Question:
What are the signs if the stoma is closing up?

I'm 9 months post-op. I have no pain, but throw up at every meal--up to 1/3 of my meal. I'm nauseous, and the first part of what I throw up is mucous. Lately I can't eat lunch unless I throw up breakfast. I've gone from a size 14 to a size 9 in 3 weeks. I've recently moved to another state and don't have a doctor yet.    — Annie R. (posted on May 14, 2002)

May 14, 2002
Oh my gosh...14 to a 9 in three weeks? Please go find a doc. I have no idea what it is like to have problems with your stoma, as I have never encountered this problem. But that is alot of weight to lose in three weeks especially at 9 months out.
   — RebeccaP

May 14, 2002
Something is definitely not right. You need to talk to your surgeon and let him figure out what is going on with you. It is really rare for a stoma to be closing up at 9 months, if it happens at all. I had 2 strictures and was unable to tolerate solids, then puree, then liquids. It is possible that yours is at the level of being unable to tolerate solids though. And the throwing up always started with a bunch of mucus and bubbles. Please get seen soon.
   — Cheri M.

May 15, 2002
Do you have a cold or allergy problems? Maybe I misunderstood, but when you said mucous it made me think of a couple of horror stories I heard where someone had so much post nasal drip that it overflowed the pouch and there wasn't room for anything else. The cure for those people was a good decongestant or antihistamine depending on the problem. I wish you the best and keep us posted!
   — Heather H.

May 15, 2002
Anne, sounds just like a narrowed stoma. Read my original profile - Denise B. (with the period) - and you'll see we are nearly twins, though 9 months out does seem late in the game to develop a stricture, though it is certainly still possible.
   — [Deactivated Member]