Here is important information from Cleveland Clinic:
Adjusting to Life With an Ostomy Bag: What To Expect
It can be hard to get used to the bags, but the freedom they provide is worth the challenge
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/if-you-have-a-colostomy-bag-embrace-the-freedom-it-offers If you have a colostomy bag, embrace the freedom it offers
Managing After Colon Surgery
After colon surgery, the thought of having to wear a colostomy bag is one of the most distressing (to say the least) thoughts you'll ever have. It will be a combination of 'chaos and grief' in your mind. Questions, jumbled thoughts, and a deep concern all rolled into one.
Other Supplies You Will Need Include
- Cleaners
- Deodorants
- Bonding adhesives
- Adhesive removers
- Odor removers
- Skin barriers
Changing a Colostomy Bag
You will almost gag the first week or so that you start to change your ostomy bag by yourself because of the strong stench that 'hits' you. But no worries . . . you will get used to that soon enough.
- Ensure the stoma and its surrounds are shaved occasionally to avoid hair pulling when you change your ostomy bags.
- Avoid nicking the stoma whilst shaving to avoid bleeding. Remember the stoma has no pain sensors; you won't know until you notice bleeding.
- If the bleeding becomes severe, get medical assistance ASAP
- Don’t be alarmed if you notice minimal bleeding sometimes. Most times, it’s nothing to worry about and it will stop almost as soon as it happens.
- Try to stand erect when installing your pouch. You don't want to create folds on your skin which hampers perfect adherence of the sticky faceplate.
- Apply your colostomy bag to clean, dry, oil-free skin. You need maximum adherence.
- The stick-on types come with a template in the pack. This template has different sized holes. Find the hole that closely fits your stoma and use this to cut out your stoma size on the waxy faceplate. Ensure it’s not cut tight or it will cause bruising if it pinches the edges of the stoma.
- If need be, apply a bit of stoma paste around the edge of the cut-out hole. This acts as a seal for protection against any faecal leakage.
- Ensure the opening for draining the bag hangs straight down; this makes it easier to clean out between changes.
- Always make sure you securely clamp (or fold over & Velcro-fix) the bottom of drain-able colostomy bags. You don't want horrible mishaps, like leaks!
- If you feel an itchy sensation in the area of the face plate, don't feel tempted to remove your bag and scratch. The best way to ease this is to apply pressure and gently rub over the spot that itches. Don't scratch around the stoma ring or it will bleed.
- Your bag will get filled with air (you still pass gas!) and tend to balloon out every now and then, especially if you take fizzy drinks. You'll need to expel this air. It is simple if you use drainable bags. Just sit on the toilet, facing its back, the same way you'd sit when emptying it. Un-clamp the bag, tilt the end up, then gently push out the gas by using the palm of your hand in a slow sliding motion . . . up to down . . . while the gas bleeds out. Expel all built-up gas.
- Carry a couple (at least) of extra colostomy bags with you AT ALL TIMES, whenever you go out. You can never be too careful. Today's ostomy supplies are so compact, you can have them in a purse or even your pocket. In the event of an emergency, you will be glad you did.
- One point to note, if you are going out for a meal or expecting guests for dinner (for instance), change or empty your bag before the meal. From experience, waste is expelled almost immediately after eating, so it’s good to have ample space for it.Wearing colostomy bags because of colon surgery need not hamper your usual habits as long as you eat and drink sensibly.
There are no hard and fast rules about diet but if you keep to a simple diet and ensure proper stoma care by keeping it clean around the hole, you will be fine, and chances are that many times you’ll forget you are wearing a colostomy appliance.
Food consumption: Consume smaller meal portions every day. Eating four to six smaller meals a day is much more beneficial in that it allows for improved absorption of the necessary nutrients in the foods, and it also ensures that the elimination of waste is easy and effortless.
Fibre intake: Reduce your fibre intake. Wheat products like oats, maize, and wholegrain breakfast cereals, all high in fibre, must be taken in moderation. Eliminating waste resulting from the consumption of excessive fibre is hard on the stoma, especially in the early weeks following surgery. Hard stool will be too stressful on a recovering bowel. It is best to wait until your stoma nurse or doctor says it is okay to consume fibrous foods and vegetables. In my case, I was off such foods for the first six weeks.
Mastication: Chew your food thoroughly and completely, whether it is tender meat, chicken, fish, raw carrots, nuts, etc... Mastication must be complete. You don’t want your stoma "popping" out corn kernels! Thorough chewing is the most important aspect of a post-colostomy surgery diet. It has been said that the recommended number of times that food must be chewed before swallowing is not less than 25 times. And this especially applies to beef. Proper mouth-grinding of food allows for better absorption and easy digestion, making waste elimination easy on the stoma.
J Pouch diet: This ostomy diet consists of soft foods are great and gentle on the stomach. They include highly nutritional smoothies, blended juices, thick soups, broths with chunks of vegetables, and slowly cooked menus. These digest faster, easier and better and make waste elimination virtually stress-free for your stoma.
What to avoid: If you can, try to avoid fruits, drinks, or foods with high acidic content. If, on the other hand, you cannot, take them in moderation or keep consumption to the barest minimum. However, moderation is key.
Fluids: To avoid the risk of dehydration, take a minimum of seven glasses of water a day. If you love fruit juices, you can substitute a couple of glasses of water with non-acidic fruit juices. The colon absorbs water in the body, and when it is undergoing a healing process, though it may not be functional because of your colostomy, additional water intake is essential.
Beef and poultry: Meat, chicken, and other animal products must be cooked tender. Cut them into small pieces before popping them into your mouth because larger, tougher pieces may clog the stoma. Some colostomy patients have had to return to the hospital for complications arising from an obstructed stoma, and you don't want that to happen to you.
Further reading:
How I Managed My Pouch and Stoma After Colon Surgery
6 Problems to Expect If You Have a Colostomy
Colostomy Nutrition Plan: A Helpful Guide
Tips
- Eat and drink moderately.
- There are no special foods to eat or not.
- It’s more about the types of foods and drinks to avoid or take in moderation.
- Carbonated drinks will cause colostomy bag ballooning and gas build-up.
- Be content with just half a glass of fizzy drinks.
- Eat steak sparingly. It can cause constipation which puts a strain on your stoma.
- Eating healthy will help patients with a temporary colostomy heal faster.
J Pouch Diet
When the colon and rectum are surgically removed, a pouch or reservoir must be created for the excretion of stool; its exit from the body. This surgically created reservoir in the shape of the letter ‘J’ is an option for select patients.
The term ‘J Pouch diet’ is another name used to describe a colostomy diet and is highly recommended and approved by the UOAA (United Ostomy Associations of America), a member of the International Ostomy Association and a national organisation that makes provision for information, support, and advocacy for colostomy patients and their carers.
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