OSTOMY CARE
Tips and Tricks
How to manage day-to-day life after having ileostomy or colostomy surgery
There is a pretty steep learning curve for people who have had ostomy surgery—not only in dealing with the physical aftermath of the surgery itself, but in learning an entirely new way of taking care of oneself. Whether the reason for your ostomy is Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or colon cancer, the challenges are equally daunting.1 Your ET nurse has likely given you lots of instruction on how to care for your stoma and change your appliance, but what about the finer points of living life as a new baggie?
tips & Tricks
1. Avoiding Backsplash
If you find that emptying your bag results in splashing of toilet water, try flushing just as you empty. Emptying into the bowl as the water rushes down may help prevent backsplash. Another technique is to try sitting on the toilet backward in order to empty the bag.
Lay some toilet paper down over the water and up onto the front of the toilet seat. Empty down onto the paper instead of directly into the water.
2. Removing Hair Around Your Stoma
Most people have at least some fine hair on their abdomen, and some may have longer or coarser hair. The hair may not only impede the wafer from sticking to your skin, but it may also get pulled when you remove your appliance. To avoid this problem, talk with your ET nurse about the best hair-removal methods.
A common method to remove the hair is to use an electric shaver. This has the advantage of not using a blade. As a result, cutting the skin or damaging the stoma is less likely. If you remove your appliance before a shower, you may be able to gently shave the area using plain soap and with a razor that doesn’t have lubricants. Just once over the skin should suffice. Don’t irritate your skin with multiple passes.
If your skin is broken or compromised in any way, or you have an open wound, don’t shave. Consult your ET nurse instead.
3. Change on an Empty Stomach
The best time to change without any output is when you first wake up.2 If you stop eating a few hours before bedtime and get a full night’s sleep, output should slow down enough for you to get a change done. If you must eat upon waking but before a change, try a nutrient-packed food that will raise your blood sugar but not cause any immediate output, such as a spoon of peanut butter or a hard-boiled egg.
4. Change After a Shower
One way to change your appliance is to do so as part of your showering routine. You can remove the appliance while standing in the tub, and then take your shower bagless. If you change first thing upon waking, the output from your stoma should be minimal. Re-attach your appliance after stepping out of the shower.
This can help you get extra time out of your appliance because you are not showering while wearing it. In addition, exposing your skin to air helps it stay healthier.
Always Check with Your Ostomy Nurse
Sometimes, little tips and tricks can be helpful, but always do a sanity check with your healthcare team before making changes to your care regimen. The care of your stoma and your peristomal skin should always be the most important consideration.