I'm so sorry to hear about this year's diagnosis. Charlie really has had a tough time with all of this. I will pray that the masses are benign and that all will go well with his surgery.

As you may remember, a couple of years ago I had part of my colon removed and had an ostomy for a while (just recently had my take down surgery). It's a tough surgery but Charlie will feel much better after. It will take some getting used to but he has you by his side to help him through it, and he is lucky for that. A lot has changed in ostomy care since the 70s. The appliances are so much better than when I learned how to use them on patients during nursing school in the 80s. They're pretty impressive. If you need any advice or anything just PM me and I will help you if I can.

His diet may need to be tweaked and, as you probably know, since he will have an ileostomy dehydration is a big concern. Keeping hydrated is difficult for ileostomy patients. There are lots of forums out there where the people seem really helpful. Many of them have IBD (Crohn's or UC), colon cancer, diverticulitis, and other bowel issues. I can give you the names of some of the ones that I referred to when I was having trouble with my appliance (like leaks, rashes, etc.).

I will keep you and Charlie in my prayers. Please keep us updated.