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.