  • Posts: 163
Re: Anyone else here have a stoma bag?
« Reply #14 on: February 12, 2024, 05:55:12 pm »
Hi Mick as you know I have been off 6 months after shoulder surgery, things will get better just takes time and you may need to adjust how you go about things.
You know my number feel free to call anytime

Martin 

dd

  • Posts: 2526
Re: Anyone else here have a stoma bag?
« Reply #15 on: February 12, 2024, 06:18:55 pm »
Sorry to hear that Mick, and Martin. Wishing you well and hope you come out the other side soon. Sounds a very difficult situation.
Good health is often only appreciated when we don't have it.

DJW

  • Posts: 927
Re: Anyone else here have a stoma bag?
« Reply #16 on: February 12, 2024, 06:24:03 pm »
Three months or twelve weeks isn’t long for such a major operation I wouldn’t have thought.
It’s going to take time and gentle rehabilitation.
Pole work I always found was quite a strain on stomach and core muscles at times. Weren’t you the guy who had a franchise?  Get off the tools if you can and expand maybe?
Good luck.

windowswashed

  • Posts: 2523
Re: Anyone else here have a stoma bag?
« Reply #17 on: February 12, 2024, 06:24:08 pm »
Sorry to hear your situation Mick.
 2002  I was fit as a fiddle and one morning I woke up completely paralysed from the head down. Cut a long story short I had to go and live with my parents who dressed, fed, washed and assisted me toilet wise. It was so embarrassing and demoralising.
Consultants and doctors told me I'd never work again.

I sat my parents down and told them I was going to get busy pushing the pain barrier to get better and if I was still an invalid in twelve months that I would get assisted dying in Switzerland by lethal injection.

I'm the most stubborn and determined person going and twelve months later I had my independence although still in a lot of pain. It felt bloody marvellous to have my independance  even if it was restricted.

Over the next year I gradually worked two hours a day increasing up to a full day on a regular basis. I got lots of help as an outpatient at the hospitals and over the years managed to live an 80percent normal life. Still have bad days occassionally but it's a massive improvement compared to 2002.

There is hope, never lose faith and always remain stubborn and determined with any and every challenge in life.

zesty

  • Posts: 2330
Re: Anyone else here have a stoma bag?
« Reply #18 on: February 12, 2024, 06:48:24 pm »
Sorry to hear your situation Mick.
 2002  I was fit as a fiddle and one morning I woke up completely paralysed from the head down. Cut a long story short I had to go and live with my parents who dressed, fed, washed and assisted me toilet wise. It was so embarrassing and demoralising.
Consultants and doctors told me I'd never work again.

I sat my parents down and told them I was going to get busy pushing the pain barrier to get better and if I was still an invalid in twelve months that I would get assisted dying in Switzerland by lethal injection.

I'm the most stubborn and determined person going and twelve months later I had my independence although still in a lot of pain. It felt bloody marvellous to have my independance  even if it was restricted.

Over the next year I gradually worked two hours a day increasing up to a full day on a regular basis. I got lots of help as an outpatient at the hospitals and over the years managed to live an 80percent normal life. Still have bad days occassionally but it's a massive improvement compared to 2002.

There is hope, never lose faith and always remain stubborn and determined with any and every challenge in life.

Wow, what happened to cause that?

Fair play to you !

AuRavelling79

  • Posts: 23593
Re: Anyone else here have a stoma bag?
« Reply #19 on: February 12, 2024, 06:57:46 pm »
I really appreciate you guys opening up on here with your medical difficulties.

So far I have been lucky health wise and to hear how you have overcome such debilitating situations is an inspiration.
It's a game of three halves!