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.
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