I’m receiving surgery tomorrow to remove a section of my colon , I have been told I will have a stoma, which is scary , I’m scared and would possibly like some reassurance, is this operation quite routine?
I noticed you made a post in our nurses section of the forum so I just wanted to let you know that they only work between 9a.m - 5p.m, Monday - Friday so you won't receive a reply from them tonight. They will get back to you as soon as they can when they're back in tomorrow, but If you have time before your surgery you can give them a call on 0808 800 4040. Their helpline will be open from 9a.m tomorrow and they will do all they can to answer your questions and put your mind at ease.
In the meantime, I hope this information we have about surgery for colon cancer will help, and that you hear back from our members soon.
I'm thinking of you Jam-h and wishing you all the best for tomorrow.
I can appreciate your concern. Having a stoma formed is a relatively straightforward operation. You should be introduced to a hospital stoma care specialist nurse, who will talk this through with you, and visit you afterwards on the hospital ward, to show you how to care for your stoma.
Bowel Cancer UK have a helpful section on stomas They have detailed information on living with a stoma. This includes everyday diet, and other aspects such as travelling with one.
I hope that it all goes well for you,
Please get back to us if you need any more information or support. You may find it helpful to talk things through with one of the nurses on our helpline. The number to call is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.
