Ostomy Starter Kit

Fortunately, very rarely does an ostomy procedure come at a complete surprise for a patient. There are not many cases where the doctor decides on the spot that a stoma would be the best possible solution to a problem. Oftentimes, the patient has been living with a condition and has tried multiple different solutions before resorting to a stoma. This means both the patient and the health care provider should have plenty of time to plan for ordering ostomy supplies. It is always best to have your supplies ordered ahead of time. Please also know that your preferences on products might change over the course of time, but you should always start with the basics and go from there.

First, your doctor will decide on the type of ostomy bag best fit for you and your lifestyle. There are lots of options for all different types of people. Things to consider when picking your bag is how active you are and how often you plan on draining your bag. Your doctor can direct you with which bag would be optimal. Again, you can always change your mind later and you can easily order a different bag through Hollister ostomy supplies.

Next, a skin barrier has to be chosen. If you have sensitive skin then you should really consider that when choosing a skin barrier. The skin barrier has to be sterile at all times to ensure your safety and the safety of your stoma. Tape should also be considered when thinking about skin barriers. Adhesive spray could also be an alternative. But tape is a safe bet in the first few weeks after the procedure. You can start to explore all the other options after you start to heal.

Then you should consider cleaning supplies. Keeping your stoma happy and healthy is the most important part. There are certain types of alcohol wipes, sprays, and pastes. You should get on a healthy routine very quickly to set yourself up for success early. There are even deodorants for the smell if you are worried about that.

Finally you could look into different accessories once you heal and start to get used to your new way of life. There are different slings and belts for active people. There are water-proof options available for people who frequently swim and perspire. The options are honestly endless when it comes to supplies you may need. Having a stoma may seem stressful at the beginning, but the health care providers and companies are always here to help and assist in any way they possibly can.

Selecting An Ostomy Pouch For Your Colostomy

After colostomy surgery, you have to wear an ostomy bag over your stoma to collect bodily wastes. This bag remains attached to your stoma with the help of a skin barrier, which keeps the stool from coming into contact with the peristomal skin. Ostomy bags consist of odor-proof, lightweight plastic, and they lie flat with the abdomen, which means that nobody will know that you are wearing an ostomy bag.

Types of ostomy pouches

There are many types of ostomy pouches that you can use to manage your colostomy. Your ostomy care nurse will help you with the selection of an ostomy pouch that will work best for you. The most crucial factor is the proper fitting of the skin barrier. Here, you will have to make sure that the inner sides of the skin barrier opening are not interfering with the stoma. The adhesive side of the skin barrier should have enough sticking power to hold the peristomal skin strongly. It will prevent the leakage of odor and stomal output.

Here are a few types of ostomy bags you may want to know about.

Two-piece drainable ostomy bag

This bag consists of a skin barrier and the pouch as two separate elements. You can apply the skin barrier to the skin, and snap the pouch on it to make the ostomy appliance functional.
The bottom of this bag has a tail, and it has a wide opening. The tail is closed with the help of Velcro closures or a clamp.
To empty this bag, you just have to remove the closure element and let the stomal output flow out of the appliance.

One-piece drainable ostomy bag

This bag comes as a single unit, integrating both the skin barrier and the pouch. The skin barrier attaches to the peristomal skin.
The bottom of this bag has a tail, and at the end of the tail is an opening, which uses a clamp or Velcro closures to remain closed.
If you want to empty the bag, you will need to remove the closure element.

One-piece closed-end ostomy bag

It is a closed-end ostomy pouch that combines the bag and the skin barrier to form one unit.
With a sealed bottom, this bag cannot be emptied.
You are going to have to replace this bag with a new one when it is one-third to half full.

Sizing the stoma opening

An opening is mandatory for the skin barrier to fit around the stoma. Some skin barriers come with a precut opening, while some allow you to create a custom opening. You may want to use a measuring guide to find the correct-sized opening for your stoma. This measuring guide has all of the information that you need to know how to use this guide to measure your stoma. This guide allows you to create an opening on a cut-to-fit skin barrier with ease.

You may also want to use some other products and accessories to manage your colostomy. You will, however, need to discuss with an ostomy care nurse about the types of products that you can use.

Traveling With an Ostomy

Everybody loves traveling. Some people enjoy taking smaller trips with a few friends or family, while others enjoy traveling great distances by car or plane with a whole crew or even by themselves. The point is that traveling is a great way to spend money and time. I have personally never even been outside of my home country and would love to go traveling in Europe someday. Perhaps when I am older and have more disposable income this can be something attainable for me. Anyways, I often hear about people traveling and offering a lot of different travel tips and tricks for people that are trying to save time or money. However, I think there is a severe lack of information for people with ostomies that also want to travel. People with stomas are not robots; we love to travel as well! And contrary to popular belief, people with ostomies can do most things that people without ostomies can do. I bet you did not even think about that.

The thing about traveling with an ostomy is that it is going to look just a bit different than if you are traveling without one. It involves being a little bit more careful and a little bit more cautious about having the right supplies with you and making sure you are listening to your body. So to help all my fellow ostomates out there who love to travel or are interested in starting to travel, I wanted to throw together a quick little article with some good tips and tricks to help you pack, prepare, and thrive on your next traveling adventure with your stoma. So without further ado, here are some useful pieces of information about traveling with an ostomy.

The first suggestion I have for you to do takes place before your trip even begins. One of the most important things to have while you are traveling is your plethora of ostomy supplies, products, and accessories that are going to keep you safe and comfortable during all your adventures. Because of this, it is super important to attempt to calculate exactly what you are going to need on your trip and how much supplies you should be bringing. Something to keep in mind is this; it is always better to have more than you need than not have enough. Another way of saying this is that it is better to be safe than sorry. So in most cases, you should bring more ostomy supplies (like ostomy pouches, stoma powders, adhesives) than what you think you will need. That way, you have contingency plans if something goes wrong and you have a way to keep your supplies with you at all times.

Another thing that is super important for you to do takes place while you are actually traveling. What I am talking about now is that you need to keep up with your ostomy and stoma hygiene even while you are out and about. Traveling is no doubt a busy and fun-filled time, but you should never neglect to take care of your stoma while you are on vacation. Not properly cleaning out your stoma, changing your pouch, or applying different products can cause a lot of complications for you and would definitely ruin your trip. I hope this helps on your next trip

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