Sneezing With an Ostomy

As a child, one of my favorite books was Stand Back, Said the Elephant, I'm Going to Sneeze, by Patricia Thomas. It always made me laugh – and it still does immensely. Sneezing with an ostomy can sometimes be tricky, especially when you have a new stoma.

As serious as this situation can be, it still makes me think of this book...and its cautionary tales!

Nose hair where?

After my radical cystectomy in September 2016, I was warned about sneezing, among other things that can stress the abdomen. Since I figured I'd be an inpatient for a while – including when most of the leaves were changing and falling off – I had hoped that I wouldn't need to worry about a lot of sneezing for a while.

I got home in mid-November and, a couple of weeks later, started chemotherapy. No one ever thinks to warn you about not having nose hair in the winter! Rather quickly, I noticed that my nose hair was no longer there.

Every time I had to go outside to go for my infusions, my nose constantly ran, with snot headed towards my mouth! Not fun, nor attractive. Fortunately, I had so many other things going on, that I didn't much care about that minor detail.

Keeping things moving

One day when I returned home, I was getting settled into my recliner and felt a sneeze coming on. I attempted to "pinch it away." Which worked for a little while, but then out of nowhere, ACHOO!

I felt a pop on the right exterior side of my stoma. It hurt, and momentarily took my breath and all sound from my voice away. As I was rubbing my side and focusing on my breathing, I thought to myself, "Oh! I bet I just gave myself a hernia!"

After a while, I continued with things. The pain subsided before the day was out. I knew from my work in a pediatric gastroenterology office that there was not a whole lot that could be done for hernias. The more abdominal surgeries you have, the more at risk you make yourself to hernias and the weaker your abdomen becomes.

I wasn't in pain, and it really wasn't bothering me. I kept things moving and focused on treatment as a racing horse does on a race, determined to kick cancer's behind.

A hernia from sneezing with an ostomy

Months later, when I was finally having the post-treatment scan, my oncologist came in and said, "Hey! Your scans look great as far as the cancer is concerned, but did you know you have a hernia?!"

I replied, "Yeah, I figured I did! I know exactly when it happened!" He was shocked! He asked me why I never mentioned it.

"Well, I know there's not much you can do about it, and it wasn't bothering me, so I didn't think it was that important considering everything else I had happening with my body!"

"Well, you're not wrong, but I still wish you would have said something. Tell me how you got it."

I relayed the story to him, and he was still in shock. Apparently, not many people actually know the exact moment they get a hernia. I wasn't ever like most people, though. Big surprise!

Sneezing and hernias: A touchy subject

At later dates, I had multiple conversations with my oncologist, urology oncology surgeon, and WOC nurse about the hernia (and sneezing). All of them suggested I leave it alone unless it's bothering me. I'm good with that plan. I'm still hoping to live a long life, and I don't want to have hernia surgery after hernia surgery. So I live with it.

Sneezing can still be a touchy subject, and I'm still figuring out how to strengthen my abdomen without harming myself further, but it's all a learning curve, right?! Just like life.

In the meantime, every time I sneeze, I guard my abdomen, feel for any differences, thank my lucky stars, and then laugh as I fondly remember the story, Stand Back, Said the Elephant, I'm Going to Sneeze!