I can remember fighting so hard to regain my health after surgery and doing everything
possible to regain normal bowel function once the ileostomy was reversed. During my
time with the temporary ileostomy, I was not very accepting of it. After eight months with
the temporary ileostomy, reversal surgery was performed. Due to the pelvic damage
caused by the radiation, the surgery failed. In 2003, I had my fourth abdominal surgery
resulting in a permanent transverse colostomy.
Even though I was devastated that the colo-rectal reconstruction had failed, I know for
certain that I would not be alive today without the colostomy surgery. Finding the right
ostomy system is very much a personal choice but I believe that many times people
living with ostomies find a system that works and just stick with it.
For me, I found that I could change my closed-end pouch in a matter of seconds and put
on a clean, fresh pouch. However, there was one major disadvantage to using closed-end
pouches in that there was not an odor-proof way to dispose of them.
I was determined to find a solution to this problem. I tested every conceivable bag and
disposal container I could think of.
After many trials, I came up with the idea for a sealing mechanism for used pouches
known as the Ostomy Pouch Disposal Seal. The seal snaps onto the opening of the
used pouch to create an odor-proof closure, much like the seal would snap onto a pouch
wafer. The seal works on both closed-end pouches and drainable pouches with the new
clip-less technology. I founded OstoSolutions, LLC in ord