Top Ostomy FAQs

An ostomy is a huge procedure, and you may wonder if there is anything that’ll better prepare you for an ostomy. Here are the top life questions, and what you need to know about living with an ostomy. 

What is it? 

This is a surgical creation of an opening that’s artificial, called a stoma, in order to flush out bodily waste. There are three tops: a colostomy which diverts stool flow, an ileostomy that diverts loose stool, and a urostomy, which is used to divert the flow of urine in the body as well. You may get this due to an illness that’s chronic, injuries, or possible conditions that make it very hard to deal with it. 

What Supplies do I use. 

The basic supplies are simple. First you have the one piece pouching system that has the barrier and the bag attached together. That means in order to change your pouch you need to remove everything, and from there replace it.  Some people like this because it’s much more convenient. Then there are two-piece systems, which include the bag and your skin barrier to be separate with one another. Some people prefer this simply because there is a whole lot less to remove, and you can exchange the bags out easily. This is also recommended for those who have issues with skin irritation of the peristomal skin. Some may get different ostomy products too, due to the different outputs that happen with this. For example, you may need adhesive spray to help with this. They also have pastes to in order to help with this. 

What’s the Best product for me? 

That’s ultimately up to you. You might want to talk to your doctor to help you figure out the correct regimen for you to use. Not every system or product is for everyone. If you have  protruded stoma, you might have a different ostomy appliance than someone who has an irritated stoma. It depends on the types of products that you need, and you can figure this out as you go along with the nurse. You may want to also check and look over every now and then the newest supplies, and also you can talk to your ostomy nurse or doctor to see if they have any different options for you to choose from. 

Can I live Normally with an Ostomy 

This is probably one of the most important questions for most people who get an ostomy. You’ll be able to do many of the same things that you did beforehand. There are a few things that will change in your life. The biggest one, is you’ll need to learn how to apply the ostomy pouch, and then change it, along with skincare so it’s not infected or suffers from irritation. Otherwise, you may have to deal wit dietary changes that might happen with this. You also may need to hold off on exercising after an ostomy surgery. For the foods that you consume, they have to be stuff that won’t impact your ostomy output too much. You may be on a soft foods diet for a bit. As for exercising, you may not be cleared for activity for a bit, so it might not happen until later. Otherwise, you’ll be able to do pretty much anything. That’s the beauty of an ostomy. It’s a procedure that can save your life and may help you get back to having the best life that you can, and you’ll be able to do this easily, and without too many problems down the line as well for you. 

How To Clean Out Your Stoma

What not a lot of people know is that cleaning your stoma can be extremely difficult work. I know of many friends that have gotten ostomies in the past few years and simply struggle to take care of their own stoma when it comes to cleaning it regularly. This honestly makes me really sad to hear about, because I firmly believe that cleaning your stoma is the single most important part of making sure that you don’t run into any further problems or complications in regards to your stoma’s health. It may sound like I am blowing this whole thing out of proportion with each sentence that I write, but I can promise you right now that cleaning your stoma is absolutely critical for your own health. So if you have gotten an ostomy recently and have been searching around the internet for some simple instructions on how to properly clean out your stoma, look no further! I am writing this blog to help people like you find more success in the art of stoma cleaning and hopefully keep you from having to experience further trips to the hospital due to improper stoma care. So without further ado, let’s talk about how to properly clean your stoma.

So the first thing that you should know about cleaning your stoma is when to actually clean it. Some people are not aware that you should pretty much be cleaning your stoma every single time that you change your ostomy pouch. For some people this is a tall order, since they are usually changing their ostomy pouches during work hours as well or when they are out doing stuff. Unfortunately, there is really never a convenient time to clean your stoma,

so you kind of just have to deal with the fact that you are going to be cleaning this thing out even when you don’t want to. With that being said, it is definitely important to be cleaning out the stoma every single time you change your ostomy pouch. That way, you can ensure that things are staying nice and clean down there. I will say, however, that if you are running into any sort of problems or discomfort from cleaning your stoma too much (in the event that you change your ostomy pouch quite often), you can simply aim to clean out your stoma 3 or 4 times a day regardless of how many times you are changing your ostomy pouch. Does that make sense? I hope so.

The next thing that I want to talk about is what type of products you should be using to clean your stoma. A common misconception is that you should be using some special soaps or cleansers or wipes in order to clean your stoma; actually, this is quite far from the truth. The number one way that doctors and surgeons recommend for you to clean your stoma is to simply use some clean, fresh water. If you are concerned that your tap water is not very clean, you can use distilled water that you can buy at stores for very cheap. Cleaning out your stoma with just water is the best way to go - there is no need for fancy soaps or wipes. Then simply dry it off with a towel and you’re good to go!

How to Change Stoma Pouch

A stoma is an opening on the abdomen that can be linked to your gastrointestinal or urinary system. It gives way for waste such as urine and faeces to be abstracted away from your body. The appearance of the stoma is a lesser, pinkish, rounded piece of flesh that is attached to your body. Someone may need the stoma because of some conditions such as bowel cancer, bladder cancer, and inflammatory bowel illness.

The soma lacks nerve endings, and this makes it painless. Getting stoma attachment may be either temporary or permanent. Some of the common types of stoma include:

Colostomy

A colostomy is a process that involves pilling through the parts of your large bowel or colon from an incision formed on your abdomen to create a stoma. Colostomy exists in two forms, and they are.

End Colostomy

The procedure involves pulling through the end of one of your colons and sew it to your abdomen. The other part of the affected bowel is pulled out or given time to heal before it is stitched back together.

Loop Colostomy

It involves a process that pulls the looped portion of your colon to your abdomen. An opening is made next to the loop and then stitched to your stomach using a rod to rise it above surface level. The process is temporarily performed in case of emergency operation and can be reversed with a short period

IIeostomy

This is the second type of stoma that involves pulling the part of your ileum through an incision performed on your abdomen to create a stoma.

Urostomy

This process happens when your bladder is cut off due to illness such as bladder cancer. A small part of your bowel is pulled out through an opening created in your abdomen and attached to your stomach to create a stoma. The ureters are then removed from the bladder and stitched to the part of the bowel to create a urostomy.

How to change Your Stoma

Your stoma nurse will help you learn to clean your stoma and change your pouch. They help you to identify the best type of stoma that aligns with your health condition. Changing your stoma depends on how comfortable you feel. At first, changing the stoma may be a great hustle but once you are used to it only needs a few minutes to change the bag

Guidelines to Follow When Changing Your Stoma Bag

• Confirm that you have all the needed items with you to change the pouch successfully
• Ensure that you cut your stoma bag to the correct size
• Clean your hands properly before starting the procedure
• Gather some tissues or dry wipes around your waistband to avoid any spilling into your clothes
• Hold the skin around your stoma taut, and from the top, pull back the stoma bag slowly and cautiously using the adhesive remover spray.
• Dry your skin properly using dry wipe's and dispose of the used wipes
• To fix in your new stoma bag, fold back the wafer in half to link up the opening with your stoma. Starting from the bottom, move the bag over your stoma and even the wafer down to get rid of any creases or gaps.

When you are carrying out the whole process to replace your stoma calls for high hygiene maintenance. Ensure you always wash your hands before changing the stoma and after the process.

Advanced Procedure To Eliminate The Need Of Colostomy Bag After Colorectal Cancer Surgery

The rate of colorectal cancer is rising among adults between their 20s and 40s. This rate is, however, declining in the 55-plus age group. It means that a lot of adults who are yet to build families and carriers face a risk of this deadly condition. In most cases, they struggle with the idea of taking off and undergo treatment or surgery.

Furthermore, several experts raise concerns about the long-term impact on the quality of life after colorectal cancer surgery. This surgery most typically results in the creation of an opening in the abdomen to divert the flow of wastes from the lower diseased part of the GI tract. This lower part includes the rectum and anus. The waste then falls into a bag attached to the skin around the opening. It is called a colostomy bag.

Contrary to what most people believe, 80% to 90% of patients undergoing to remove a tumor from their intestinal tract will not need an ileostomy or colostomy. Doctors have been able to detect cancers earlier and remove them with high precision. Such a procedure often eliminates the need to wear an ostomy bag.

What may come as good news is that even a permanent ostomy doesn’t stop patients from doing what they love. In most cases, an ostomy is not even visible to anyone else.

Advanced surgery that can eliminate the need for an ostomy

Surgeons are now using an advanced procedure through which they spare sphincter muscles during surgery, even if they have to remove a tumor close to the anal canal.

A study based on the data between 1990 and 2010 suggests that about 67% to 73% of patients receiving colorectal cancer treatment underwent sphincter-sparing surgery. It is, however, worth mentioning that this procedure requires expertise beyond general surgery. So, you would need to consult a specialist surgeon if you want to have this treatment.

Before this surgery, doctors have to locate a tumor concerning a line that distinguishes between the rectum and anus. A patient is a candidate for this procedure if the tumor in his rectum is not growing into the sphincter muscles.

During surgery, the surgeon will disconnect the rectum from the anus and remove the tumor and surrounding cells. It may require an abdominal and anal approach during the procedure. After removing the cancer-affected part of the rectum along with the fat and lymph nodes, the surgeon will join the colon and the anal canal. This procedure eliminates the need to wear an ostomy bag after the procedure. You may have to have a temporary colostomy until the surgery site recovers.

A temporary ostomy will stay on your abdomen for 6-16 weeks, depending on your speed of healing. It also depends on whether or not the patient will have to undergo chemotherapy.

After the surgeon reverses your stoma, you can go to the toilet like everyone else. It will take some time for you to adapt to a bowel movement routine without your rectum. If you have any concerns or questions, you can ask your doctor or ostomy care nurse.

Back To The Workplace With An Ostomy

From the board room to the construction site, people with ostomy work every job. The change after ostomy surgery is the new normal that a person with an ostomy has to embrace to be able to live an active life, which also includes going back to work.

According to the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, your ostomy should not limit your return to work once you are recovered from surgery. The right time to return to work depends on your recovery, ease of ostomy pouch management, and the level of physical activity involved in your job.

You can choose to tell, or not tell, your employer or coworkers about your ostomy depending on your work situation. Most of the time, letting these people know about your condition can be beneficial because a person with an ostomy requires frequent breaks or other accommodations. Your coworkers might not know about your ostomy until you tell them.

Here are a few tips that can help you return to your workplace without any issues.

Be prepared

You will need to be fully prepared for any leaks, and its resulting requirements such as change or ostomy pouch and/or change of clothes. Preparing a backpack to deal with such circumstances can be plenty helpful in this regard.

Know your rights

American Disabilities Act gives you some legal rights against employment-based discrimination. Most of the people understand the situation, and they remain helpful instead of being harassers, but you should know the rights that protect you against any discrimination or bullying.

Dispose of or empty your pouch properly

During working hours, you may have to change or empty your pouch. Find an appropriate place where you can change or empty your ostomy pouch.

Find the best clothing for your job

If you are going to have to sit for long hours, you will need loose clothing. If your job requires you to bend a lot, you are going to have to wear an ostomy belt. You will need to pay specific attention to the skin barrier if you perspire during job hours.

Hydrate

An ostomy on the intestinal tract would mean that you will have to lose your entire or a part of your colon. One of the main functions of the colon is to absorb water from the stool as it moves towards the rectum. With the colon gone, your body will be deprived of a re-hydrator, which means you will be more susceptible to dehydration. Increasing water intake can help you avoid issues in your GI tract.

Caring For A Urostomy: Some Useful Tips

The more you learn about your urostomy, the more you will know that there is a lot to learn. In this article, we are going to talk about the ways to take care of your urostomy. It is worth mentioning here that every case is different from others, which means there are no set rules regarding how to take care of your urostomy perfectly. You can, however, get help from some general tips in this regard.

Emptying and changing a urostomy pouch

Before leaving the hospital, your nurse will teach you how to empty and change your urostomy pouch. You are not going to have to use sterile supplies to change the ostomy pouch. Daily use items such as facial tissue, toilet paper, or paper towel can be used to clean the skin around the stoma.

Emptying the pouch is a fairly easy process. Each urostomy bag has a drain valve at the bottom. You can open the valve to empty the bag any time you want. The frequency, at which you need to change the pouch, depends on your fluid intake.

To empty the pouch, sit as far back on the toilet as you can. Place a small strip of toilet paper inside the toilet to avoid splashing. Open the valve and empty the pouch right into the toilet. Close the valve after emptying the urostomy pouch, and dry the end of the valve using toilet paper.

When it comes to changing a urostomy pouch, you first have to keep in mind that different urostomy pouches are made to last different lengths of time. Some pouches require changing every day, some every three days, and some once in a week.

Before changing the pouch, get into a position that allows you to see your stoma. It doesn’t matter whether you sit, stand, or lie down; you just have to make sure that you can see your stoma while changing the pouch.

Before changing the pouch, clean your hands and put all of the supplies on a clean surface. You don’t want germs to get into your urinary system. Pick a time for pouch change when there is no urine left in your kidneys.

Use plain water to clean your stoma and the skin around it. Avoid using soaps that contain lotions, perfumes, and oils.

Protecting the skin around the stoma

The skin around the stoma should look the same as the skin anywhere on your body. That said, the peristomal skin, after being consistently in contact with the stomal output, can develop rashes, irritation, and other complications. That makes it crucial for the person with urostomy to ensure a tighter and leak-proof seal between skin barrier and the skin that comes under the skin barrier. For this purpose, the hole in the skin barrier must fit the shape and size of the stoma. An over-sized hole can expose the peristomal skin to the stomal output, which can lead to the urine spreading underneath the skin barrier. It will not only compromise the seal but will also lead to the irritation of the skin. The best practice is to change the pouch regularly.

Eating restrictions

A urostomy doesn’t have anything to do with whatever happens in your intestinal tract, which means that anything you eat is not going to have a direct impact on your urostomy. Unless you are suffering from a kidney infection that tends to get worse when you eat a specific type of food, you are good to go with your normal diet plan.

Stay in touch with your doctor

It is necessary to stay in touch with your doctor. Visit your doctor regularly to get your stoma checked for any infection.

Fall and your Stoma

This is my favorite time of year.  There is nothing more fun to me than enjoying the cool weather and all the social visits with friends and families.  And let's face it pumpkin spice is such a win.  But with this part of the year comes a lot of different foods and drinks and if you have a stoma, it may mean a whirlwind of changes.  Sometimes the extra food you eat can have some rather annoying side effects.  The reality of eating all of these new foods means you simply need to be a little more careful. 

 

I have to admit that my first few holiday seasons were met with me really being frustrated.  First I was frustrated because I was told to not eat most of the foods I really enjoy.  So that is what I did, I literally stuck with my strict diet.  My diet was not very fun and to be honest it made me stand out at my holiday parties and so on.  It was a bit frustrating.  I know that instead of learning more than I should of I simply just listened and didn't research on my own.

 

The next season instead of simply sticking to my insane diet, I went on the opposite end.  It was certainly a big issue because I went all out.  I just enjoyed all the foods I felt I had been stripped of.  Now I do not suggest this at all. I had so many digestion issues and let's face it I felt super fat.  No way was this a win in any shape and form.  And believe me it felt like I was shooting out my dinner and snacks like a rock.  So now you know a few different ways not to go out and enjoy the fall and holiday weather festivities. 

 

So I think that you should take a nice balanced approach to your ostomy care.  When it comes to the holidays, enjoy it in moderation.  That is what I think is the most important part.  Moderation is good for most things in life.  My ostomy does not hold me back, but the more I learn the more I am able to enjoy life.  I now know what had more fiber in it and it took years to learn.  So feel free to make mistakes.  It is not the end of the world, just bad sounds and feelings. 

 

I also suggest looking at what others are doing and not having to make all the mistakes on your own.  What I am talking about is doing self-research.  I think that going online and learning your social media outlets is a great start.  There are entire websites dedicated to diets and food knowledge for all types of ostomies.  It is really incredible how much knowledge we have.  IT is insane the knowledge that is available.  I suggest starting on the web.  Find a few good forums websites and learn what you can and then move on.

 

The next area that you should possibly check into is the social media side.  Youtube and Instagram are amazing for finding people who are willing to share their life with you.  Remember though that most of those people want to be paid.  So take everything with a grain of salt.