MY OSTOMY IS - Making Life Fit Into Your New Lifestyle

Living With An Ostomy-The Struggle

Living With An Ostomy, What's It Like

Living with an ostomy can be challenging at first, but many people adjust well over time. I have lived with mine now for almost 9 years.

Living with an ostomy can be very confronting and you will definitely be making some adjustments in your life.

It can sometimes be a large mental challenge as well. You need to develop routines that work for you.

Your husband, your wife, your significant other will be affected as well. It could be a challenge for them, as seemingly everything changes in and around things that you do or can't do anymore .

There are a number of support groups and resources available to help Ostomates cope with their new lifestyle

Living With An Ostomy

What Is An Ostomy?

An ostomy is a surgical procedure that creates an opening in the body for the purpose of attaching an external system, called a stoma, to collect body wastes.

The stoma is usually located in the abdomen and is connected to the intestine or urinary system.

An ostomy can be either temporary or permanent. It is typically performed as a last resort when other treatments, such as medication or dietary changes, have failed.

Ostomies are most commonly seen in people with inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.

Colostomy Supplies

The Decision To Have Surgery

Many people with an ostomy feel they have no choice but to have surgery. In some cases, surgery is the only way to save their life.

In other cases, it may be the only way to improve their quality of life. Either way, the decision to have surgery is a big one.

Before making a decision, it’s important to talk to your doctor about all of your options.

It’s also important to consider your own personal values and what you feel is best for you.

For some people, the thought of living with an ostomy is worse than the thought of surgery. For others, surgery may be too risky.

No matter what you decide, know that you are not alone. There are many resources available to help you through whatever decision you make.

Surgery Operating Theatre

The Surgery Itself

The surgery to create an ostomy is usually performed as a last resort when other treatments have failed. The surgery itself is not overly complicated and can be done in a matter of hours.

However, the recovery process can be lengthy and difficult, and there are a number of potential complications that can occur.

The surgery begins with the surgeon making an incision in the abdomen. The section of the intestine that needs to be removed is then isolated and cut away from the rest of the intestine.

The end of the intestine is then brought out through the incision, and a stoma (an opening) is created.

A piece of plastic or rubber tubing, called a stoma appliance, is then placed over the stoma to protect it and keep it from closing up.

Recovery and Life With An Ostomy

Home Care Nurse Ostomy

The journey to recovery after surgery can be long and difficult, but those with Ostomies can live full and happy lives. Here are a few things to keep in mind during your recovery:

1. Don't be afraid to ask for help. The road to recovery can be long, and you'll need all the help you can get. From family and friends to support groups, there are plenty of people who want to help you through this tough time.

2. Take things one day at a time. It's easy to get overwhelmed, but try not to focus on the big picture too much. Instead, take each day as it comes and celebrates the small victories along the way.

3. Be patient with yourself. It's normal to have good days and bad days, but don't get too down on yourself if things aren't going as planned.

Dealing With a Paristenial Hernias In a Stoma

A person with a parastomal hernia has a bulge near their stoma, where the intestine protrudes through the abdominal wall.

This can be painful and cause the skin around the stoma to break down. If left untreated, a parastomal hernia can lead to life-threatening complications.

There are several ways to treat a parastomal hernia. One is to wear a supportive belt or garment that puts pressure on the hernia and keeps it from getting worse.

Another option is surgery to repair the hole in the abdominal wall. This is usually done by placing a mesh over the hole and stitching it into place.

If you have a parastomal hernia, it's important to talk to your doctor about the best treatment options for you.

With proper treatment, you can live an active and healthy life with an ostomy.

A hernia occurs when an organ or piece of tissue protrudes through a weak spot in the abdominal wall.

Hernias are most commonly seen in the groin area, although they can also occur in the abdomen, chest, and diaphragm.

There are two types of hernias: inguinal and femoral. Inguinal hernias are the most common type, accounting for about 75 percent of all hernias.

Femoral hernias are less common but tend to be more serious because they are more likely to become incarcerated or strangulated.

Treatment for a hernia usually involves surgical repair. The surgery is typically performed as an outpatient procedure and takes about 30 minutes to an hour to complete.

Recovery from surgery is typically quick, with most people able to return to their normal activities within a week.

Tenbon Hernia Belt Truss for Men and Women Left or Right Side Supportive Groin Pain Truss With Removable Compression Pads BraceAbility Hernia Belt for Men & Women | Stomach Truss Binder with Compression Support Pad Hernia Belts for Men – Inguinal Hernia Support for Men Left or Right Side to Keep Inguinal/Groin Hernias in Place

Dealing With Body Image Issues

Body image is an important issue for many people, especially those who have recently undergone a major change to their appearance.

For someone who has just been through surgery and now has an ostomy, it can be difficult to feel comfortable in their new body.

Here are some tips for dealing with body image issues:

1. Talk to someone who understands. It can be helpful to talk to someone who has been through a similar experience, whether that’s a friend, family member, or support group.

They can offer understanding and advice based on their own experience.

2. Don’t compare yourself to others. It’s easy to look at other people and compare ourselves to them, but everyone is different and there is no “perfect” body type.

Accepting our own bodies the way they are is an important step in managing body image issues.

The Positive Aspects Of Living With An Ostomy

An ostomy is a surgically created opening in the body for the purpose of attaching an external pouch to collect waste. Ostomies are usually created following the removal of all or part of the colon, rectum, small intestine, or bladder.

The positive aspects of living with an ostomy are that it can improve quality of life and provide relief from certain medical conditions.

Living with an ostomy can be challenging at times, but there are also many positive aspects to consider.

For example, an ostomy can improve quality of life by providing relief from certain medical conditions such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or cancer.

In addition, an ostomy can allow people to lead more active lifestyles without fear of embarrassing accidents.

There are also many support groups and resources available for people living with ostomies.

Conclusion

An ostomy is a life-saving surgery that creates an opening in the stomach for waste to leave the body.

For many, this surgery is a last resort option. The good news is, there are millions of people living happy and healthy lives with an ostomy.

While an ostomy may seem like a daunting diagnosis, it is important to remember that you are not alone.

There are millions of people living with ostomies, and there is a large support community ready to help you through your journey.

With the right care and support, living with an ostomy can be a positive experience.

For further reading on my experience you can go to How To Get Through Radiation Treatments For Colorectal Cancer.

This gives you more insight into what your experience may be like. Another suggestion would be my post on the mental side of this whole thing,

Care For Mental Health of a Colostomy Patient-Two Sides to Examine

How To Get Through the Radiation Treatments for Colorectal Cancer

How Do I Bathe With An Ostomy-The Steps to Cleanliness

Bathe With an Ostomy-The Easy Way

When you talk about bathing with an ostomy I see it as two choices. Choice one is considered the easy way to bathe with an ostomy.

This choice the details would be-you are naked when you get in the shower or the bathtub with your ostomy pouch and wafer fully intact. Shower as a normal human would.

You wouldn’t be covering it up with a baggie, or any cover. You would be bathing like it wasn’t even there. You can get it all wet and wash it with soap shampoo etc without the fear of it being dislodged in the bathtub or your shower.

The Second Choice That I Offer

As your second choice, you may become deeply involved in removing your bag (ostomy pouch). This would be bagging up your pouch for disposal, actually disposing of it properly, and then cleaning your stoma up.

Then you are hoping that you don’t experience any releasing (going to the bathroom) while it is totally open to air and water. That could get kind of messy.

It is perfectly fine and safe to expose your stoma to submersion in a bath or to have it hit with flowing water in the shower.

Nothing will get inside of you by doing the bathing or showering without an ostomy pouch attached to you.

Then after your shower or bath is over you will need to get completely dried off.

Then all of your supplies will need to be used to get yourself back to where you need to be for your normal living routines.

Bathing Preparations for the Two Choices

Preparations for Choice #1
You will need a towel to dry off with and I usually use a hair dryer to dry very carefully all of the area around my stoma where the wafer is applied.
I also sometimes need a second smaller towel to hand dry the ostomy pouch. I squeeze it and rub it with a cloth towel to make sure the pouch is dry before I pull my underwear and pants over it.

Preparations for Choice #2
The preparations for choice 2 are much more involved. Here is a list to cover this.

You will need two towels-one for drying yourself off and one to help with cleaning up the extra water on the floor. This would be because you experience a sudden leaking and you need to get out of the water quickly.
You will need a roll of paper towels to clean up an unexpected leak
You have to gather up one wafer, and one ostomy pouch to be used
A Medline Wipe Protectant Skin Sureprep-to treat the area around the stoma before adhering the wafer to your skin
A plastic bag to put soiled paper towels in to properly dispose of and remove from the bathroom
A hair dryer to dry the area thoroughly before you apply the new ostomy wafer and pouch set

So it is easy to see that just in the preparation area that one choice is much easier than doing the other choice.

If You Need A Reason To Pick Choice 2

From the onset, it definitely is much easier to pick choice one. Just get in the tub or the shower. That is actually what I always do.

In fact, I will be very honest with you. I just will not do choice two because of all of the extra effort it takes to do the second choice.

So I would need a good reason why I would pick choice #2. After nearly 5 years of this living, I can see that I will be working towards choice two because my skin needs it.

The stoma is usually only open to air and water etc only an average of fewer than 30 minutes every week. It would do me some good to expose it to the elements. HaHa?

Most Important Benefit of Open Air Exposure

Stoma Discolored Skin

I seriously do see benefits to you to get your skin out there and put it into normally natural human situations. Skin does belong in the open air and with open exposure happening to it.

It is totally unnatural to have that part of my body covered up with a wafer and a pouch for the rest of my life. You have to figure out for yourself if it is worth the extra effort to be so inclined to perform choice #2.

Here is a collage of what you see normally when looking at an always-covered-up stoma. Does yours look like this then get Healthy? Uncover and bask in the sunlight and open air

I am committing to having healthier skin around my stoma. As you can see the area close to a stoma is indeed very different looking. Any picture I have ever seen of stomas, plus seeing my own all the time, is real.

You will notice that there is a purple pale color that is close to the stoma center.
It just looks unhealthy. So get healthier than you have been.

Helping You Maintain Your Stomas’ Good Health

So good health is something you wish to properly maintain. If so then you need to constantly be monitoring the health of your stoma and its relationship with your skin and your body in general.

Here are some preparations that I have used and that you too may be interested in purchasing to help you maintain your stomas’ health integrity.

Medline MSC1528H Sureprep No-Sting Skin Protectant, 28 mm MEDLINE MSC1500Z Sureprep Skin Protectant Wipe (50 pack)Medline Skin integrity Wound Cleansers, 16 fl oz.

Ostomy What To Eat-What Is Best To Eat With My Ostomy

I Have an Ostomy-What to Eat Is My Question

So now you have an ostomy. Many things are new to you. I found that one of the biggest things for me, when adjusting to the changes, was working on figuring out my diet.

Big Question is What To Eat?

It was noticeable to me within the first week of my ostomy being operational that some foods that I would eat, were responding differently for me than those same foods had before my colon operation.

This was noticed by me quickly because the changes created things that were bothersome and concerning as well. I knew at that point that this was and is a problem area that everyone was needed to pay special attention to.

Planning out things for better results could be done and should be done, to avoid any mishaps.

What To Eat Concerns With an Ostomy

So here is a list of the foods that involve me. Some situations you should be prepared to either avoid or learn to deal with.

Foods that used to not bother you at all, now are proving to be gaseous for you. I found as some examples of this would be fresh broccoli, while good for you and your diet, for me has proven to be an item that can and has produced extra amounts of gases in my ostomy pouch.
Another example which is easier to understand is beans. Beans such as baked beans (navy beans usually), kidney beans, or pinto beans. Maybe they produce smaller, less harmless farts for you, but for me it has been different. The difference for me is that now every ten minutes you have a large expanded ostomy pouch. One that needs attention by you. Is this what you need or want to do, maybe,? it’s your choice.
I have found that soups, stews, and foods like chili, go in your stomach as liquids mixed with some solids. However, they always come out through my pouch as quite a bit of liquid, much more than I really like to deal with.
Dairy products can be very interesting for you as well. I have found that ice cream definitely is diarrhea type discharge. Many cheeses like cheese that is (processed you know like cheese whiz), or Velveeta, or a cheese dip like a Frito Lay cheese dip or Tostitos cheese dip (those type of smooth liquid cheeses) will come as possible ostomy adventures.

So you can see just looking at this abbreviated list, that the foods you eat you will be dealing with, when it come time to empty your pouches. I guess this is just common sense. Be aware of this.

Some More Eating Examples For an Ostomy Owner

I have found some good examples of food not being a problem for me. Such foods as breads, pasta, potatoes, green beans, and salads, foods that possess a lot of roughage and carbs.

These foods (mostly vegetables) while very good for your health are also very good for a person with an ostomy. Your waste will be more solid, less gassy and much safer to deal with.

A Great Key Suggestion: You should go through what you are eating, as a project and for a few months keep track of what foods you eat, and how you respond to them.

I believe you will find that most foods will generally react now as they did when you had the normal waste management system.

But you also will find a few other things that you will need to realize and that you will probably naturally react to.
Here are the items that I find had the most profound of all of my new changes.

- Vegetables-Some foods just don’t digest well. So be prepared. Corn is one of those. I have also found that asparagus can be interesting for you as well.
- Soda or pop whatever you call it, basically carbonated drinks can create a lot of gas for quite a period of time. Many hours is what I am saying. Or things like sparkling water, or club soda, again the carbonation, be aware of.

Furthermore just so you get the idea even better I have put together a list of my foods and If they are affecting or have affected me since I have been living with my ostomy. You may click here to have a look at a closer look at foods I eat and how I respond to them in my blog post titled What I Eat-How Food Affects My Ostomy Pouch.

Eating with an Ostomy Can Be Very Interesting

So I have found that it is just not what you are eating, but when you are eating that can make a few changes seems probable for you.

What I mean is that what your daily life today is (as a single day unit) or you can look at your life for the next 5 days as a 5 day unit. How you are viewing your life, either as take it a day at a time or a block of 5 days at a time. Your view will cause how your approach to all ostomy things is and what it looks like.

This is what I am going to be discussing, so let’s go it over that now.

An Example: Example One

If my next three days, let’s say as an example, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. These next three days for me, are uneventful.

Nothing special is happening. I don’t have any meetings, any social gatherings, no road trips, nothing Nada. All perfectly normal.

So in this case, with my food I will be doing my normal 3 meals a day, with my Keto genic diet. The times are spaced out and my ostomy will respond as a normal time thing. No surprises should come up. Life is normal.

An Example: Example Two

Okay the second example is that the next 5 days are going to be on a road trip, visit my daughter 5 day event unit. So I have prepared for this. My eating alone should be kept under control.

It looks like this. Travel in a car, so the food to bring along is a few apples, some red grapes, and a couple of keto snack bars, and we will be taking along a case of bottled water.

To supplement the trip with food we will be stopping at a couple of often visited fast food type restaurants on the over 300 mile to trip visit our daughter.

Foods I in the the past included on a road trip, potato chips, corn chips, and then we always had a few 6 packs of bottled Coca-cola and or Sprite, root beer.

You Get the Picture

I don’t do soda or carbonated drinks on a road trip anymore. This lets to my pouch filling up with gas very often. That makes sitting and driving uncomfortable.

The visit with my daughter will be mostly eating out at a few local diners, or others like that. I try to eat sensibly and I certainly do not eat soups, stews, cheese dips, or things that will cause more gases or a more loosening of the feces waste.

Why because I am now dealing with changing, and emptying my ostomy pouch in strange bathrooms. This is always just not as comfortable as what I have set up at home.

Summation of Ostomy What To Eat Thoughts

Just my siting a few simple example you can see, that what you eat with an ostomy pouch can be something you need to pay attention to.

There are many situations that you always need to address, it’s just a matter of how successfully you navigate those waters that will matter.

Yes you can do it, using my easy to apply, common sense tips on living with an ostomy in 2018.

What I Eat-How Food Affects My Ostomy Pouch

Proteins to Start My List Of Ostomy Foods

These are a few things that I eat in my diet. This list is far from complete. These are the only foods that I can share because they are my foods, my diet.

I am sure of this if you are looking at my list, it is just that it is my list, so here goes. I am likely to find that with different cultures and different countries and different foods that the list is only the tip of the iceberg.

Much more can be contributed to this page. Please share in the comments.

With the list, I will list food, and then I list a comment or comments about how my ostomy pouch and my body response to or handle this food.

Turkey-light concerns-a little more leaning towards diarrhea
Chicken-everything has been fine
Steak-everything has been fine
Ham-everything has been fine
Beef Roast-everything has been fine
Crab-everything has been fine
Lobster-everything has been fine except very rich butter sauce has lead to looser stools
Pork Chops-everything has been fine

Basically, most meat proteins have been fine, no problems however, please remember that you shouldn’t be eating more than 6 oz. of meat protein per meal.

This is a healthy recommendation. In fact, I have found that meat seems to solidify my excrement in my ostomy pouch.

Vegetables

A vast assortment of vegetables that I eat. Many are listed but I am very sure, there are many more veggies that other people eat all the time that I never consume.

So the list is only of ones that I have exposed myself to.

Potatoes-everything has been fine
Broccoli-as mentioned earlier this has caused a small amount of increased gaseous activity for me
Cauliflower-everything has been fine
Corn-fine as far as no extra gases, but it is usually passed solid and it has a tendency to make you pass more feces more often. I guess kind of like a laxative but not as active as a laxative.
Green Beans-everything has been fine
Tomatoes-everything has been fine
Tomato sauce-used in sauce type dishes which unfortunately do produce more of a looser stools situation.
Acorn Squash-everything has been fine
Zucchini squash-everything has been fine
Romaine Lettuce-what can I say about romaine lettuce. This isn’t meant to be too detailed, but at times it causes as kind of a string to be left and undigested. I probably need to chew it better or cut into smaller pieces when it is prepared. Stringy is hard when you are trying to empty the pouch.
Celery-everything has been fine
Beans navy baked- are almost instantly extra gassy and will last very actively for sometimes up to 4-5 hours. Not much fun, but sometimes I just have to include in a meal choice.
Pinto Beans- a little bit of gas but not as much as the navy/baked beans
Green peas- similar acting to corn. in fact almost identical to corn in it’s behaviour.
Cabbage-very gassy. Started almost immediately and last probably 3-4 hours as well.
Brussel Sprouts- very nearly the same as cabbage is. gassy to a fault.
Onions-everything has been fine
Garlic-everything has been fine as long as quantities are lower for me. Higher quantities make me a little ill
Carrots-everything has been fine

Dairy

Cheese sticks-everything has been fine
Processed white and yellow sliced-everything has been fine
Mozzarella Cheese
Milk-everything has been fine. Again in limited quantities
Cream Heavy-love delicious homemade whipped cream. But to need to limit as the ostomy will not like the rich liquid.
Butter-in keto a major item, but I have not had any problems with.
Ice cream-definitely a problem as far as does lead to more of an upset stomach feeling and slight cramps with the stoma. These cramps are hardly ever experienced but when I do then they are very painful. I almost always need to lay flat to alleviate the cramps.

PreFab/Prepared Meals/Boxed Meals

Hamburg Helper-not any problem, but honestly almost never have as a meal anymore.
Rice Sides-everything has been fine
The Gravies-no problem as long as I keep the quantity low and reasonable
Apple Sauce-looser stools. really hardly ever eat.
Fettuccine Alfredo Sides-everything has been fine
Stuffing-everything has been fine
Bread-everything has been fine
Hummus-use in moderation, so no problem
Frosting-sweet, no problem. but very limited in every eating any.
Ice cream cake-same as ice cream can be a problem. sweet and too much dairy causes stomach cramps sometimes and looser than normal stools. Only for a birthday.

Spices

Spices, in general, don’t seem to affect anything in either direction for me. But I have found they are invaluable in helping with preparing the Keto Genic diet food I prepare. It makes the food recipes work better. But no effect on the pouch.

Fruits

Apples-everything has been fine
Strawberries-just noticed more grit in the emptying the ostomy pouch.
Red Grapes-like with strawberries when emptying the ostomy pouch everything is a bit grittier than from other normal foods. The small seeds are still there.
Pineapple-everything has been fine
Watermelon-the main thing here was that I needed to pee more often and I did have a few larger bag emptying sessions if I ate a large piece of melon.

Other Foods

Bran Muffins-extra fiber extra help in firming up things for you.
Juices green vegetable juicer juices-they are extra healthy but they are all liquid. This did lend itself to being looser stools, and some more gases being released
Isagenix Isalean shakes-protein shakes-or any other high fiber mixed shake drinks. A meal of itself a protein shake. These have lead me to be gassier at times as well as I do get looser stools when I drink them.
Spaghetti-tends to make things a bit looser for me.
Noodles-everything has been fine
Cookies-no effects from cookies. The exception would be they usually are invading and destroying a diet for me

My Summation

In summary, it appears from my experience that if I consume foods that have more liquid, my stools will be looser. More solids like meats and things go to the firmer side.

But to me, the thing that bothers me more than this is the gassy situation. Sometimes for hours, I keep going to the bathrooms to release the gases from my ostomy pouch.

This is always embarrassing since it seems that no small amount of air freshener will handle the smells anywhere nearly as effectively as I wish they would. Very smelly and very embarrassing at times.

At the end of this discussion please remember I am only discussing openly with you the way it is for me. One single person with an ostomy.

I believe we all have some things very much in common, but please allow your individuality in looking honestly at you and your personal life. God Bless!