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Most ostomy sufferers fear about life after an ostomy. What will or not it’s like? Will I’ve to alter a colostomy bag in public? How do you handle life with a bag connected to your stomach?
Whether your ostomy is short-term or everlasting, there’s lots to be taught. But inside just a few weeks, most sufferers are professionals.
After an ostomy, you are able to do all the things you probably did earlier than. You simply should be taught a few of the fundamentals lined right here. “You ought to be capable of dwell the identical life,” says colorectal surgeon Charles Friel, MD.
Stomas, and Pouches, and Wafers, Oh, My!
So, you could have a stoma — that raised, pinkish-reddish opening in your stomach that connects a part of your colon to the skin world. A sturdy colostomy bag hugs your stomach. It’ll maintain poop and fluids that come by the stoma till you may get to a rest room.
Common pouching methods have a flat or curved baseplate known as a wafer. This agency floor connects to the pouch and sticks to your stomach. You can get pouch covers or belts for further assist.
At UVA Health, we offer a assist crew and a category to get you began. It’s OK if it nonetheless feels somewhat bizarre. But as Friel notes, most individuals inform him, “It’s not as dangerous as I believed it might be.”
Who Needs to Know?
Tell your healthcare suppliers and pharmacists about your ostomy. It impacts therapy plans and adjustments how your physique absorbs medicines and vitamins. Your suppliers could advocate weight loss plan tweaks or choices like time-release capsules.
After that — past your partner and household — it’s as much as you. You could inform just a few trusted associates. Most pouches are odor-free and invisible to others.
You can inform curiosity-seekers you had stomach surgical procedure, with out particulars. You would possibly select to affix pleasant assist teams. Some individuals attain out to encourage and educate others in particular person or on-line. You resolve what you’re snug sharing.
A Good Fit
Newbies know your stoma-bump can poke by a pouch-opening known as a wafer. Of course, pouching-styles fluctuate. And some stomas shrink as they heal. If yours does, make an appointment along with your ostomy nurse for a refitting.
You shouldn’t want one other refit until you achieve or shed some pounds. Tell your suppliers if in case you have adjustments or challenges, comparable to discomfort or leaking.
Emptying Your Pouch
Pouch-emptying steps rely in your pouching system and sort of ostomy. Follow your nurse’s directions intently. Ask questions till you’re snug along with your routine.
After a colostomy, you might have a number of bowel actions a day, with some fluids. Some ostomy sorts have excessive liquid-waste outputs. You empty them extra usually.
When correctly fitted, ostomy pouches stop leaks. Even so, it’s finest to stop over-filling. Emptying extra usually additionally helps stop pores and skin irritation or leaking.
- Try to empty the pouch when it’s a couple of third of the way in which full.
- Empty your bag very first thing within the morning and examine it all through the day.
- Get within the behavior of emptying your bag earlier than you permit house.
- Empty the bag earlier than you go locations the place you possibly can’t simply attain a toilet.
Wash your fingers with cleaning soap and water. Dry them properly earlier than you empty the pouch. If you could have a bag with a clamp on the underside, you possibly can sit on or close to a rest room, or stand. Remove the clamp and slowly drain the pouch into the bathroom.
Some luggage detach and have a gap on the prime. Others have a rolled or folded “tail” with adhesive. Once you open the bag, slowly empty fluids and waste into the bathroom.
Clean the bag with wipes, rest room paper, or paper towels. Then, substitute the clamp or shut it, utilizing adhesive or different kinds of closures. Toss or flush disposables. Wash your fingers completely with cleaning soap and water.
How to Change a Colostomy Bag
Most individuals change an ostomy bag each 3 to five days or longer, relying on the pouching system and sort of ostomy. Organize provides in ways in which give you the results you want. Every pouching system is totally different. Your care crew will present you the way yours works.
Gather Supplies
Typical provides embrace:
- Disposable plastic luggage
- Ostomy wipes
- Soft fabric or paper towels
- An previous towel to face on
- Toilet paper
- Tissues or cups to catch stoma drainage
- New pouch
- Stoma powder or paste, and ostomy skincare merchandise
- Clean hand-towel or paper towels
- Scissors, if wanted
- Stoma ring seal, relying in your pouch fashion
- Stoma-measuring playing cards and pen, relying in your pouch fashion
Change Your Pouch
Use cleaning soap and scrub up.
- If you could have a ring-seal round your stoma, take away the ring.
- Remove your pouch. Keep the clip if it has one.
- Put the pouch in a bag and throw it within the trash.
- Clean the stoma and surrounding pores and skin with heat water and a clear fabric.
- Pat pores and skin dry with a recent towel.
- Throw disposables within the trash.
- Wash and dry fingers properly … once more!
When the Doctor Becomes the Patient
He’s handled individuals with colorectal most cancers for years. Then it was his flip.
Examine & Treat the Area
Your stoma must be pink or pink and moist. Somewhat bleeding is OK. Tell your supplier when you see black, blue, or purple pores and skin; a sore; or a rash. Your care crew will inform you when to contact your supplier. Your nurse will educate you about pouching methods and the place to search out them.
If it’s a one-piece pouch:
- Measure the stoma with a measuring card out of your nurse or suppliers.
- Select the round “ring size” cut-out opening that matches your stoma. Mark it with a pen.
- Using that circle as a stencil, hint it onto the wafer space on the again of your pouch.
- Cut the traced line to create a wafer opening to suit round your stoma.
- Remove your wafer’s backing to reveal the adhesive.
- If you’re utilizing a protecting barrier-ring between your wafer and stomach, take away the backing on either side to reveal its adhesive.
- Stretch the barrier-ring to suit the opening earlier than sticking it to the again of your wafer.
- Place the pouch in your stomach so your stoma pokes by the wafer.
- Hold the pouch down for about 30 seconds till it’s firmly connected to your pores and skin.
- Remove the backing from the border-tape round your wafer and press it down.
- If your pouch opens on the backside, ensure it’s closed earlier than rolling or folding the hanging “tail” upward.
- Some types have Velcro, adhesive, clips, or different methods to shut the bag.
Ostomy Clothing
You can maintain most of your favourite threads. Unless you put on clingy tops, a pouch isn’t noticeable. Some individuals choose dishevelled garments or garments with a better waistband. For added assist, you possibly can put on stretchy underwear that holds the pouch in. Lined swimsuits additionally conceal a pouch (sure, you possibly can nonetheless go swimming with an ostomy bag!).
You can store for post-ostomy underwear, swimwear, and sportswear. They’ll present further assist and a slimming look.