Note: Products and methods mentioned may not be suitable for everyone. Consult your doctor or ET nurse before deciding to use any of them.
- » Always have a change of clothes and an extra ostomy supplies at work.
- » Set out your supplies on the counter when it is time to change your appliance before you remove the old one.
- » When travelling, always take 3 times as many supplies as you think you will need.
- » Keep a list of all important phone numbers, product codes of your supplies (and sizes), name of your ET, if you have one, and a step by step note of how to change your appliance in case you are unable to.
- » On an airplane, always carry your supplies with you. Lost luggage is an all too common occurrence.
- » When travelling in a vehicle, never store your supplies in the trunk or glove compartment. Excessive heat and cold can greatly affect your wear time. Keep them in a soft sided cooler in the car, use an icepack if the interior of the car gets too hot (making sure that the icepack is in a plastic baggie as not to get your supplies wet).
- » Skipping meals will cause your pouch to fill up with gas.
- » Drink 8 glasses of water a day. Ostomates get dehydrated very quickly.
- » Medications that are time released or long lasting are not effective in ostomates. Ask your pharmacist or doctor for liquid or chewable form.
- » Make sure a family member or friend knows where you store your supplies at home, in case they need to get them for you in an emergency.
- » Always take your own supplies to the hospital with you.
- » Hernias are very dangerous for ostomates. Never lift more than 20 lbs if possible and always lift with your legs. When shovelling snow, use your hips as leverage against the shovel, not your abdomen. Better yet, let someone else do it for you!
- » When swimming for longer periods of time, use a skin barrier wipe on the paper tape of your flange to make it waterproof.
- » Itching under the flange is one of the first signs of a leak. If you detect a bit of odor along with the itching, then you can almost be sure that the seal is starting to break down.
- » Don’t wait until you run out of supplies before you order more. Your supplier might be out of stock and then you are really in trouble. a general rule of thumb could be, when you reach half of the box,order more.
- » When using a public restroom, attach the pouch clip to your watchband or beltloop. There is nothing more frustrating than having to fish it out of the bowl. It is also a good idea to carry an extra clip in your purse or pocket for that very reason.
- » A small amount of mouthwash in your pouch after emptying will keep it odor free for the next time when you have to empty it.
- » Eating a few large marshmallows may slow down output, which is helpful when it is time to change the appliance.
- » Chew, chew, chew your food to avoid blockage.
- » The first sign of blockage is either no output or very liquid output. Severe abdominal pain and vomiting will almost always accompany a blockage. Go directly to the Emergency Room if you have all these symptoms.
- » Leg cramps are a sign of not having enough fluids.
- » Wearing pants that are too tight for a long period of time will affect the wear time of the appliance.
- » Keep a diary of when you last changed your appliance in order to know whether the time has come when you should change it again.
- » To protect your skin from damage, don’t wait until your pouch starts leaking. Try to figure out how many days you usually get out of your appliance and change it before you get a leak.
- » Remember that your stoma might change its’ size and shape over time. Periodically check it with a mirror to make sure that your flange fits properly. The hole in your flange should be no more than 1/8″ larger than your stoma.
- » Try to avoid bending over at the waist for long periods of time. This might cause some discomfort and might also affect the seal of the appliance.
- » If you notice large amounts of blood in the pouch, see your doctor immediately. Your stoma will bleed a little while you are cleaning around it, but it should stop within a minute or so. If it doesn’t then keep an eye on it and let your doctor know if the bleeding continues.
- » Your stoma should be a bright red colour , if it starts to look pale or grey, you should seek medical advice.
