Ostomy Products That Everyone Needs

Whether you are a new or novice ostomate looking for beginner tips and tricks, a veteran ostomy patient looking for someone to prove wrong, or someone who knows nothing about ostomy and just wants to learn something new, then this article is for you. I know that not all people will share the same views as me on some of these ostomy supplies, but I have a lot of personal knowledge on ostomies since having a stoma put in back in 2005. For your information, I happen to be a part of the National Ostomy Association and in charge of over 10 support groups in the greater Indianapolis area. That’s right, I know a thing or two about what I’m talking about. So my one request of you is this - sit back, relax, and learn from me about ostomy supplies that you should be using if you are not already. Remember, you don’t need to feel sad if you are not using these supplies already; rather, this is a perfect time to turn from your sins and enter a whole new world of ostomy supplies and stoma related products. 

So as you can probably imagine, there is a whole plethora of ostomy supplies and stoma related gear that you can buy all over the internet. To keep things simple, we are mainly going to be focusing on the ostomy products and accessories that are not talked about as much but are critically important to the health and well being of your stoma. So, for example, I will not be spending too much time talking about ostomy pouches and that sort of thing. I talk about those in my other articles and simply do not have the time or energy to address that issue here.

Also, I am currently just rambling about things for as long as I can so I can write more words and create longer, sustained, nearly grammatically incorrect sentences. On that note, let’s talk about ostomy! So the first accessory you are going to need is ostomy paste. What is ostomy paste you might ask? What a stupid question. Just kidding, I’ll tell you what ostomy paste is. Ostomy paste is basically used to seal the skin around the skin barrier of your ostomy pouch. Similar to how you would caulk the edges of your bathtub or shower to keep liquid from going in or out, skin barrier paste helps to prevent leakage from occurring. It might be important to note that skin barrier paste is not an adhesive or a glue, and too much of the paste can interfere with your skin barrier seal.

Another accessory that I want to talk about are called barrier rings. Barrier rings are used to fill the gap between the skin barrier and your ostomy bag. Tired of your bag flapping around under the slack of where it is positioned with the skin barrier? Then try some barrier rings! These rings will make sure that your whole ostomy package and system is functioning properly and not doing anything it shouldn’t be doing. Stoma powder is also another good accessory, and I will give you 10 seconds to think about what it is before I tell you and to write more words. Stoma powder is powder you put on your stoma to help it do something.

Keeping Your Stoma Clean

If you have had an ostomy ever in your life, then this article is for you. And I’m not just talking about all my new ostomates out there who are still in their beginner stoma period; I’m even talking to the veterans - the old dogs if you will - who have long since had surgery and have lived long and fruitful lives with the addition of a stoma. If you fall into any of these categories, then I have some news for you. It is very important that you are cleaning your stoma in the right ways. Yes, believe it or not, there are wrong ways to clean your stoma. I know from personal experience that neglecting to clean your stoma in the right ways (or at all) will result in further complications with your ostomy. This could lead to you having to start additional medications, taking unnecessary trips to the doctor’s office, or even having to go to the emergency room for a repeat of surgery. This is the last thing that you would want to happen, and I definitely do not want to see any of my fellow ostomates have to go through this. That is why I put together a quick article that entails a few tips and tricks to help you clean your stoma the next time you change your ostomy bag.

The first thing you need to get right about cleaning your stoma is that you should not be using any sort of soap or cleaning products to clean out your stoma. That’s the inside of your body, after all! Would you drink soap to clean out your throat? No, you wouldn’t. If you did that, you may find yourself taking a rapid trip to the hospital and getting your stomach pumped. Keep this simple fact in mind as you are cleaning out your stoma and avoid all types of soaps or cleaners.

Instead, it is best to just use warm water, because that’s the natural way that God has intended for your body to be cleaned. While you are rinsing with water, make sure you are not rubbing or scrubbing your stoma or the area around it. Ostomies aren’t super fragile or anything, but it is never a good idea to start getting rough with your stoma. The last thing you need is to tear something down there and get yourself in a whole mess of problems. 

In addition to warm water, it is really important that you dry any and all of your stoma that was being washed. You don’t want a lot of water sitting in your stoma because that can lead to all sorts of problems when you go to attach your ostomy pouch or try to treat the skin barrier. While you’re at it, it is also important to keep your ostomy pouch and related supplies as clean as possible. Make sure to properly drain and empty out all the contents of your pouch when you are cleaning it, as long as it is not a disposable one. If you do use a disposable ostomy pouch, then just make sure that you are properly taking care of it when it is time to throw it out. Don’t leave your ostomy pouch just sitting around somewhere in the house! I hope this was helpful, good luck out there.

You Can Still Enjoy Your Life With A Stoma!

So many people fall for the trap that life after an ostomy has to be boring. In fact, from the outside looking in, one might think that life after an ostomy is one of complete isolation, abandonment, and destitution. I am here to tell you that that is simply not the case! As someone who has had an ostomy in the past few years and has lived life with a stoma ever since, I can tell you from firsthand experience that living with a stoma does not have to be boring. In fact, living life after an ostomy is pretty much similar to how life was before it. If you are worried about getting your ostomy and not being able to get your life back, I hope this article is comforting to you. You can totally live your normal life after an ostomy, a stoma will not stop you!

One thing that was worrying me before getting my ostomy was that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy my favorite foods. I talked to a lot of people, doctors, and other experts about their opinions on eating after an ostomy. To my relief, it is true that eating after an ostomy is a little bit different than beforehand, but not life changing by any means. I personally enjoy going out to eat a lot at nice restaurants with my friends, family, coworkers, and sometimes even with complete strangers! I especially enjoy fine dining that involves a lot of wine, cocktails, steak, and seafood. One of my favorite meals ever was at a nice steak house where I enjoyed a 300 dollar steak. Honestly one of the best things I have ever eaten. I can tell you with great certainty that my stoma never stopped me from enjoying things like this. So if you enjoy eating all your favorite foods right now, you can definitely enjoy those same foods after your ostomy as well! Just make sure to take things slowly at first and listen to what your body is saying to you while you are eating.

Another part of life I enjoy is being outdoors. I love going up to northern Michigan to my cottage on Hamlin lake in the summers, and I was originally worried that my stoma would impact the way I spend my time outdoors. I can also tell you that your stoma does not limit your ability to enjoy being outside and doing various activities! I love to spend time in the water and at the sand dunes, and they have specially made ostomy pouches that can take on the day with you in any outdoor activity. I love hiking as well, and making long trips with a stoma is truly no problem as well. I just keep lots of ostomy gear on hand in the case that I have an emergency related to my stoma pouch or something like that. Traveling is also completely in your ballpark after an ostomy too! No worries about long car rides, plane traveling, and even walking around! You can really do anything after your ostomy, you are basically a superhero with a little bag attached to your abdomen.

 

I hope this article was helpful for you in your weird time of getting an ostomy. The surgery can be scary and overwhelming, but the doctors will take good care of you and your stoma.