What to Expect with an Ostomy

The fear of the unknown is real.  Hearing for the first time that you are going to need an Ostomy is scary.  It's worse when you don’t know what it is and they start to explain it to you. Its truly disheartening and scary.  I truly feel that knowledge is power and some companies that are involved in ostomy care, really care for their patients.  For instance, ConvaTec OstomySupplies gives a wealth of knowledge on all aspects of before surgery and after.

They will walk you through the first steps which is pre-surgery.  It doesn’t matter why you are having the surgery.  It is prevalent in sme cancer cases or when the individual has digestive issues.  The best part of ostomy Supplies is they walk you through all the aspects.  They have an entire section that states the pre surgery sections should be lead first and foremost by the surgeon.  They will discuss which type of stoma is best and rather it's going to be long term or short term.  They also let you know that the ostomy nurse is going to be your best friend. It is extremely important to get to know your ostomy nurse and learn as much as you can.  The nurse and surgeon will be walking you through the basics and hard parts of having an ostomy and dealing with your future stoma. 

If you can meet your nurse beforehand that would be optimal.  They can inform you of all the important parts of your life to come and how to keep it as normal as possible.  You can walk through where the stoma should be placed on your body. This should be done with the surgeon and nurse because they can walk through, your body type, reach and skin folds that should be avoided.

Just so you have peace of mind make sure to ask lots of questions.  Ask questions like, will the pouch leak and will it smell. What do I do to prevent this? Ask about the obvious questions, like how it will affect your sex life.  You will want to be prepared and ready to take on life in all its ways. Ask about working and any changes they think you should make based on your job. Don’t also be afraid to get into how you are able to travel and what differences you should make or if any to accommodate.