Tips To Live With A Colostomy

It may seem difficult to adjust a life after ostomy surgery, but it is not impossible. It is indeed a significant life change that can result in short-term anxiety, but a little practice and patience will help you adjust to living with an ostomy bag. You will be able to lead an active and healthy life without having to worry about your stoma the moment managing your colostomy bag becomes your second nature.

Read the following tips to have an idea regarding how to live with a colostomy.

Show anticipation to the healing process

You have this ostomy, which is a result of a surgical procedure. Every surgical procedure weakens the body and makes the person unfit for routine activities. With a newly created colostomy, you can expect your bowel to lose tolerance, at least for the postoperative recovery period. You will need to remain calm and allow your bowel to recover. If you have any concerns, you should discuss them with your doctor or ostomy care nurse.

Change in the bowel functions and habits

With a colostomy, your bowel may develop new habits to continue functioning. For instance, the consistency of your stool will not be as hard it was before surgery. You may also have frequent bowel movements. You will need to adapt to these changes to manage your bowel movements in a more effective manner. Your ostomy bag will be of significant help because it will take care of the bowel movements until becoming full.

Go for a healthy and balanced diet

Although your colostomy will not restrict you to a specific diet plan for a lifetime, you will need to follow a stricter diet plan until your bowel recovers. Furthermore, your bowel habits will change permanently after surgery, so you will need to be mindful of your eating habits. You do not want to have an odor or gas problem with your colostomy. You will also need to avoid blockages. As far as the gas and odor are concerned, you will have to limit the consumption of foods that cause these problems. Blockage generally occurs due to high-fiber intake, but it doesn’t mean that you should avoid eating fibrous foods entirely. You may want to eat in small amounts throughout the day to give your bowel some time to process what you eat. It will not take long for you to configure your food intake routine right according to your body requirements.

Pay attention to the impact of medications

Some of the medications that you have been taking before surgery might prove to be problematic for your digestive tract after surgery. Some medicines may cause constipation, while some might result in diarrhea. You will want to avoid both these problems to prevent any discomfort. Discuss your medication with your doctor to find more suitable alternatives.

Use an appropriate ostomy pouch

You will need to use a pouching system that works well with your ostomy. For this purpose, you will have to take into consideration the type and consistency of the stomal output. You may want to discuss pouching systems with your ostomy care nurse.

Traveling with an Ostomy

When you travel, one big concern for ostomates, is the best way to do it when driving or flying. There is the security issue, privacy, and of course hygiene that you have to worry about.  This travel ban does also bring other problems, but once it’s lifted, you might want to plan how to travel so it doesn’t limit the experiences. 

While it isn’t ideal to travel currently, you might want to consider shorter trips from home, and here, we’ll highlight what you can do.

Here’s some general information on what to do for drying ad flying.

First, your GP will tell you when you can drive once again. Until then, have someone else drive you.  You need to be able to control the vehicle effectively, and not be under the effect of medicines that’ll make you tired. You should feel comfy when you drive and be able to stop with confidence. You should also let your car insurance company know about this, so they can tell you how long you should wait before driving.

You may have to wait for your follow-up which is in about 4-6 weeks before you can fly out. If you need to fly sooner, you should wait minimally 10 days after surgery, depending on what you did have. This is because of the air pressure causing the intestines to expand, which does cause pain and might stretch the wound. You also might be at a higher risk for blood clots, so make sure to wear compression stockings, and move your legs around more.

So how do you get through TSA? Well, first and foremost tell them you have an ostomy pouch and letting them know which areas are painful to touch.  You should also arrive early, so that the liquid medicines that you do carry are screened and tested early on before anything else.

The big thing you’ll want to do is plan ahead.  Create a checklist on your daily routine, and pouch changes in order to remind yourself on what you need.  You’ll want to consider pouches, a skin barrier, skin protective wipes, stoma collars, disposal bags, and whatnot.  Also, don’t forget to take different-sized pouches, such as a smaller one for bigger activities, or a bigger one for longer periods of time.  You should  count your pouch changes you’ll make, and make sure you have the right number on hand, so you’re comfy and prepared.

For those with ileostomies, there is a chance that leakage might occur at night.  If you need to, consider a plastic mattress cover or sheet in order to prevent damage.

There is also the dehydration aspects, so make sure that you drink a lot of fluids, in order to maintain proper hydration.

If you have a colostomy, there is a chance that the change in wind or cabin pressure can create wind.  This is a big problem for those with a colostomy. Try to avoid anything with excessive carbonation or eating too quickly.  Try to void swallowing air as much as you can.

Finally, for those with urostomies, make sure you drink a lot of water, and keep up with the skincare, especially if it’s warm.  If you do feel ill, see a doctor, since a urinary infection might be happening.  You might want an overnight drainage bag, or a leg bag with you, since that can be used for extended periods of time.

All of this will make traveling much easier, and you should always consider it before you begin the process of traveling, since it’ll make things much better for you too.

The Best Superfoods for ostomy Health

There are some digestive challenges for those with ostomies, especially since there is the accumulation of gas and odor to worry about, which can impair your private and social life, which also might create physical and mental health challenges.

Ostomy disrupts the digestive process, especially if it causes nutritional deficiencies that if not managed properly can negatively impact your life. Superfoods are some of the best things for you to have, and here, we’ll highlight the role of these for ostomy health.

Superfoods are mostly plant-based foods, renowned for their nutritional density, and although superfoods are not restricted to criteria or factors to qualify as a superfood, the health benefits of certain foods do stand out, so it’s important for those with digestive issues, especially after surgeries such as ostomies, to figure out what to do.  Here, we’ll highlight the best superfoods to create great ostomy health.

First, we have barley.

Barley is a high value food for ostomates, since it contains folic acid, and vitamin B6. It also contains minerals including calcium, potassium, and magnesium. The fiber is good too to help with intestinal obstruction. It does bind with water to help slow down the digestive process, and it can help with colonic flora which will help with resolving the abnormalities in the mucosa in those with ulcerative colitis.  It also will help with lowering cholesterol levels, and blood pressure too. Barley is a superfood that shouldn’t’ be discounted, since it does work wonders, and helps with many different aspects of this.

Chia o chia seeds are another great ostomate superfood. It’s great because of the fiber content which helps with constipation. There is also plant based omega 3s which will help with the bones, brain, and the heart of course.  This is good because it has a higher protein content than most cereals and grains.  This is soluble, and also has insoluble fiber in it.

Bananas are filled with a bunch of potassium, but for ostomates, it helps in another way.  It is good for those ostomates with a liquid discharge, since this can be used for those with hyperacidity issues, and of course will help to balance out the fluid and electrolyte balance.  This can help with digestive health, and of course weight control too.

Sprouts are a superfood that people normally don’t’ talk about. This is one of the best cause it contains nutrients that are readily available in much higher levels than typical seeds, where it contains a source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and of course, essential supplements. They’re highly nutritious, contain lots of protein, reduces starches in the body, and it can help control flatulence better than other legumes do.  This also helps with improving the bacteria in the gut, and it can help to prevent the proliferation of toxins and harmful organisms that cause food poisoning.

Finally, there is kelp.  This contains iodine, which is necessary for our thyroid, and for our metabolism too.  It’s called edible seaweed, and full of a bunch of healthy vitamins and minerals that you should definitely look into.

Superfoods should be a part of your diet but understand that a lot of these can affect the acidity of the body, so make sure that you don’t’ overeat these.  As an ostomate, it’s good to consider these, but also tomatoes, garlic, onions, nutritional yeast, fatty fish, coconut, eggs, blueberries, and also sweet potatoes. Remember, your nutrition matters as an ostomate, and if you’re not taking control of it already, that’s something you should definitely consider doing.