When it comes to having an ostomy for the first time, it will be a learning process in order to maintain it starting from the moment surgery has been completed. Regardless of the reasons for an ostomy, the amount of problems one could experience may be the same. It is important to take the advise of your ET nurse seriously when it comes to the care and maintenance of your ostomy supplies and stoma. However, there are a few other tips to consider as you go about your day such as these six.
1. Preventing Messy Backsplashes
Having a potential mess on your hands is bad enough, so you shoudn´t have to worry about making more of a mess with a backsplash occuring while emptying. To prevent it, you can simply flush the toilet simultaneously with emptying. Besides this method, you could also straddle the toilet facing the wall and then empty. Make sure to place toilet paper into the bowl first and then empty on the toilet paper.
2. Eliminating Hair at the Stoma Site
An ostomy patient will typically use an electric shaver to eliminate hair at the stoma site. The best benefit to this is not having a blade to worry about. With that, you eliminate any chance of cuts ocurring around the stoma. If you clean the stoma while showering, then you can shave the area at the same time. Just make sure to be gentle so that skin irritation does not occur.
3. Replace the Bag Before Eating
To get the best results it is best to replace the ostomy bag before you eat or after waking up. By not eating before you go to bed, you shouldn´t have to worry about the output before changing. If you are too hungry to wait for a change, then eating something that is full of nutrients is recommended so that the output will not occur quickly.
4. Replace Following Your Shower
If you don´t want to change your bag while showering, you can do it afterwards. Now that your stoma area is nice and clean and shaven, you can easily attach a wafer and bag. By waiting after, you are getting more use out of the bag by not having it attached, thus keeping it cleaner longer. Plus, having fresh air on the stoma keeps it at its healthiest.
5. Making a Bump Work
Every stomach is not going to be a flat surface if you have had multiple surgeries. So if you have issues with a bump in the stoma region and are unable to place the wafer flat, you can make a slit that will make it more flexible. Only one slit should be sufficient so that you don´t run a risk of a leak.
6. Using Chemical-Free Wipes
Your ET nurse should remind you to only use wipes that are chemical-free, such as saline wipes. If you use baby wipes, then you will run a risk of having residue left behind. If this happens, then you will also have a harder time with the wafer sticking to your skin. In order to achieve a truly clean area it is best to use just water. However, you can use saline as well as an option. Normal saline can be found in any pharmacy.
Crohn's Chronicle 