United Ostomy Association, Inc.
Evansville, Indiana Chapter
Re-Route

 
Contents:

ODOR
NOT EVERYONE KNOWS
LAUGHTER AS AN ANTIDOTE
CURE FOR DIARRHEA
HINTS, OLD AND NEW
CARTOONSVILLE

Re-Route Archive

Volume 25, Number 8  May, 1998

ODOR
By: Marlys Hay, RNET 
Odor can be a concern for someone who has a stoma. Occasional minimal odor, when the pouch is changed or emptied in the privacy of a bathroom, is expected. There are precautions and effective means to prevent odor from being a problem. First of all, general cleanliness and personal hygiene are obvious measures in combating odor. Also, it is important to keep the appliance clean and odor-free. Emptying the pouch frequently and keeping the end of the pouch clean will prevent odor. An easy way to do this is, when emptying the pouch fold up the open end as you would turn up a shirt sleeve, empty, and apply the clamp. If you experience difficulty in emptying the pouch, a tablespoon of oil or some Periwash in the pouch helps make the contents empty more easily. Most ostomy pouches manufactured today are made of odor-proof materials. DO NOT put pin holes in the pouch to release gas. Some pouches have a gas release filter built into the pouch. If your appliance does not have a filter, they are available for attachment to any type of pouch. A third means to control odor is the use of an external deodorant. Excellent products are available that neutralize odor rather than masking it and arc helpful during and immediately after emptying a pouch in a public restroom. Some pouches if worn for prolonged periods, even though kept clean, will eventually react to perspiration and give off a foul odor. Know when to change your pouch! 

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NOT EVERYONE KNOWS
By: Sharon Williams, RNET
The experience of having a new ostomy can be quite frightening if one does not understand what is normal in stoma appearance and ostomy function and what is not normal. Although each ostomate is uniquely individual, there are some basic generalizations which can be sited in the postoperative period. For example, the normal, healthy stoma is bright red in appearance, resilient to the touch and may bleed slightly if rubbed when the peristornal skin is being cleansed. A marked change in stoma mucosa color or appearance should be reported to the physician or enterostomal therapist. Also, bleeding from inside the stoma, (whether urinary or fecal) should signal a call to the physician for further test. It is normal for an individual with an ilea conduit or sigmoid conduit urinary diversion to have some mucus in the urine. Drinking sufficient amounts of water (8-10 glasses per day minimum) will help to keep the urine and mucus diluted. It is normal for the skin surrounding the ostomy to be in the same condition as the skin on the other portions of the abdomen. Redness, rashes, urine crystal buildup, etc., are not normal and should be reported to the enterostomal therapist or physician. In individuals with colostomies and ileostomies who still have a rectum intact, it is normal to expel mucus through the rectum. The mucus membrane lining the rectum will continue to produce mucus, even though an individual is ("re-routed"). It is normal for the stoma to change slightly in shape and size due to peristalsis (contractile motion of the bowel which propels contents through the intestinal tract). However, marked swelling, prolapsed, or shrinking in size of the stoma should be checked by a professional. It is normal for some colostomates and ileostomates to feel as though they still need to have a bowel movement (phantom rectal sensations) even though the rectum has been removed. The sympathetic nerves responsible for rectal control are not interrupted during surgery and therefore the sensations are still present. Knowledge of this fact may alleviate anxiety. In summary, get to know your stoma and what is normal for you. Only by recognizing the norm can one know when and if a problem develops. 

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LAUGHTER AS AN ANTIDOTE
IDS Healthlines
You may have noticed that when you are having fun and laughing you feel better than when you are sad and brooding! You feel better when you laugh because it increases your metabolism your muscles are stimulated and neurochemicals enter your bloodstream. A specific example of laughter on a serious illness is included in Norman Cousin's book, "Anatomy of an Illness". Former editor of "The Saturday Review", Cousins had a very serious and painful disorder of the connective tissue collagen (his cells were literally, coming apart). The pain. medications doctors gave him were seldom effective and he was often in excruciating pain. Doctors set his recovery chances at one in 500. Cousins decided that humor might be an answer. He arranged for videotapes of old Candid Camera and other old comedy shows to be shown at his hospital bedside. After a few hours of genuine belly-laughing fun, Cousins was entirely pain-free for hours more, and sometimes even days. And despite the odds, he ultimately recovered. New studies also show that laughter can help defeat infection by assisting the immune system. According to a study at Western New England College at Spring field, MA., laughter increases an antibody in the saliva that lowers a person's susceptibility to upper respiratory illness. The levels of this antibody were already higher in those who regularly use humor to face life's problems. Lee S. Burk, an immunologist at Loma Linda says, Negative emotions can manipulate the immune system, and it now seems positive ones can do something similar. Cortisol, which is an immune supprcssor, has a tremendous influence on the system. Laughter decreases cortisol, which allows interleuken-2 and other immune boosters to express themselves. Like so many things, humor and health are interdependent. When you feel good, things seem more humorous, and when you laugh you feel better. 

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CURE FOR DIARRHEA
Via: News Pouch, Iowa Chapter
The protein and starch in chicken and rice soup can markedly increase the body's ability to absorb water, making it an excellent cure for diarrhea. A team of doctors working in Bangladesh and India, documenting and testing home remedies used for generations to treat diarrhea illness, reported the benefits of protein and starch. Doctors have known that sugar increases the body's ability to absorb salt and water during digestion, but did not realize that starches and grains can do the same early in the digestive process. In the US, doctors usually hospitalize dehydrated patients and feed them intravenously, an effective but expensive therapy. In addition, intravenous feeding carries the potential for bloodstream infection. 

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HINTS, OLD AND NEW
Spearmint is one of the gentler mints. A bit of spearmint vinegar in a glass of water calms the stomach and digestive system. It also relieves gas and adds a tangy zest to iced tea. To slow down stoma activity, before changing appliances, eat a tablespoon of creamy peanut butter beforehand or eat four or five marshmallows, fifteen minutes before changing. Vinegar added to fish dishes helps to eliminate the traditional fishy odor, and also helps get rid of fish smells at clean up time. Rounding off the square edges of a firm wafer, or skin barrier, will decrease the chance of the belt catching on the comers. Skin Prep rubbed or sprayed on the hands before using your garden rake, etc., can help prevent blisters, and on mosquito bites will seal the bite and take away the itch. Male ostomates who suffer painful collisions between the pouch tail clip and key organs, should try angling the pouch toward a pants leg instead of pointing it straight down. Wear briefs and pass the pouch through a leg opening in the brief to hold it in place.

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