Ostomy is a medical surgery that creates an opening in the abdomen, making a new passageway of waste products of the body. The one that surrounds the opening is called stoma. It is where the ostomy appliance is attached.
This appliance is a bag or pouch that collects the waste products. This bag is light, thin and odorproof. This will serve as a protection and a cover to the stoma to prevent further complications.
Stoma and the pouch that is attached to it needs to be taken care of to avoid unnecessary complications. This will need more time and patience, especially to the new ones. You might feel a little uncomfortable moving and doing things around with this around you.
Cleanliness is very important when you have this thing around you. Before you start cleaning the pouch, you need to prepare everything. Empty your pouch. Flush all the products bowel movement or urine. Clean the stoma first and then the skin that surrounds it with a clean linen and warm water. A soap may be used, but make sure that you are using a mild soap. Rinse and pat dry. Before attaching the new one, dry everything out to lessen the chances of having irritated skin. You may provide skin cream for extra skin care.
Usually it is advised to change it every three to seven days or as you need it. Do not forget to have it measured by the measuring guide in the kit every time you apply new one. Examine for its discoloration, size and shape. Inspect if there are edema or swelling present in the stoma. Edema can greatly affect the appearance of your stoma and it may indicate infection. If you found any, report it immediately and have it checked by the doctor.
Before attaching the adhesive wafer, apply some skin cream around it. Have a few minutes to allow your skin to absorb the cream. When placing the wafer, make sure it fits well without irritating the skin around it. The stoma is placed in the center of the hole. It should be firmly pressed and no wrinkles. Seal the wafer gently, clip the pouch in the bottom. Always make sure it is in place.
Managing your pouch disposal is easy as counting one, two, three. Empty the pouch or bag in the by flushing it in the toilet. Throw away the pouch, wafer, waste but do not include the clip. You can always use the clip. Seal the pouch in a garbage bag and dispose it just as a normal household waste. Although, there are also kinds of pouches or bags that are drainable that can be emptied and lessens your burden of disposing many bags.
For some tips, do not eat late at night before replacing your ostomy bag to have lesser output. When changing ostomy pouches or bags have an old towel or paper towel to catch some waste from the stoma. Always follow and listen to the instructions of your health care provider.
After your surgery, you might say you will not going to enjoy it. Yes, it will be different living with this, but it should not hinder you from doing the usual things you do. You are not alone. There are many people like you who got their life back even with an extra baggage.
This appliance is a bag or pouch that collects the waste products. This bag is light, thin and odorproof. This will serve as a protection and a cover to the stoma to prevent further complications.
Stoma and the pouch that is attached to it needs to be taken care of to avoid unnecessary complications. This will need more time and patience, especially to the new ones. You might feel a little uncomfortable moving and doing things around with this around you.
Cleanliness is very important when you have this thing around you. Before you start cleaning the pouch, you need to prepare everything. Empty your pouch. Flush all the products bowel movement or urine. Clean the stoma first and then the skin that surrounds it with a clean linen and warm water. A soap may be used, but make sure that you are using a mild soap. Rinse and pat dry. Before attaching the new one, dry everything out to lessen the chances of having irritated skin. You may provide skin cream for extra skin care.
Usually it is advised to change it every three to seven days or as you need it. Do not forget to have it measured by the measuring guide in the kit every time you apply new one. Examine for its discoloration, size and shape. Inspect if there are edema or swelling present in the stoma. Edema can greatly affect the appearance of your stoma and it may indicate infection. If you found any, report it immediately and have it checked by the doctor.
Before attaching the adhesive wafer, apply some skin cream around it. Have a few minutes to allow your skin to absorb the cream. When placing the wafer, make sure it fits well without irritating the skin around it. The stoma is placed in the center of the hole. It should be firmly pressed and no wrinkles. Seal the wafer gently, clip the pouch in the bottom. Always make sure it is in place.
Managing your pouch disposal is easy as counting one, two, three. Empty the pouch or bag in the by flushing it in the toilet. Throw away the pouch, wafer, waste but do not include the clip. You can always use the clip. Seal the pouch in a garbage bag and dispose it just as a normal household waste. Although, there are also kinds of pouches or bags that are drainable that can be emptied and lessens your burden of disposing many bags.
For some tips, do not eat late at night before replacing your ostomy bag to have lesser output. When changing ostomy pouches or bags have an old towel or paper towel to catch some waste from the stoma. Always follow and listen to the instructions of your health care provider.
After your surgery, you might say you will not going to enjoy it. Yes, it will be different living with this, but it should not hinder you from doing the usual things you do. You are not alone. There are many people like you who got their life back even with an extra baggage.
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Nice article on ostomy wafer
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