Self-care Ostomy

Stoma care Guide

[whispershope]

Do you Have any Freedom in Life with the Colostomy Bag?

Ostomy (colostomy, ileostomy, and urostomy) occurs as a result of any Crohn’s Disease, cancer, injury, defect, or blockage. Patients are afraid of having this surgery and getting a stoma. Sometimes, the stoma is temporary and for a few patients, it is permanent. Therefore, they take it as the worst nightmare. Usually, patients think that their life is going to end after the colostomy or stoma formation. Moreover, wearing the ostomy appliance seems difficult and uncomfortable, but, these all are some myths or rumors. You are not going to compromise or lose your freedom after ostomy surgery and ostomy tools.

Psychological Impact of Colostomy

After getting the stoma for the entire life, people’s attitude changes towards life and the people in their surroundings. I can say that this is a natural thought process after having a new or unnatural excretion pathway. But, if you treat patients gently and guide them carefully regarding this new life, they will behave normally and live their life previously.

In the initial days of the surgery, a patient depends on the nurse and family members; therefore, they think that they are handicap now. Their whole life will rely on their loved ones. They are unable to do their duties on their own, but this is not true. It is just an emotional and mental change due to the operation. Therefore, as a family member, doctor, and nurse, it is your responsibility to guide them and teach the use of the appliance and the normal new life.

After the colostomy surgery, the life of a patient is new, but it does not mean they depend on others or they do not have any freedom left in life. Well, an ostomate can do anything in life according to the desire but when the stoma and internal organ heal. Thus, ostomates just need to wait for a few months and learn to adopt a new normal routine. It involves discharging through the opening, emptying the ostomy pouch, cleaning, washing, and changing the appliances.

How to Enjoy Personal Freedom after Getting the Stoma?

Well, proper care of the stoma and healthy life can give you the freedom and enjoyable life. Many young ostomates are afraid that they will unable to peruse their dreams, careers, and personal life after having the colostomy surgery. No, you all are wrong if you think this way. Nothing can stop you and your ambitions in life if you know the right way of living with the ostomy and stoma appliances.

As a patient, you have to be positive and careful towards your life, profession, sexual life, and diet. You cannot compromise on your food. As an ostomate, you have to avoid some gastric and hard to digest meals like onion, fried foods, processed meat, processed meals, tin packed food items, potatoes, French fries, pulses, beans, eggplant, carbonated drinks, and too much liquid. You should eat soft meals like green vegetables, white rice, seeds, olives, and fruits. Moreover, ostomy patients should not two or three times a day. They should take five to six small meals per day for the active and healthy digestive system.

Care for Ostomates to Enjoy the Freedom

For ostomates, it is necessary to take care of their diet, stoma, the skin around the opening, and overall health. Well, it is not that complicated like you are thinking. But, you have to be a bit careful about your lifestyle than before.

An ostomate should change the ostomy bag two to three times a day. Moreover, peristomal skin should be clean and dry all the time. The stoma pouch should not leak. The leakage can damage the stoma edges and peristomal skin. Therefore, if you feel bleeding or itching, consult your WHO nurse or surgeon. Apart from this, you can enjoy your life, you can swim, sex, give birth to a child (female ostomates) continue your profession, play, gym, anything you want.

[whispershope]

Stoma Appliances and Methods of Self-Care for Ostomates

When a person undergoes an ostomy surgery, it brings a lot of changes in life and lifestyle. The first and common thing is the change of excretion path. Apart from it, an ostomate has to wear different appliances to cover the opening and collect the discharge either it is liquid or solid. Thus, the tools include faceplate, stoma bag, skin barrier, flanges, wafer, adhesive, wipes, adhesive remover, medicated cleaning kit, and a few more things according to the patient’s need.

Stoma or Ostomy Pouch and Faceplate

The first tool an ostomate need is faceplate and stoma pouch. To cover the opening of the abdomen, a patient has to wear this bag. It collects all the waste of the body. The stoma releases liquid or solid discharge and all it goes to the ostomy pouch. Moreover, it has different kinds like one-piece stoma and two-piece stoma. An ostomate selects the type of appliance according to the personal convenience and stoma requirement.

In a one-piece stoma bag system, pouch and skin barrier is inseparable. While, in a two-piece ostomy pouching system, both are separable. You do not have to remove the skin barrier while changing or emptying the ostomy pouch. Well, in the case one-piece system, you have to remove the entire appliance to change or clean it.

When it comes to the faceplate, it is a plate that fixes the pouch to the body. It also has two kinds: one is without adhesive and the other is with the glue. When it comes to the designs of this plate, it comes in flat and convex form.

Wearing a Faceplate and Ostomy Pouch

The faceplate has a pre-cut or ready-made stoma hole. Therefore, it is safe and snug to wear for every ostomate. No matter what age you are, if you have a stoma, you can wear a faceplate tool effortlessly. Many ostomates face problems with ostomy tools due to the adhesive or application method. But, a two-piece ostomy pouching system and faceplate brought freedom from any type of difficulty. When you use a ready-made stoma pouching system, then you only have to apply it. Moreover, changing, replacing, emptying, and cleaning all things are easy when you wear a comfy appliance.

Stoma pouch collects the stool and urine discharged from the hole. You can also name it as collection bag. It gives a deodorant effect to the patient. Moreover, an ostomate feels reliable with the stoma bag. It does not allow the waste to come out due to the adhesive. It comes into drainable and disposable forms. It depends on the patient what they like and afford. However, for kids and elderly ostomates, disposable is a suggestable kind. As they will not involve emptying, cleaning, and washing complication. When they feel the pouch is half-full, they can throw the used too into a commode or dust bin, wear a new one. This will be uncomplicated and tensionless for the old age and children.

Methods of Self-Care

An ostomate should take care of the stoma, peristomal skin, diet, and overall health. Having an ostomy does not mean that you cannot live your previous life or on your choices, but you will have to be careful regarding health, diet, and clothes. You should not wear tight clothes or the fabric you are allergic to. You should put on soft and loose clothes like cotton, lawn, linen, and frocks. Moreover, while going out, you should wear an ostomy belt to cover the stoma appliances and control the leakage. With the belt, you will feel comfortable and roam around easily.

Apart from the dressing, you should not eat gastric foods like onion, dry fruits, potatoes, red meat, processed meat, tin meals, butter, garlic, pulses, red beans, and too much watery food. Moreover, you should not drink too much to avoid frequent liquid discharge.

[whispershope]

Stomas: Learning to Embrace the Weird

There are so many things in life that are just flat out weird. Hairless cats, peanut butter and pickle sandwiches, bacon on donuts (yes, that’s weird…maybe good…but weird), calling the place you park your car a driveway and the road you drive on a parkway, and the list could go on. Our lives are surrounded by strange and funny things. And sometimes are lives are hit smack in the face by weird and not so funny things. Prime example, a stoma. Anyone who’s facing the possibility or has been living with a stoma can attest to the fact that it’s not a fun thing to live with, and it’s downright weird. (I’ve been saying weird a lot) While I’m sure there are some of you who would rather not see the bright side, whether it’s because it’s too soon, or you just aren’t there emotionally and mentally yet, there are bright sides to living with a stoma. But they can only be seen if you choose to embrace the weird. 

Ok before I continue let me just say this. I am in no way trying to make light of having a stoma or going through the pain of an ostomy. I get it, it sucks. Period. But, if you’re in a position to have to live with it, one of the best things you can do is learn to embrace it and try to live your life to the fullest. (Just don’t let your pouch get too full. I jest...but seriously) And hopefully I can help maybe bring a silver lining to an otherwise darn right stormy situation. 

After getting my stoma and going through the adjustment process, one for the first benefits I learned I had at my disposal was car trips. I had to drive a lot for work, and before I would also have to be careful in timing my stops or having abrupt stops because I just couldn’t hold it any longer. Now…that’s not as much of an issue. I obviously have to stop to empty it out, but those feelings and painful urges of needing a bathroom and not being able to have one. Poof! Gone. Weird, but kind of helpful don’t you think?

Another fun thing about my pouch is with my nieces and nephews. When they first saw it, they weren’t sure what it was, so I jokingly told them I used to be a snowgirl like Olaf until Elsa turned me into a real girl.  But when it gets too hot, I still can melt a little, so it catches it. They thought that was the coolest thing ever. (Obviously they know I was kidding, but they like to have fun pretending I’m really a snowgirl) It’s weird, but it’s turned into a fun game. 

 A stoma may be uncomfortable and annoying at times, but boy does it get you out of any situation. Mostly because it is one of those things that makes people uncomfortable or weirds them out, so I like to use that against them. (Hey if they can’t get on board, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.) So, if a conversation gets boring or I simply want out of something, I just simply say, “Oh it’s time to change my pee pouch.” Seriously…no one questions it, no one follows you, and no one gets mad. Cause, how can they?  

The point is living with a stoma doesn’t have to be all bad. If you have a sense of humor and learn how to embrace the weird, there really isn’t anything you can’t do, and it’s awesome.