Hi LL, I can see where yer coming from. I think you handled the office situation well I would have done the same. Some may feel their was no need to apologise or explain and that’s fine too. At the funeral you will probably be wearing an overcoat seeing the time of year it is. That will muffle a lot. It’s part of who we are so don’t be too nervous ye have handled worst plus you can’t hold what you don’t have in your hand 👍👍

When I go to live theatre, I am always nervous about the sounds my stoma might make during quiet moments. So I usually have a sweater or a pashmina which I fold and put over my stomach, and then I put my purse over top of that. If it’s really acting up, I will put my hand directly over my stoma underneath those layers. If all of that fails, well, I’ve done my best. 

Another way to look at your experience in the secretary’s office is that perhaps you’ve enlightened someone about living with an ostomy. Perhaps she sees that you’re able to function just fine, and maybe she thinks differently about it now. Maybe if someone she is close to needs an ostomy in the future, she might seek you out for more information. Maybe what happened wasn’t a bad thing. I know we all tend to get embarrassed at bodily noises, but we are alive because of our ostomy, which is an amazing medical miracle. We’re superheroes. 🦸‍♀️

Laurie

You are so kind, thank you. 

I am so thankful for my stoma, and for life; it really is a miracle, and Ruby is quite the good workhorse and behaves well. Things have become a little noisier in the last couple of years - for example, occasionally when I have been sitting awhile it makes a ga-runk sound when I get up, and I suppose there are other noises I don’t notice. The room where the secretary works is very very small, a former storage area, and very quiet, so the sound was quite noticeable.

It is still winter weather where I live, and you are right, John, I will be wearing a coat, and that over warm layers of clothes. And when all is said and done, well, we ostomates are miraculous medical miracles, indeed. 

❤️ LL

@llholiday  ... Good on you!!  It took a lot for me to get to that point! 

I hope what I'm about to tell you makes you feel better...lol!   My 1st experience in public was in Church where a little boy who obviously kept hearing my very loud & rude Rose speak out of turn!  Sitting in front of me he turned in his chair & gawked at me after each noise eventually not turning back at all but watching me closely!! Ugh!! Lolol, I can laugh at it now but back then I was mortified!!! The boy also had words with his Mom after each noise. I almost left the service but was enjoying the Pastors message to I tried ignoring the young lad & suffocating the noise to no success!! 

After church I was standing in the foyer waiting for my son & the young boy passing by with his Momma pointed right at me & very LOUDLY says.. SEE MOMMY, "Dats the laYdy dat kept fawrt-Tin' in choUuch!!" Ugh!!! His Mom froze & looked at me beet red in the face & I looked at the young boy & patted my tummy I said, oh... that noise was from Rose!  His eyes got big & I realized my hubby was on one side & my son on the other!! Lolol! As I stood I told his Mom I had recent surgery for a stoma that has yet to settle down. She smiled nodding her head, apologized & then they left. 

After that I started carrying various things in my pocket that made similar noises, a foil chip bag in a small baggie & I'd quickly place my elbow against it & drag it forward when Rose spoke in those higher tones then haul it out look at it & put it back!  Two glass marbles held visibly in my hand & rubbed together, made a similar noise too. I had all sorts of noise makers in my ready to go file for Roses noises... she was that bad!! Lol!   For a while I did find the easiest was looking around me as Rose erupted. She was one busy unruly LOUD girl often embarassing the living daylights out of me & most always waiting till I was in public to speak!!

I  eventually picked up my 1st pack of  Gas-X & became very careful of food choices the day before a public outing. I kept a rather long in depth food journal to figure that one out! Yes, it was that bad!! Lol!  But now, as I'm older,  as you did, I just make an explanation of my stoma. I find people to be very understanding of that alone. If they are curious enough, they'll ask or go home & educate themselves compliments of the ever handy GOOGLE!!

Not to worry, you'll be fine!! As John said you'll have a coat on!  Lol,  You can carry a purse to place in front & likely no overly curious little boy in front of you! Lol! 

I'm glad she was understanding, and even that you had the courage to bring it up! Good on you!

My stoma was extra loud the other day while my wife and I were watching a program. I would have been a little embarrassed had this happened in a quiet room somewhere with a stranger(s), which it has a few times. I bet it confuses the hell out of people when a “fart noise” is followed by no smell! 🤣 🤣 

@veganostomy 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂🤪  So True! The past 3 days Rose sounds like a stepped on furious duck! I'm pretty sure with the short, short gut thing going on with me that Rose is more rebelious because of it. 

Eric..  have you named your stoma?? It may be fun to know the names everyone has gone through or chosen for their stoma & why.  Anyone want to share??  

Posted by: @dlkfiretruck

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Eric..  have you named your stoma??

Nope, but I know a lot of people who do.

@veganostomy lololol... I bet you do!!! Lol!!  I have to admit that at first giving my stoma a name seemed somewhat rediculous to me & I hadn't even found VO to know it was a thing! Lol!  I found that  I accepted my stoma, Rose, much better after I found a name that stuck & believe me she had many other names before that and not all of them polite!!! Lol! Plus when she spoke out of turn I could blame it on Rose & usually with a grin & without the huge lot of the embasasment I felt previously. 

I'd recommend to anyone with a new Stoma or even old to give your little buddy a name especially if acceptance is part of the issue. It can help! ❤️ 

I chose Rose because after all the I'd been through in the previous years to my one year hospital stay & all the surgeries that year brought...  I realized that my stoma was a very beautiful thing to have & it deserved a beautiful name.  Plus she is part of the life saving surgery. So, heres to Rose! 🌹 ! 

Plus, at a time where my life sucked royally & painfully from bowel issues,  I thought I'd never officially live long enough to be a senior let alone see seven Grandchildren,  I ushered in 65 years rather joyfully at 12:01 a.m. last night!  Yes, I stayed up just for that!! Lolol! 

Posted by: @llholiday

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Had to go talk with the secretary today in her little tiny office. In the middle of things my stoma Ruby said her first real word: WALK (more like wa-a-a-alk)I put my hand over my stomach and said, “oh, excuse me” and kept on talking. After I left I got about 30 feet down the hall and wondered if she thought I was passing gas! So I went back and said, with my hand over my stomach again, “I have an ostomy, and every little gurgle my stomach makes is so close to the surface.” She said, “oh, my stomach gurgles a lot, too …. Are you all right?”

”Oh, yes, I’m fine!”

Thank goodness I don’t have to be back at work until Tuesday and can pull myself together for that, but on Monday I am supposed to go to a funeral and now I am really really nervous.

haha, I have had this happen so many times and it’s always at the wrong time. Maybe use some gas x before you have to go to planned functions. 
that ballooning is embarrassing too! 

Up until then she only used “baby talk” - I wonder if she will start putting sentences together.

Haha, I know mine has sentences and ALWAYS at the wrong time and place. I try to cough real loud or make a noise louder lol! Or I’ll say omg my stomach. Lol

Sometimes when it just has that no it’s a fart sound I just come right out and say I have a stoma and apologize for the gas.