You may wonder what you’ll be able to do and not do after your ostomy, and the truth is, there is a lot of unanswered parts to this. Luckily though, we’ll be able to give you everything that you need to know about after your ostomy surgery, which will help you get the most that you can out of this.
How much Does diet Change?
This one is dependent of course on the types of surgery that you’ll have, whether an ileostomy, a urostomy, or a colostomy. At the end of the day, you should speak to the doctor to see what kind of diet you need, and any major changes that come along with this.
Can I take a Shower
This is again, dependent on the different types of ostomies that are there, and what you’re able to do and not do. It’s good to give your skin a chance to not be attached to a pouch and give the stoma some air. Do understand that it may cause slight leakage though.
You also should be mindful as well of the area around there and be mindful of getting too much water, or even smoke, into the stoma itself. Your body may start to get rid of waste whenever you do have an ostomy, so do be mindful of this, and try to do it when your bowels aren’t as active as well.
Can people Tell
The short answer for that is no. Usually, people are able to hide this, and you may find out that people don’t’ even know that you have one unless you tell them. The goal of these pouches is to protect your body, and it is pushed against the stomach, and is made with materials that are odor-resistant. Unless you’ve told someone, it’s likely they won’t have a single clue either.
Are there Support Groups?
There sure are! You may feel like you’re the only one dealing with this, but there are thousands of people out there going through a similar experience as well, and that of course means that you’re indeed not alone here.
There are tons of support means out there, and different support groups that’ll help you with coping and adapting to the way you’re going through life. There are tons of ostomy support groups both online and offline for you to choose from. The forums are good if you have questions you feel like your doctor or nurse aren’t able to answer fully, or maybe you’re too embarrassed to talk to them about it, whatever the case may be.
Of course, it may feel a little bit embarrassing, but there are people out there that can offer emotional support for times like this, and also motivate and inspire both you and others. They also have a ton of information and different resources for you to check out. A lot of ostomates feel like sometimes they’re all alone but being able to answer the questions that you have will be able to help you in even the most awkward of situations.
With that being said, you should talk to your doctor about anything that you feel ready about, and there are so many different ways for you to definitely get the most out of this. It does take some adjustments and changes to ultimately get used to this, but remember that, with this, you’ll be able to, with this as well, get everything that you can possibly need to get the most that you can out of this, both now and into the future as well too.
