Could you tell us what type of stoma it is? I have a colostomy and urostomy and had them placed in March 2020 so I’ve learned a great deal in the past 15 months and might be able to help. xx
Hi SN. I had a temporary ileostomy for nine months back in 2011, due to a bowel resection for severe Diverticulitis, so i know what it is like to live with one. For as long as i could get away with, i did not want to know about my stoma, and much less wanted to change the pouch. Then i got real, it was not going away, and i had to start dealing with it. My advice to you is to do the same. Learn to change it as quickly as you can, as you will get leaks, and this can get a little bit upsetting in the early days of living with a stoma. You do not say whether you are male or female, as if you are male, wearing a belt should be avoided, depending on the stoma site, as a belt sits right on top of said pouch. Try to change the pouch when your stoma is less productive, as this will make cleaning and applying a new one much easier. Also try to change after a shower, i got the shower head and sprayed into the pouch with some shower gel or similar, closed things back up and let things soak for a bit and then emptied in the shower (depending on which ostomy you have). This makes changing far easier. Preperation for changing pouches also is key, get all your sundries sorted and laid out close to hand as you do not want to be faffing about getting wet swabs etc etc and keep hands clean. Use the bendy sticky things, which i used to call bananas, as these will help with preventing leaks. Carefully shave around the site, gender dependent, if you would like to avoid wax type hair removal!. Keep persevering with your Stoma care and it will become your friend, and not something that should be hidden away. In fact i would show mine to anybody that asked to see it, as they are not something to ashamed of. Good luck.
The reversal was done in winter 2011, and i am for the most part fine now. Virtually the only issue i have is if i do not eat three square meals on one day, then breakfast the day after goes right through me so to speak.Good luck.xx
