Ostomy: Things You May Want To Know

It is natural to have apprehensions about your life after ostomy surgery. Some adjustments are going to be inevitable, as those can help you get used to your ostomy. You may, however, wonder whether your day-to-day life will be completely different after surgery. In this article, we will discuss a few concerns that you might have about your life after ostomy surgery.

What is an ostomy?

A surgically-created opening that allows bodily wastes to leave the body is known as an ostomy. An ostomy can be different types, depending on the location of the affected area. These types include the following.

• Colostomy: It is the ostomy that brings an end of the large intestine out through the abdominal wall.
• Ileostomy: This ostomy brings the end of the small intestine through the abdominal wall, bypassing the entire colon.
• Urostomy: This ostomy connects ureters to the abdominal opening to allow urine to pass out without proceeding to the bladder.

The reason you may be getting an ostomy can be cancer in the bowel or bladder, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulitis, injury, or other health conditions. Depending on the reason, your ostomy can be permanent or temporary. Your healthcare provider will decide whether you need a permanent or temporary ostomy.

You may feel like one of the rare people to have an ostomy, but it is not the case. The reason you may feel like this is that most people figure out how to conceal their ostomy bags.

Will you be able to tell anyone that you have an ostomy?

At first, you might not be comfortable telling others that you have an ostomy. It’s because adjusting to life with a requirement to carry an ostomy bag the entire time generally seems daunting to every new ostomate. With the use of the right supplies, nobody will be able to tell that you have an ostomy. You will also learn about using those supplies the right way over time.

Whether you should tell others about your ostomy is entirely up to your preferences. The fact of the matter is that you can hide your ostomy bag even at the time of swimming. You will need to go for a swimsuit that fits your requirements.

Gas and odor are among the most fearsome concerns that people with ostomies face. Fortunately, gas filters allow you to prevent ostomy odors most of the time. These charcoal filters allow gas to escape from them, but they do not let odors to leave the pouch. How well you can manage your ostomy also depends on the type of ostomy appliance you use. Make sure to discuss with your nurse regarding the type of ostomy appliance that you can use.

Will you be able to live a normal life?

Except for the postoperative recovery phase that may last up to six weeks, you can have your preferred lifestyle. The only change in your life will be the addition of an ostomy care regimen, which will become second nature over time. You will be able to eat your favorite foods, exercise, be in a physical relationship with your spouse, and have social interactions without letting your ostomy to become an interruption.

If you have any concerns regarding this matter, you may want to discuss them with your doctor or ostomy care nurse.

Ostomy Bag Changing Frequency

The frequency of the bag change doesn’t have a consensus, but most patients tend to change the bags about three times a day, every other day, every few days, or sometimes once a week for a few people. However, you should not exceed seven days.  There are varying factors which play into here, including the frequency of the bag change, and the durability of the pouch as well.

Your stoma will work shortly after the operation, usually within a few days.  Usually, it’ll smell strongly since your bowel hasn’t worked for a bit.  But sometimes you might see blood mixed with this.  but you should notice that the consistency will thicken after a bit, and the smell will dissipate as you eat a more balanced diet.  It’s also likely that a certain amount of wind might come from the stoma, and that’s normal. The frequency changes of bags depends on your diet too during all of this, and of course, your hygiene habits along with the routine you have. Ostomy surgery will alter the urine or the fecal elimination, which forces that person to learn the physical skills in order to manage the ostomy, fecal, or urinary expelling due to the peristomal skin that’s there and what’s produced. Clients with new ostomies must master the psychomotor skills in order to take the pouch off, clean it, and from there, dispose of this from the pouch as well. There are a few variables which go into it that are worth mentioning how they affect your ostomy experience.

Now first, you’ll want to look at when you want to empty the pouch.  Every pouch is different, and usually, the feces are watery at first when the stoma works.  Usually, the nursing staff helps until you’re ready.  You should establish a routine for changing the bag and keeping it simple, and you’ll get used to it, especially when you’ve used it a bit.  Usually, you’ll want to change it after a meal, or when it’s more active.

Don’t choose the time to change your bag but do it when you feel like you have to, such as first thing in the morning.  You should make sure that you have everything on hand before you empty to make it better for you.

Usually, for colostomies, your stool will be loose, so you might have to 3-4 times a day at first. As it thickens, empty it two times a day.  You should change the skin barrier every 5-7 days.

For ileostomies, it might be 6-8 times a day, and as it thickens up, you might do it 4-5 times a day, and the skin barrier should be every 3-4 days.  You should always check the pouch level and feel it.  You need to check it when you feel like you might need to, and sometimes, you’ll need to empty it between one to three times each day as needed.

With colostomy bags, usually there are period of inactivity over the day, and sometimes, this is usually based on your bowel habits. In contrast, the ileostomy movements are looser, and they don’t pass through the colon, which means that there isn’t much of a stool consistency. The volume might be a little bit more, so definitely keep this up.

Usually, the best way to determine is to look into it and figure out for yourself what the best way for you to do it is. 

Basic courtesy with Ostomy

Seeing people with an Ostomy for the first time brings up many memories.  There can be many different reactions especially from all types of ages.  The greatest fear is that someone points it out and usually a child being completely honest starts making fun of it.  People are known to get embarrassed quickly and if you are new to it and still emotionally scared by the fact that you have an Ostomy it can be hard to deal with.  On the flip side of this equation is that many people go so far as to be rude by being polite.  It is ironic that people instantly move into the stigma that anyone with a Ostomy is handicapped or basically a parapalegic in their mind.

It is human nature to see something different and instantly attribute it as a weakness and want to feel sympathy.  That is a the natural feeling and most people will stay in that emotional state until they are told to knock it off by a friend. The reality is that when something it different, they person is not treated the same.  It wouldn’t matter if it was an ostomy or a cast on the leg.  The response we have gets more extreme the rarer it is we see it. 

When someone is doing maintenance on with a little bit of ostomy care in the bathroom people lose their mind.  The natural reaction is to simply run away.  This is why new comers who just got an ostomy and are learning to deal with their stoma sometimes have trouble getting in the routine.  They can walk into a bathroom and need to meantness by the sink and people will give them looks that they never images they would see.  Worst they get called out for doing things that are normal ostomy care maintenance and are ostracized for it.

So the next time you run into someone who has a Ostomy, or is dealing with their Stoma in the bathroom. Be nice, be kind, and for goodness sake be normal.  Don’t call them out, say hey and go about your business, because they are simply going about thiers.  Nothing is really different about them or you except what extra made up handicap you want to put on them. 

We are all human, some just walk around with a small bag.  We are all the same and want to be treated with the same decency and respect, so don’t forget to show to everyone.

You just got an ostomy what now?

Life changing circumstances are never an easy adjustment.  It is not unreasonable for a person to get their first stoma to go through a range of emotions that similarly are regarded as a tragedy. It is in no way an overstatement and anyone who is going through the transition to getting a stoma needs love and understanding. Getting into ostomy care and psychologically coming out on top is a journey.  The change of bodily functions is more than just going through say a broken bone or a sprained ankle.  Granted those are painful and very difficult injuries,  but generally life gets back to normal after rehabilitation is over.

So understand a new ostomy patient will most likely be overwhelmed and in need of emotional support. They need to feel that it’s normal to be overwhelmed because it is! Some have just lost their bladder or bowel and in some cases have been diagnosed with cancer.  Make sure you have a nurse that is certified in this area and has empathy.  If they don’t get a new one and fast.

During this time they will be grieving. Rather the patient is showing it or not they are feeling a loss and need to be consoled.  This is best done with knowledge and accurate information.  Be honest, and dispel the false information about ostomy care.  Take the honest route and teach.  Let them know how things work and how to overcome issues and smells by propper care. So if they have made a mistake and the smell is rampant, don’t walk in the room and chide them, or constantly spray oder eliminator before you even talk to them. Take this time as a teaching and learning experience. Find out what went wrong and let them fix it so they are able to keep it from happening when they don’t want it to. 

Don’t overwhelm the new patient.  If this is their first time. The information can be incredibly overwhelming and complicated.  Take small lessons and teach with grace and understanding.  Remember not everyone learns the same way.  Some need to hear the information before understanding. Some need to visualize it with charts and graphs.  There are also kinesic learners that need to actually do it to learn.  They must be active in the process or they simply don't get it.  Don’t get frustrated, get smarter and become a better teacher.  Remember most of all be kind.