Yes, you will! Having an ostomy will not keep you from taking part in any of the activities you currently enjoy. There may be certain activities at times when you may need to do something a little differently, or perhaps less frequently (think sit ups, certain stretches, etc.).

You really can’t feel it. You likely won’t notice it until your bag gets heavy since there are not feeling sensors in your intestine. You may notice it being active while laying on your stomach or if it has gotten under the wafer and started to leak.

Leaks are going to happen at one point or another, but they don’t have to totally wreck your day. The key is to learn to recognize the signs of an impending leak and to be prepared for when it does happen. Signs such as itching around the stoma or a feeling of the bag pulling away from the skin may indicate that a leak is beginning. Keep supplies handy so you can swap out the bag if need be.

Most likely no. You may smell it a lot at first because it’s new, but other people aren’t going to notice it. You may still catch a whiff of it every now and again, but it’s usually never enough for another person to notice, much less associate with you. The one exception may be in the case of a leak.

You will still pass gas and, unfortunately if you have an ileostomy, you are not going to be able to control when it happens. However, in my experience, most times it will simply fill the bag up with air. Very rarely do I deal with any “fart” noises. The exception is in the first few weeks after surgery, when your body is adjusting you will likely have a lot more gas than you will later on. Be aware of the possibility of this causing leaks when you’re asleep.

It really depends on the type of ostomy. For an ileostomy, you will likely need to empty around 5-8 times per day. If you have a colostomy, especially one that’s continent, you may only need to once per day.

Again, this is going to be very different for different people. Most people get between 3-7 days on each bag, but there are some who need to change more frequently. Be sure to try different bag brands and figure out what works best for you.

The bags do vary in size somewhat, but on average, they are approximately 8-inches long and 6-inches wide. They do not stick very far off of the body. The bags can be folded or rolled up, too, making them a little shorter. There are also smaller bag options, however, these need to be emptied much more often. You also can get a small closed-ended pouch that will need to be changed regularly.

Not if you don’t want it to be. It hides easily under most clothes.

Absolutely! You can still wear whatever you want, but you may consider an additional accessory such as a maternity band to give you more support.

Yes, you can feel free to shower, bathe, and swim with your ostomy bag. Even prolonged time in the water will not usually cause the bag to peel away from the skin. But it is a good idea to dry it well afterwards.

This is going to be dependent on the person, but for the most part, you can eat whatever you want. The bigger issue is just paying attention to what you eat, limiting the amounts of certain foods (such as nuts, seeds, leafy greens, raw vegetables, beans) and being sure to chew your food very well. Also drink lots of water!

Unfortunately, blockages are likely to happen at one point or another. The tell-tale signs are nausea, pain in the stomach and watery output. Some at-home remedies include drinking lots of water, maybe even using a little laxative (but be careful with this! Taking too much can lead to even bigger problems! Talk to your doctor), taking a warm bath, massaging your stomach or putting a heating pad on it. If it gets too bad, you do need to consider going to the emergency room to be checked out.

Yes and no. Yes, it does change the way you operate on a daily basis. Yes, you will have to take it into consideration in many of the decisions you make. But no, you will not have to drastically change your life. No, your life is not over. You can still do all of the things you want to do and be whomever you want to be. And finally, yes, living with an ostomy has the potential to change your life for the better and to give you back some of what was taken away.