March 2007
Last Month’s Meeting
After a rough month of record below zero temperatures and heavy snowfall, we were given a break on the date of our meeting. Peggy Bassrawi, RN, moderated our exciting program for the evening, a presentation on Healing Touch by Peg Olsen, RN a trained Healing Touch practioner.
Healing Touch is an energy—biofield—therapy that encompasses a group of non-invasive techniques that utilize the hands to clear, energize and balance the human and environmental energy fields. All healing is basically self-healing. In Healing Touch, a practitioner can assist one to reach a state of relaxation where the body has the opportunity to heal itself.
Peg
related how people need each other to explore natural healing benefits and that
it is sometimes just our perceptions that limit our success. She dramatized this with a story that during
WWII orphaned babies were taken care of in
Another
example she offered was again about babies.
She noted that mothers from all over the world hug, kiss and coo their
babies. This is not a learned behavior
by the mother . . . it comes naturally.
Healing Touch taps into this natural requirement to strengthen our
bodies by a number of proven techniques to help with pain relief, anxiety,
wound healing, general well being and spiritual enhancement. For more information on Healing Touch, talk
to Peggy B., she is also a trained practioner and five-year cancer survivor who
volunteers regularly at the
Rhoda Gordon was the lucky winner of our 50/50 and first timer Steve Goldberg won the consolation prize. We would like to thank Peggy Bassrawi, Rhoda Gordon, Lois Knaack, Joan Loyd, Renard Narcaroti, Dolores Obregón and Sharon Pardo for bringing such delicious treats to our Hospitality Table.
On April
12, we will have our Spring Gladbaggers Meeting at Hackney’s in
Remember: You can currently park in the attached parking structure for about $4.00 and come to our meeting by taking just a few steps more. Valet parking and wheelchairs are also available.
You have to learn how to live
with a broken heart.
Coming
Events
March 28—Mary Jane Wolfe, past president of FOW and
the Secretary of UOAA, will present a slide program showing the good work of
the Youth Rally. It is inspiring to see
the dramatic changes a person can achieve with a little support. This is a program especially designed for
people of all ages who have gone through ostomy surgery.
Note:
Our Board Meeting starts at 6:00 PM.
All are welcome to attend and see how our Ostomy Association is managed
and operated.
April 25—Our Anniversary Meeting will feature another
informative presentation by one of the leading researchers and practioners in
the field of ostomy care . . . Jan Colwell, RN, MS, WOCN from the
May 23—Our special friends from Hollister, Inc.,
specifically Mary Rome and a group of customer care specialists, are coming by
to talk to us about the wonderful resources available to us, whenever we have
ostomy issues we cannot solve ourselves.
June 27—Our “Welcome to Summer” meeting
July 25—We are honored to have Madeline Grimm RN, MS,
WOCN from
August 22—Discussions on the successes of the UOAA
Conference held in
September 26—Our “Welcome to Fall” meeting featuring a
favorite of our Association, Connie Kelly, WOC nurse from
October 24—Gail Meyer and Kathy Krenz, WOC nurses from Centegra-Northern
Illinois Medical will come to talk us
about convexity with ostomy skin barriers.
Gail had an exciting presentation last year, and we look forward to the
addition of Kathy this year.
You are welcome
to join us on the third Saturday of every other month from 10:00 AM until
12:00 noon. We hold our meetings in
the cafeteria at the world headquarters of Hollister, Inc. in
Southwest
Suburban
The Southwest Suburban Chicago Ostomy
Support Group is an entirely volunteer ostomy association dedicated to the
mutual aid, education and moral support of people with ostomies and their
families. Meetings are held at 7:30 PM
on the third Monday of each month throughout the year, except July, August,
December and January.
2007
March 19—
127th &
April 16—
May 21—
June 18—Little
Company of
Potter Pavilion
For information regarding this special
ostomy group serving
Support Your Ostomy Association
We are now offering free membership to our
Association. To provide for our few
expenses (mainly the publishing of The New Outlook) we need your
assistance. Please send a contribution
to help maintain our group’s viability.
Name
& Address: ___________________________
__________________________________________
Send
To:
Ostomy Association of Greater
Mr. Tim Traznik, Treasurer
Gladbaggers
The Gladbaggers is our social
subgroup. We meet from time to time in
an informal setting to talk about the successes and challenges of our new life
after ostomy surgery. We will have our
next get together on Thursday, April 12 at 7:30 P.M. at Hackney’s,
The
Tired
of Not Sleeping?
Tuesday, March 20, 5:30 PM
Presenter: Pamela Holtzman RN, LCSW
Disrupted sleep can be a side effect of
living with cancer, whether from treatment or emotional stress. Six or less hours of sleep a night can
increase health risks. This program will
discuss many aspects of sleep, including techniques for falling asleep and tips
for better sleep hygiene. RSVP
847-509-9595.
Reminder . . .
As of March 1, all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing
companies. You will receive sales calls
any you will be charges for these calls.
To
prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone,
888-382-1222. It is the national “Do Not
Call” list. It will only take a minute
of your time. It blocks your number for
five years. You must call from the cell
phone number you want to have blocked.
You cannot call from a different phone number. For more information link to www.donotcall.gov
Friends of Ostomates Worldwide
FOW is a charity made up exclusively of caring volunteers for sending desperately needed ostomy and medical supplies to people with ostomies in countries where these products are not readily available. We obtain these supplies by donations from individuals and groups who have brand-new unneeded ostomy equipment.
Our world headquarters is located right
here at 4304 Regency Drive,
We always need capable help. When you are able to assist—if you can come on a regular schedule or if you can give just a few hours occasionally—give Joan a ring at 847-724-8002.
At our Seder, we had whole wheat and
bran matzoth, fortified with Metamucil.
The brand name, of course, is "Let My People Go".
A Hairy Problem
By Kathy Dahn, RN, Riverside HealthCare
This
is an article about an annoying peristomal skin condition, folliculitis. This issue primarily applies to hairy men,
woman seldom have much hair on their bellies.
In fact, abdominal wall hair can be so strong that it can grow out
through a skin barrier or waterproof barrier tape sticking straight up like
blades of grass. If I had not seen this
myself, I would never have believed it.
Needless to say, when you remove the skin barrier when the hair is
caught like this, it is going to be painful.
It is like those “wax jobs” you see on TV.
As if the pain is not enough, this type of
hair removal can cause folliculitis, which is an inflammation within the hair
follicle. Removing the skin barrier in a
rough manner and dry shaving can also cause folliculitis. This condition presents itself as reddened
bumps on the peristomal skin. This
redness may be confused with yeast infection.
However, if you look carefully, the redness is only present in the hair
follicle. The bump may look like a
pustule.
What
is the solution to this hairy problem?
Many men find they must shave the peristomal skin with each change of
their skin barrier. In the past, the
ostomy literature has always recommended using an electric razor. I personally have never had great success
with this method. Although, I have heard
that some folks do very well with the newer small razors that were designed for
trimming mustaches and sideburns.
If you use a safety razor, as we do in the
hospital, be sure to apply sufficient shave cream so that this is not a dry
shave. In addition, be gentle. Most shave creams have emollients so you will
need very lightly to wash the skin with a plain soap afterwards. Be sure to rinse your peristomal skin well so
that no soap residue remains.
If the skin is very irritated and itchy,
we have found that Kenalog spray or Desonide lotion is extremely helpful. This is a steroid (cortisone) solution, which
decreases the itching and irritation dramatically. Apply these lightly, and then allow drying
completely prior to placing on your new skin barrier. These medications have a slightly oily base,
which means your skin barrier probably will not stay on as long as you are
accustomed. This procedure will relieve
the itching and promote healing. Skin
heals better covered by a skin barrier than it would be aired out. Do not use any steroidal spray as part of
your regular changing routine. Steroids
are absorbed into your system through the skin.
Moreover, steroids will thin the skin compounding peristomal skin
issues.
If there are actual pustules around each
hair follicle, you may need to use an antibiotic powder such as Polysporin
powder to clear the problem. All the
products mentioned above require a prescription to obtain.
Folliculitis is not as common a concern as
skin breakdown or yeast infections, but it s very annoying when it does
happen. I hope that these hints will
help.
A Prayer for
People with Ostomies
Oh Lord, as we have been reborn, let us
multiply our good fortune and share it with those people with ostomies who do
not know how good the life you have given us can be. Let us vow in the years ahead to renew the
work of our group, as you have renewed our lives. We thank you for our lives, for the mutual
support of each other and for the opportunity you have given us to help
others. Amen
Bladder/Prostate
Cancer & Impotence
Excerpts from the Canadian Cancer Society
After lung cancer, prostate cancer is the
most common cancer found in men, colon cancer being third. One of the main side effects of the surgical
treatment for bladder or prostate cancer is impotence. Impotence means that one is unable to have or
keep an erection needed for sexual intercourse.
Although a man may not be able to have an erection, his sexual desires
may not change. It is also possible to
ejaculate and have orgasms without an erection.
Some treatments for prostate cancer result
in having a lack of fluid to ejaculate.
This is not impotence but is a concern for some men because is greatly
reduces or eliminates their chances of impregnating a woman. After a prostatectomy, there is no fluid to
ejaculate because the source of the fluid, the prostate gland, had been
removed. After a transurethral resection
of the prostate (TURP), ejaculation fluid may move backward into the
bladder. This is normal and is called a
retrograde ejaculation. This happens
when the neck of the bladder becomes weakened after surgery. The fluid passes from the bladder to the
outside during urination. It is still
possible to have orgasms, but they are dry orgasms.
The loss of sexual ability is difficult
for men to accept. It is important that
a patient discuss these issues and concerns about sexuality with one’s
physician openly and honestly. A
physician can direct a patient to specialists and counselors who can provide
treatment to help manage this experience.
It is also important to be honest with one’s partner about what is being
experienced. Sometimes the loss of
ejaculation leads some men to become better lovers!
Causes of
Impotence
Surgery: Most impotence after
bladder or prostate cancer is caused by injury to the parts of your penis that
help it become and stay erect. Sometimes
surgery to remove the bladder or prostate, along with other nearby organs, may
cause damage to the nerves that send messages from your brain to your
penis. When nerve messages cannot get
through, men have difficulty getting an erection. New and better surgical techniques called
“nerve sparing surgery” have helped with this challenge.
Radiation: Radiation therapy to destroy cancer cells can
also cause damage to normal cells in your bladder or prostate as well as
surrounding tissue. A man’s nerves may
become scarred over time and the blood vessels may narrow, thus making it
difficult to have an erection.
Hormone Therapy: Impotence may also result
from hormone therapy. It is an important
treatment because it reduces the male hormones that help the cancer grow. However, hormone therapy may also cause a
loss of sexual drive and make it difficult for a man to have and maintain an
erection. Problems caused by hormone
therapy go way after the treatment is stopped.
Dealing with impotence: A man’s body has a good chance of returning
to normal on its own. It is not unusual
for a physician to decide to wait several months before ordering tests to find
the exact cause of impotence. Many
treatments work with a varying degree of success. The newest treatment of choice for many
physicians is the new medicines designed to help a man have and maintain an
erection, along with improving his confidence to have sex. These help when less blood flow to the penis
causes a man’s impotence. These
medications will improve soft erections.
A
Collection of Ideas
Æ For people with
colostomies, tranquilizers may make the colon lazy. It can be the cause of incomplete evacuation.
Æ If you are
beginning new medication—for any reason—keep a close eye on your stoma
discharge. Contact your doctor if you
suspect the medicine is going in and straight out.
Æ Scraps and cutouts
from barriers are great to relieve pressure of blisters or corns on one's
feet. Keep them in a small jar with a
tight lid and the paper backing left on until you are ready to use them.
Æ Use a round
clothespin to roll up your tube of paste.
This works for toothpaste too.
Æ If you still have
your rectum and have pain or a full feeling, you may have a collection of
mucous, which should be washed out.
Check with your doctor regarding this.
Æ Bring your problems
and questions to chapter meetings; do not be afraid or embarrassed to ask
questions.
Æ An eight-ounce bag
of potato chips contains about six tablespoons of oil, more fat than you should
have in a day.
Æ Some applesauce with
breakfast sometimes controls stoma noise, and the pectin in it may have a
thickening effect on a too liquid output.
Æ Seat belt tightness
around your stoma can be relieved if you clamp a wooden cloths pin on the belt
where it initiates. Just pull a little
more of the belt out—about an inch—install the clip and then release. Always wear a seat belt.
Æ Your attitude about
your image will affect the attitude of your family, friends and the people
around you. Be happy . . . you have been
given a new life.
Æ Sometimes the
littlest things in life are the hardest to take. You can sit on a mountain more comfortably
than you can sit on a tack.
Æ Discard expired
medications to prevent any potential adverse effects. Aspirin can be toxic to the kidneys just two
or three months after expiration. The
same is true for tetracycline. Plus,
many drugs just lose their effectiveness.
Æ Laughing is healthy
for your body as well as your mind. When
you laugh, you exercise your heart, lungs and adrenal glands. You also breathe more deeply, increasing the
body's oxygen flow. Laughter may ease
physical pain by triggering production of endorphins—natures pain killers.
Æ Eating foods like
apricots, bananas, kidney beans, potatoes, oranges, spinach and tomatoes
provides excellent sources of usable potassium, which can decrease blood
pressure and eliminate cramping muscles.
Æ Gas from carbonated
drinks can distend the bowel to a point where kinking can occur. Too many soft drinks thus can produce a
painful bowel obstruction.
Æ Lack of bulk in the
diet of a person with a colostomy can be part of the difficulty in
elimination. This may be caused by
eating too much highly refined food and not enough bulk, like bran.
Æ People with
ileostomies should not usually give blood because they may be a bit low on
bodily fluids. There is a risk of
becoming dehydrated and/or developing kidney stones after blood donations.
Æ People with
ileostomies should not sit in one position for a lengthy period. This may force pouch contents upward around
the stoma and cause possible leakage.
Stand up frequently.
Æ Sharks do get
cancer; therefore, shark cartilage pills offer no protection against cancer.
Æ People with
urostomies will see mucous in their urine.
The ileal conduit is made from a piece of intestine, which normally
secretes mucous.
Do Not Neglect Blockages
By Bob White,
Editor of
My first
article on the dangers of intestinal blockages in people with ileostomies was
written in our newsletter’s first year, 1982.
Since then, I have either written on the subject or reprinted other
articles at least ten times. After the
death of my beloved wife, Eleanor, due to complications from an intestinal
blockage in February 2006, I resolved to call attention to that pernicious
condition once more.
In the April 2006 issue of the Metro
Halifax Ostomy Association newsletter, I read an article by Carol Ganje of the
Greater Seattle Ostomy Association; it was a graphic description of her
hospital experiences resulting from two intestinal blockage (IB) attacks. It awakened me once more. Like Carol, Eleanor suffered, in rapid
succession, two such blockages.
When my wife had her first blockage, we
went to the ER at 7:00 PM, leaving it at 2:30 AM the next day, supposedly
cleared of the condition. Two days
later, I sat at home watching Eleanor, who had seldom complained of discomfort;
suffer excruciating pain, which we both knew must be a recurrence of the
blockage. When she finally consented to
have me call 911—it was a Friday, it seems like everything medically bad
happens on weekends—we were taken to the ER at
The immediate symptoms were arrested,
while IVs' and painkillers were administered.
Eleanor was eventually admitted to the ICU where she remained until
February 20, when she slipped away from me.
Her entire system had been affected by the failure of her digestive
organs, and she was unable to recover her strength. Carol survived her experience with IB—my wife
Eleanor did not.
What can cause a blockage? Sometimes it is stenosis—a narrowing of the
intestine usually due to scar tissue, a kink in the bowel, excessive air
bubbles caused from carbonated drinks, or most often, the injudicious choice of
fibrous foods. It is not the purpose of
this article to discuss all the causes of IB.
It is rather to warn everyone that if the symptoms arise—the lack of
flow and the awful pain—seek help when it begins. Do not wait until after eight or ten hours of
suffering.
A great ER team will probably be able to
save you, but the odds against a successful result grow with every hour that a
blockage goes unresolved. If this seems
alarmist, it is intended to be. The loss
of a loved one is a grievous blow. It is
much worse if it could have been prevented with the recognition of the problem
and the taking of immediate steps to deal with it. Do not fool with intestinal blockage!
I went into
my proctologist's office for my first rectal exam. His new nurse, Evelyn, took me to an
examining room and told me to get undressed and have a seat until the doctor
could see me.
After
putting on an examination gown, I sat down.
While waiting, I observed that there were three items on a stand next to
the exam table: a tube of K-Y jelly, a rubber glove and a beer. When the doctor finally came in, I said,
"Look doc, I'm a little confused.
This is my first exam. I know
what the K-Y is for and I know what the glove is for, but can you tell me what
the beer is for?”
At that,
Dr. Paul became noticeably outraged and stormed over to the door. He flung the door open and yelled to his
nurse, “Darn it Evelyn! I said a “butt light”.
Ostomy Concerns
Q What are skin ulcers?
A Every organ of the body
requires nourishment. This means a
healthy blood supply. If the blood
supply or circulation is cut off, the skin starts to die in proportion to the
reduced supply. The skin can
ulcerate. If one has an ulcer under a
skin barrier, it is an indication that this localized spot is getting more
pressure than the area around it. This
means that one needs to find a solution to equalize the pressure on the skin
barrier. This should cure the
ulcers. If this does not work, then a
more serious issue may cause the problems.
One patient who had as ostomy for years was cleaning her skin with a
solution meant to clean diseased skin with one or two applications. However, she had been using this for over 30
years under her barrier. Skin ulcers
developed, which were not caused by pressure.
It seems the solution is carcinogenic with prolonged use and she had
contracted cancer. (With surgery, her
doctor removed the cancer and she is now doing just fine with a new
stoma.)
Q What causes warts on the
edge of the stoma?
A A too tight skin barrier
usually causes this. A poorly fitted
ostomy system can cause nodules to form around the edge of the stoma. They are benign and will do no harm. If they get in the way, a doctor can remove
them by cauterization.
Q What should a person with
a colostomy do in case of a food blockage?
A A person with a colostomy, who thinks he/she
has a food blockage, usually has constipation.
Although it is also common to have blockages due to a bowel twisting (volvulus),
and a food blockage may occur at the mouth of the stoma.
However, constipation is most common for
people with colostomies because of a lack of physical activity, use of pain
medications (narcotic pain relievers have constipations as a common side
affect) and eating constipating foods.
It is quite satisfactory to take a mild laxative, like warm prune juice,
to relieve symptoms. People with
colostomies usually need to include fiber in their diet. Irrigating a stoma is a last resort, for one
who usually does not mange his/her colostomy this way.
Q I have a hernia on one
side of the stoma, which was once repaired by surgery but reoccurred. I use a 4-inch hernia belt to keep the hernia
in place during the day. At night, I notice
the stoma is swollen, when I take off the belt.
However, by morning, the stoma is back to its normal size. Is there any long-term danger in this
procedure?
A When the stoma goes down
overnight and there is no marked change in the color we see no long-term
danger. There would be far greater
danger in not wearing some form of support during waking hours, if you are an
active person. Some people with ostomies
with recurring hernia issues have taken steps to have the stoma relocated. If this is done at the navel, which is the
strongest part of the stomach muscle, make sure you have a protruding
stoma. The belly button is an uneven
sunken area.
Q Does the stoma “age” over
time?
A The stoma will change
right after surgery. The size and shape
of a stoma generally changes within six to twelve weeks after surgery. This is the reason it is not recommended to
purchase precut skin barriers immediately after surgery. It is best for a patient to buy the skin
barriers that require cutting in order to fit.
The stoma will change due to alterations
in the abdominal contour related to weight gain or loss as well as weakness in
stomach muscles well after surgery. When
the size and shape do change, the size and the type of skin barrier may need to
adjust also. However, as such, the stoma
itself does not “age”. The healthy stoma
is always pink/red and moist.
Q How does an ostomy affect
medications?
A This will be a major concern of someone who
has had most or one’s entire entire colon removed, or who has had radiation or
chemotherapy. In addition, if one has
Crohn’s disease or multiple small intestine resections special consideration
for medication regimes are necessary because of the decreased absorption capacity.
Examples of such medications are
enteric-coated tablets, large tablets and time released capsules. Most liquid forms will ensure the best
absorption. If one sees a dissolved
tablet in ones pouch let your pharmacist know.
Make sure your doctor is aware that some drugs may not absorb. They need to check with drug manufacturers to
make sure they will be absorbed given your unique physiology. This information is often difficult even for
doctors and pharmacists to glean from drug makers.
Common prescription drugs for GERD are not
meant to be fully absorbed in the small intestine. The exception seems to be a new version of
Prevacid in a solutab form. This form
was designed originally for people who had difficulty swallowing tablets.
Lose Weight . .
. Safely
Everyone
should try to stay at his/her correct body weight. There are many ways for us to determine this
based on our body types, sex, height, etc.
No one should be overweight, especially with an ostomy. Beside the usual health and psychological
issues, obesity presents ostomy management issues for us.
To choose the correct foods in the correct
quantities depends upon each individual person’s specific body need and medical
condition. There is no guarantee of the safety
with individualized trial and error.
Even with the advice of a professional, there is a margin of error in
the foods that will fulfill our exact needs in the correct quantities.
Some sound advice to follow includes
·
Consult your physician
for a metabolic study. Discover if your
weight concerns are medical, psychological, social or involve incorrect eating
habits, etc.
·
Educate yourself
regarding vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, calories, nutrition,
absorptions, allergies, side effect, etc.
This data can be obtained through books.
·
Eating a healthy diet
through a natural means is understood to mean forming healthy nutritional
habits and not using medications as a crutch.
Eat balanced meals; seek quality and not quantity.
·
Seek the advice of a
dietician. They are experts at planning
diets for people, whatever their health condition may be. Dieting alone is pretty much worthless . . .
virtually everyone gain weight back after the diet is over. One needs to adapt a completely new eating
lifestyle to maintain a healthy body once it is achieved.
·
Everyone needs to
exercise to shape one’s body. Eating
alone will not do it. Exercise and diet
work together to form the basis of a healthy lifestyle. Shortcuts to this approach usually result in
serious complications to our health and well-being.
·
Routinely visit your
physician for evaluation of your health and diet. When you visit him/her, make sure you have
your concerns written down. Do not go in
to see your doctor and “shoot from the hip” relating your eating issues. Have a well-written plan to review during
your visit. Much more will be
accomplished.
·
Recognize and correct
ostomy management issues as they arise due to increases in one’s weight and
body shape. One of the main reasons for
leakage is weight gain and loss while not adjusting one’s ostomy system.
Through
a combination of these and other common sense items, you will achieve your
goal. As an added note, there are
formulas used to determine the correct amount of calories we should ordinarily
intact each day. Most of these will
calculate the correct average intact for a moderately active adult at about
1,500 calories a day, or a little less.
Young people need about 300-500 calories more a day. So you see, if you are sedentary and eat
4,000 calories a day, you are going to be heavy. Even if you exercise for an hour each day,
you will only burn up about 500 calories from exercise. We all need to watch our food intact to
maintain a correct weight.
Tips on Diet
Bowel and Crohn’s disease patients are
especially interested in foods that are soothing. At the Cleveland Clinic, a small study was
done and here are the results.
All the subjects rated rice, potatoes and
lamb as non-irritating. Over 90% said
the same about white bread; chicken; turkey; lean beef; lean pork; white fish;
tea; poached eggs; sugar; cooked and well diced fruit.
Over 40% rated as irritating to their
intestines corn; nuts; chili beans; spices, raw fruits and wholes onions. Ileostomy patients had problems with cabbage;
broccoli; carbonated soda; romaine lettuce; shellfish and bran. Alcohol and tomatoes upset many people
without stomas.
Tender Loving
Care
Your Stoma Needs It Too
Forwarded by the
Most ostomy patients would agree that
there is no substitute for TLC. This is
one of the reasons the specialty of WOC nursing exists. It ensures that nurses with a special sense
of caring and with special education are taking care of the ostomy patient’s
needs. Once you are discharged from the
hospital after ostomy surgery, remember that your stoma needs TLC also.
A few pointers might be helpful. It is good to set aside a time for giving
priority to stoma care. It might be
during your morning shower, after breakfast or at bedtime. It is important to make it fit into your
routine. Do not change your schedule
unnecessarily for the stoma. Make it
adapt to your life. By having a regular
time for pouch changing etc., it helps put some order into your schedule. It will also ensure that leakage or other
problems can be kept to a minimum.
If you know that your pouch always leaks
on the fourth morning for instance, then begin changing it on the third night,
if that time is convenient. Be gentle
with your stoma. It is common for it to
bleed a little when washed. Just be
careful not to be too brisk as that might cause excessive irritation. Eat a well-balanced diet; following special
instructions from your physician, dietician, WOC nurse etc.
Drink sufficient water and fluids unless
you are medically restricted. Persons
with colostomies and especially people with ileostomies should chew their food
very well. Avoid eating too many hard to
digest and gaseous foods at one meal.
Urostomy patients need to be sure to have
sufficient fluids, unless told otherwise by the doctor, as fluids help prevent
infections. Rinsing the pouch daily with
a solution of 1/3 white vinegar and 2/3 water helps prevent crystals from
building up on the stoma and the wash will keep the inside of the pouch
acidic. An acidic condition prevents the
growth of unwanted bacteria.
Ostomy patients can usually shower with
the pouch off or on unless instructed otherwise. Water will not hurt the stoma. Peristomal skin especially needs TLC. A properly fitting pouch, changed regularly,
usually accomplishes this. Never tape
the skin barrier or the pouch if it is leaking.
Change it! If you have frequent
leakage and have to change too often, call your WOC nurse to make an appointment
for re-evaluation. Perhaps another type
of ostomy system would be better suited, or perhaps your stoma and peristomal
skin need re-assessment. There might be
some new ostomy products that will work for you. Make that appointment with you WOC nurse.
Always wear clean underwear in public,
especially when working under your vehicle. From the Northwest Florida
Daily News comes this story of a Crestview couple who drove their car to WalMart,
only to have their car break down in the parking lot. The man told his
wife to carry on with the shopping while he fixed the car in the lot.
The wife returned later to see a
small group of people near the car. On closer inspection, she saw a pair
of male legs protruding from under the chassis. Although the man was in shorts, his lack of
underwear turned private parts into glaringly public ones. Unable to
stand the embarrassment, she dutifully stepped forward, quickly put her hand up
his shorts and tucked everything back into place.
On regaining her feet, she looked across
the hood and found herself staring at her husband, who was standing idly
by. The mechanic, however, had to have
three stitches in his forehead.
The Importance
of a Visitor
We are all experiencing—in one way or
another—the many cutbacks in how services are provided for us. This is especially true in the medical field. With this in mind, the ostomy visitor plays
an important role, whether it is before or after ostomy surgery. The appearance of a well-adjusted,
well-dressed, neat, clean, well-spoken, positive and pleasant ostomy visitor
provides reassurance that the patient will also return to normal.
Many times, the pre-op visitor is able to
simplify the understanding of the surgery.
The idea of the visitor having been-there-and-done-that often helps a
person to make the vital decision finally to have ostomy surgery. The normal lifestyle and excellent appearance
of the post-op visitor provides emotional support and reassurance as the
patient travels the road of recovery ahead.
Training to become a visitor is available
from our local Ostomy Association. After
certification, the visitor will be chosen to make a visit matching ostomy type
as well as the age and sex of the patient—as much as possible. The actual visit in a hospital must be
authorized by the doctor, the WOC nurse, and, of course, the patient.
Many of our new people with ostomies
realize the value of an ostomy visitor by becoming a visitor themselves to
reciprocate for the support or lack of that they had at their time of their
surgery. In the future, another training
session will be held, and members are urged to participate in this important
part of our ostomy association. No price
can be placed on the many benefits received from a sharing and caring ostomy
visitor.