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Hello all..

First post.
I had Crohn's most of my life. I became very ill in my mid twenties I had a fistula that ate into my bladder. When I ate solids the food would enter my bladder and exit when I urinated. Very painful. An infection set in and soon went through my entire body. I spent months in the hospital fighting the infection most of which I do not remember I was so doped up. After two months they felt I was strong enough for surgery. It was my only chance of survival. On my 26th birthday they took all of my large intestine, my ileum and a few feet of my small. The road to recovery was very long but I made it. I am now 60 years old
and life has been tough. Without my large intestine I get dehydrated very easy.
Doctors cannot believe I am alive the look on their face when I see a new doctor and I tell them what they took and when. Like many others who have an Ostomy I never really accepted it but it saved my life and without it I would not be here. I doesn't do much for the self-esteem it has kept me from being intimate most of my life. To me the Ostomy is very private and personal I always think if I am with someone they might spread the word. Some accept it easier then others I guess for me it has always been my personal hang up.
Anyway I am glad to be alive and appreciate every day!
To all my fellow Ostomates make the best of every day, live is to short.

Alan
 
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