Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Living with a stoma: what daily life is really like | CION Cancer Clinics
Most people with a stoma return to work, cooking, travel, prayer and family life. The first few weeks are hard, because you are learning to empty and change a bag while healing from surgery. This guide walks through the first months, everyday life, the words you will hear, the warning signs that need a same-day call, and what it cannot tell you about your own operation. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Muralidhar MuddusettyConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery, AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- Can you live a normal life with a stoma?
- What do the first weeks and months usually look like?
- How does a stoma change everyday life?
- What do families believe about stomas that is not true?
- Which stoma words will you hear from the nurse?
- What can this guide not tell you?
- Common questions about living with a stoma
The short answer
Can you live a normal life with a stoma?
Most people with a stoma go back to work, cooking, travel, prayer and family life. The first few weeks are the hardest part, because you are learning a new routine while your body heals from a big operation.
What a stoma actually is
A stoma is an opening on the belly that the surgeon makes from the end of the bowel or from a short piece of bowel. Stool or urine leaves the body through it and collects in a bag that sticks to the skin. The stoma itself is soft, pink and moist. It has no nerve endings for pain, so touching it does not hurt.
Why you might have one
In cancer surgery a stoma is made when the bowel or bladder has to be removed, or when a join in the bowel needs time to heal before it is used. Some stomas are temporary and are closed in a later operation. Others are permanent. Your surgeon will tell you which kind you are expected to have, and why.
This page is a general guide. Your own stoma nurse or surgeon knows your operation, and their advice comes first.The first months
What do the first weeks and months usually look like?
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In hospital
The stoma is swollen and the bag is usually see-through so the nurses can watch it. You will be shown how to empty the bag, and a family member is welcome to learn alongside you.
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The first days at home
Tiredness is normal. Changing the bag may take a long time and feel clumsy. Keep your supplies in one box and change the bag at a quiet time of day, when nobody is rushing you.
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The first few weeks
The swelling goes down and the stoma gets smaller, so the hole in the bag has to be cut smaller too. Measure it at every change during this time. Avoid heavy lifting until your surgeon says it is safe.
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Settling in
After a couple of months most people have a routine that takes a few minutes. Food is widened slowly, and work, travel and exercise come back step by step. The follow-up visit is a good time to review your bag type.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistDay to day
How does a stoma change everyday life?
Less than most families fear. A few habits change, and most of them become automatic.
Food
You start with soft, simple food and add other foods one at a time. Chew well and drink plenty of water, especially in the Hyderabad summer. People with an ileostomy need to take extra care with fluids and salt.
Clothes and saree
Most people wear what they wore before. A saree or salwar can usually be tied above or below the stoma, and a soft support band helps some people feel more confident.
Bathing
You can bathe with the bag on or off. Plain water does not go into the stoma. Dry the skin well before sticking on a new bag.
Work, prayer and travel
Many people return to desk work within weeks, and to physical work later. Sitting on the floor, kneeling for prayer and long bus journeys are all possible.
Always carry
- A spare bag, wipes and a disposal bag
- Pre-cut bags, so you need no scissors
!
When to call your surgical team the same day
Call straight away if the stoma turns dark purple, brown or black. Call if nothing comes out for many hours and you have belly pain, swelling or vomiting. Call if there is bleeding from inside the stoma that does not stop, or very watery output with dizziness and very little urine. Do not wait for the next clinic visit, and do not try to push a stoma back in yourself.
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Commonly believed
What do families believe about stomas that is not true?
"Everyone will smell it."
Modern bags have a seal and a filter that hold odour in. You will notice a smell when you empty or change the bag, the same as in any toilet. If you notice it at other times, the bag is usually leaking and the fit needs checking.
"She can never get married or have children."
People with stomas marry, have close relationships and have children. Pregnancy needs planning with your doctors, and the conversation with a partner can be hard. Neither of those is a reason to give up on family life.
"He should stay in bed and not lift anything again."
Rest helps in the first weeks, but long bed rest slows recovery. Walking every day is encouraged. Heavy lifting waits until the surgeon allows it, and after that it is built up slowly with a support belt if advised.
"A stoma means the cancer has spread."
A stoma is about how the bowel or bladder was reconnected. It says nothing on its own about how advanced the cancer is. Your pathology report and your surgeon answer that question.
Words you will hear
Which stoma words will you hear from the nurse?
- Output
- Whatever comes out of the stoma: stool, liquid or urine.
- Appliance or pouch
- The bag system you wear. It may be one piece or two pieces.
- Baseplate or flange
- The sticky part that holds to your skin. A hole is cut in it to fit around the stoma.
- Drainable bag
- A bag with an opening at the bottom, so it can be emptied without taking it off.
- Stoma nurse
- A nurse trained in stoma care, sometimes called a stoma therapist or ostomy nurse. Ask your centre who yours will be.
Being straight with you
What can this guide not tell you?
It cannot tell you whether you will need a stoma, or whether yours will be temporary. That depends on where the cancer is, how the operation goes and how the bowel heals. Sometimes the plan changes during surgery, and your surgeon should explain that possibility before you sign the consent form.
The feelings are real, and they are common
Many people feel shock, disgust or grief when they first see the stoma. Some do not want their family to see it. These feelings usually ease as the routine becomes familiar. If they do not, or if you stop going out, tell your team. Talking to a counsellor or to another person with a stoma helps many people.
Supplies and cost
Bags are an ongoing expense. Ask early whether Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS, EHS or your cashless insurance covers supplies, because the rules differ and change. Your stoma nurse can suggest types that suit your body without being the most expensive.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about living with a stoma
Will people be able to see the bag under my clothes?
Usually not. Modern bags are thin and lie flat, and most people wear their usual clothes. Emptying the bag before it gets too full keeps it flat. Loose kurtas, sarees and shirts hide it easily. If you are worried about a particular outfit, ask your stoma nurse about smaller bags for short periods.
Can I eat rice, dal and spicy food again?
Most people return to rice, dal, chapati and curries. Start soft and simple after surgery, and add foods one at a time so you can see what suits you. Very spicy food can loosen output in some people. Chew stringy vegetables and fruit skins well, especially with an ileostomy.
How often will I need to change the bag?
It depends on the type of bag and the type of stoma. A one-piece bag is often changed daily. A two-piece baseplate can stay on for longer while the bag is changed. Your stoma nurse will set a routine with you. Change it sooner whenever it itches, burns or leaks.
Can I go back to work?
Most people do. Desk work often comes first, and physical work later, once the surgeon is happy that the wound and belly muscles have healed. Keep a spare kit at work. You do not have to tell your employer about the stoma, though some people find it easier to tell one trusted person.
Can I sleep on my side or front?
Yes. Side sleeping is usually comfortable once the wound has healed. Empty the bag before bed. Many people with a urostomy connect the bag to a larger night bag so they do not have to wake up. Lying on your front is possible later, with a pillow to take the pressure off.
Can I still fast or pray as before?
Prayer, kneeling and sitting on the floor are usually fine once healed. Fasting needs a conversation with your doctor first, particularly with an ileostomy, because going without water can lead to dehydration quickly. Your team can help you plan a safer way to observe a fast.
Who will teach my mother how to manage it at home?
The stoma nurse or ward nurses teach the patient and one or two family members before discharge. Ask to practise a full bag change while still in hospital, not just watch one. Write down the steps and the name of the bag in use, and ask who to call if something goes wrong.
Can a stoma be closed later?
Some can. A temporary stoma, often a loop ileostomy, may be closed in a second, smaller operation once the bowel join has healed and other treatment is finished. A permanent stoma stays. Ask your surgeon which kind you have and what would have to happen before a reversal is considered.
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Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vinay Mamidala
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
Surgical Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Hematologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
Surgical Oncologist
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Sources
- NHS — Colostomy
- NHS — Ileostomy
- American Cancer Society — Ostomies
- Macmillan Cancer Support — Cancer information and support
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Colostomy, Ileostomy and Urostomy: How They DifferWhich stoma you have changes the output and the bagYour First Bag Change After SurgeryStep by step, for the patient and the family member learningDiet With a Stoma: What to Eat and AvoidHow to widen food safely after the operationThe Emotional Adjustment to a StomaWhen the feelings are harder than the bag
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