Hello, I am 9 weeks new to a colonostomy and just in awe of all of the ostomates in the world. How did I get to be this old and never realize how many of us there are. 

I was dx'd with Crohn's at 35 and was on meds for years then went into remission. 5 years ago I had no signs of any problems at my colonoscopy. Then 3 years ago I developed IBC really bad, so bad I was bent over in pain half the time. But lousy insurance would not send me to a GI dr.. so I started to lose weight and still no help. Last Nov I changed insurance and wow! Colonoscopy showed a torturous bowel so forget that. Hospitalized for what was supposed to be a small bowel obstruction, nope. Wound up with a huge diverticuli with fistulas to a fallopean tubs, small bowel and bladder. So that is how I got here. 

I am very active, helping my daughter (single mom) raise my 2 grandsons 13 & 14 1/3 who are both autistic. The boys are both in special needs classes and must be supervised before and after school. 

We all are afflicted with Elhers-Danlos syndrome, a connective tissue disorder. And we all have other autoimmune disorders. But we love to get out, walk, play and the 14 yr old has his own You Tube channel and has made several  computer games. 

My daughter is a vegan, one of the grands is a vegetarian, I was for many years and would like to go back (quit because beans and other legumes constipated me so badly) so any tips or suggested more than welcome.