Essential Tips for Rendering Colostomy Care

Colostomy care is necessary whenever a colostomy bag needs changing.  Just as you need to clean yourself when you sit down to have a bowel movement; a person having a colostomy needs to also take special care of that area. It’s important to remember that we don’t normally move our bowels through an opening in our abdomens, so we must take special care of that area.

Anyone having a colostomy should do colostomy care, and change the bag when the bag is somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 full. If you let the bag get too full and then you try to change it, you will have a big mess to clean.  The reason for not letting the bag get too full is because with the fecal material and the collection of gas in the bag will cause a great deal of pressure on the bag. I’ve had colostomy bags explode on me before when I went to change them.  I broke the seal and out came a river of fecal material. Not a pretty site. I quickly learned to place a towel over the bag to keep it from splashing on me when I changed the bag for a patient.  I learned quickly to check my nursing home patients with colostomies frequently, because they may not know or they may not be mentally or physically able to put their call light on to notify me that they needed changing.

Whether you do your own colostomy care or someone helps you with it, it is important to protect the stoma from injury and to keep the skin around the stoma very clean.  The liquid feces is caustic to the skin, and can cause skin breakdown. You may use a mild soap, or just plain water to clean the stoma and the skin around the stoma. Once the area is clean, gently blot the area dry.  Then you may apply a skin barrier cream or ointment to protect the skin around the stoma. After you have done that, put a clean bag on and affix it to the stoma cover. Some bags can be reused; they just need to be rinsed out and reapplied. Other bags are disposable. Therefore, whether you reapply an existing bag or apply a new one will depend on which type of colostomy bag you use.


Image courtesy of Wikipedia.com

Common questions people have about ostomies

I’m facing colostomy surgery.  Will my life change much?

Having a colostomy will not change your life too much.  The biggest change is that you have a hole “ostomy” in your abdomen where your waste products leave your body. Thus, instead of going to the bathroom like everyone else, you go into a bag or pouch that is attached to your tummy. 

Will there be an awful odor with a colostomy?

No one’s bowel movements smell like roses, for sure.  Most of the odor will be contained in the pouch or bag. The fecal material that collects in a colostomy bag has a more sour smell than regular fecal material that would exit the body in the normal way.  The odor is temporary; when you change the bag, there will be an odor, but it will go away soon. It’s good to keep a good deodorizer to spray around the immediate area when you change a colostomy bag.

What about accidents? Can a colostomy bag break?

Colostomy bags and pouches are quite strong, but it is imperitive that you change them before they get too full. Don’t let the colostomy bag get more than half-full or just a little more than half-full.  It it gets too full, the bag can separate from the stoma cover, and then you would have a terrible, smelly mess on your hands.

Can I still make love with my spouse after having a colostomy?

Your intimate life won’t change, or it shouldn’t need to change. It’s important that you remain open with your partner. Try not to hide the colostomy from your partner. He/she might be shocked for the first time he/she sees you, but that is natural. If your partner is in love with you, your ostomy won’t matter.

How will my family and friends feel about me now with a colostomy?

How do you feel about yourself? Your friends and family will take their cues from you.  Get accustomed to the new you.  There’s nothing wrong with the way you look. You just have a body image change now. Get used to it. Look at yourself in the mirror and get used to how you look. Let your partner see you, and there should be no issue with body image.

Will my bag be visible?

If you don’t tell anyone, no one will know.  The colostomy bags and connection appliances are very thin and durable. They won’t be visible under your clothing.

Photo credit goes to Wikipedia.com.

Welcome!

Welcome to my ostomy blog!  In this blog I will address many day to day issues of ostomy recipients. Just about everyone who faces colostomy or ileostomy surgery will have questions. We all have fears and trepidations when we face something new in our lives. I hope you will get lots of useful information of this blog as it grows and evolves into a helpful go to site for all of your questions about colostomy and ileostomy care.  This blog should also help you live day to day with an ostomy while you see the gift of each and every day. .