Life is hard enough without having the added stress of an ostomy. However, anyone with an ostomy knows that there is nothing more stressful than dealing with your stoma day and in and day out. I know from personal experience that having ostomy problems can turn a good day into a bad one really quickly. If you yourself have been struggling to make it through each day, then you are not alone my friend. Life is hard enough when it comes to working for a living. I mean, who the heck wants to get up and work everyday? Is that really all there is to life? Well, I don’t really have the answers when it comes to the key to happiness or how to find a life that you will enjoy, but I do know a thing or two about living with a stoma. For all my fellow ostomates out there, I have compiled a short list of tips and tricks for living with an ostomy that I think everyone should know about. So if you are reading this and you are about to get an ostomy, or if you already have one, go ahead and take some notes!
The first tip that I have for people living with an ostomy is to get your ostomy pouch change down to a routine. Having a routine for just about anything makes that activity easier and more repeatable. If you are having trouble changing your ostomy pouch without spilling your content all over the place, it might be a good idea to watch some videos on the internet to see how you can be changing up the process.
You should only be changing your ostomy pouch a few times a week at the most – most people only change them about twice a week. With that being said, there are certain things that can help make the ostomy pouch a lot easier to change. One thing to keep in mind is that it is much easier and less time consuming to change your ostomy pouch on an empty stomach; that way, you won’t have to deal with all the output that will come out of your stoma while you are changing ostomy pouches. It is also a good idea to try to change your ostomy pouch in the shower if at all possible, since this is the easiest place to try to clean up the mess you might make.
Another tip that I have for people living with an ostomy learning how to travel with an ostomy pouch. Traveling can be stressful for anybody, and it becomes even more stressful when you have to worry about your ostomy pouch needs and all the supplies you have to bring along with you. It is a really good idea to have a bag all setup for traveling that just has your ostomy supplies and other necessities in it. By having these items available to you, you can ensure that you are not going to be without them when you really need them most. So if you are flying on a palace, for example, make sure to bring ostomy supplies with you in your carry on so that you don’t have to worry about a disaster happening in the middle of the flight.
Ostomy Health Blog 