'Loop' or 'end' - just how different can they be?

In just over 3 weeks, the trusty 'end' Ileostomy I've had for over a year will be replaced by a 'loop' ileostomy - and if I go by what I read online, I'm facing a whole different beast.

It'd be good to start by distinguishing the two. An 'end' ileostomy does just what its name suggests - the surgeon literally disconnects the end of the small intestine  from your colon, and that end becomes your stoma. End ileostomies are good, because it means you haven't lost any small intestine, so you're less likely to suffer nutrient deficiencies. Waste from an end ileostomy can sometimes be pretty solid, and the stoma itself has a 'protruding' appearance, meaning it's pretty much a little spout shape. If you have an emergency subtotal colectomy or a permanent ileostomy, chances are you have an 'end'.

A 'loop' is usually formed before a j pouch is connected. It has two openings - like a little 8 shape - but only one of the ends actually produces waste. Imagine a garden hose, cut, and both cut ends being placed side by side. This sort of stoma is always temporary. Mine will mean that my pouch gets time to heal and no waste will be going through the pouch until a later date.

The loop is higher up your bowel, which means increased frequency, more watery output. It also puts you at increased risk of dehydration and deficiencies, because the full length of your small bowel isn't being used. It is flatter to the skin, making it more prone to leaks. You're also more likely to get blockages with a loop. Yikes.

Almost everyone I speak to hates their loop. I've only met a few people who were happy with it. However, this doesn't necessarily mean the loop is awful. For those who have their pouch done planned, a loop stoma is all they will ever know (they don't get an end stoma, and only need 2 ops). So, with no stoma experience, they're being thrown in at the deep end.

I'd like to see this loop as 'stoma level 2'. Yes, I'm levelling up! Lol! I've had over a year of this lovely easy end, now the game is getting a bit more tricky. I'm sure I'll have moments of anger and frustration with my loop - but just as I did with my end, I'll overcome the little shortfalls and keep smiling.

In my mind, as well, I'll know it's the final stage. Just around the corner will be my shiny new pouch, sitting there in my body just waiting for connection! What a feeling!

Yes, this loop might challenge me, but a bag is a bag after all. Nothing I haven't done before, nothing I can't overcome!