Are you about to undergo an ostomy procedure soon?
Then, we wish you a successful surgery and the most positive outcome. We also recommend doing some research and preparation beforehand. Once you’ve recovered from the ostomy procedure, you’ll need to adjust to several new lifestyle circumstances. While none of those should feel overwhelming, they may catch you off guard if you fail to prepare yourself well.
Important Things to Know Before Your Ostomy
Clothing Considerations – The clothing variable will depend on whether you undergo colostomy, ileostomy, or urostomy, and how quickly your pouches would fill. Sometimes you cannot know this without some trial-and-error, but you should at least begin thinking about how to position your clothing around pouches. Many patients focus on tucking in their shirts, whereas others find this approach uncomfortable. Rather than leave your pouches exposed (which is usually less preferable), you may wish to select other apparel to hide everything better. For women, dresses and skirts may be the best route.
Troubleshooting Ostomy-Related Difficulties – Here’s a pretty broad topic. As a new ostomy patient, you may encounter everything from gassiness and dehydration to skin irritation and trouble changing pouches. Some of these problems will require you to make dietary revisions, often with the help of a dietitian. You won’t, for example, want to consume too many foods with seeds or anything with lots of lectin or gaseous components. Then, for skin issues, it’s crucial to find the right pouch sizes, and configure the most optimal pouch system. That’s why we spend a lot of time talking about different styles such as one-piece or two-piece pouches.
Physical Activity Concerns – Many ostomy patients will continue to live active lifestyles after recovering from the surgery. This is not exceptionally difficult, but you’ll want to devise smart ways to ease back into activities such as working, exercising, showering, swimming, and intimacy.
Finding Support Groups – Whatever you do, never assume you have to “fly solo” with any medical condition. There are almost one million ostomates in America, according to the United Ostomy Associations of America. This means you have plenty of sympathetic ears available, folks who can offer their support with all the aforementioned issues. So, consider joining one of the many ostomy support groups to make terrific friends and learn more about your condition.
Those are just a few things to brainstorm before your procedure, which will help you navigate post-surgery life much easier.
As always, the team at Cymed MicroSkin is happy to offer our support for anything related to ostomy, including how to select and use our patented pouches. Our first-class products help patients all over America manage and care for their ostomy condition better than other alternatives.
You’re welcome to call us anytime to learn more at 800-582-0707 or fill out the form below.