possible hernia

Could be, or maybe a persistent partial obstruction. The stoma site is a common site for both hernia and obstruction. With a hernia, you usually do not have a constant bulge, or even intermittent bulges that are obvious. 

To check for a hernia, place your hand firmly on the area that is painful. Then cough forcefully or bear down while holding your breath. If there is a hernia, you should feel it when you cough or bear down.

Jan

It could just be an adhesion (or a couple of them), tugging on things that would prefer not to be tugged. It doesn't have to obstruct to be uncomfortable. 

I had hernias and nerver had buldges...almost always around incision sites...but like both Jan and Scott said, pain does not mean that it has to be a hernia...there are other possibilities.

Sharon

Ok, so im thinking its not a hernia which is good, but if it is adhesions like what Scott says it might be , what can be done about those ?( other than surgery )

BEV

Stretching and deep tissue massage may help. Maybe you just pulled something in there and it will resolve with time.

But, if it persists and is particularly bothersome, surgical release is the answer.

Jan

I've had problems with adhesions in the same area, and I have had several partial obstructions as a result. My surgeon had suspected a hernia at one point, but after several palpatory exams and an MRI, no hernia was detected.  If you do have adhesions, they can be tricky to deal with. Surgery is an option if they are causing significant issues for you, but the drawback is that surgical release often leads to more adhesions down the road.  If the pain persists, one thing you could look into is ART - adhesion release therapy - which is massage directed at the adhesions with an aim to soften the tissue and make it a little more flexible, thus reducing or eliminating the discomfort. This is usually performed by a massage therapist or chiropractor, but if you are looking for this type of therapy, make sure you find a practitioner who has experience dealing with abdominal adhesions.

Thanks  for all the info Spooky,  you never mentioned though what your outcome was with your adhesion problem  ? additional info is always a bonus  ,

 thanks

Bev,

Right now we are just managing the adhesions conservatively. In 2014, I had 5-6 partial obstructions in a 4 month period (or else it was the same obstruction that never quite fully cleared), and my surgeon was suggesting surgery to cut down some of the adhesions if that continued. But I think what had happened, is that my intestine kinked due to the adhesions, and then ultimately unkinked on its own. This can happen.  At this point, I am just watching what I eat and doing self massage of the area. I feel like I've already been through enough, and I want to avoid further surgery at all costs, so I am happy to continue to manage conservatively for as long as possible. But I do realize that if I start getting frequent obstructions again, surgery may be required whether I like it or not.