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Volume 31, Number 8 May, 2004
POTASSIUM, IMPORTANT MINERAL
Via: Metro Washington, Battle Creek,
MI & Southern Maryland Counties Chapter
Eating foods like apricots, bananas, kidney beans, pears, potatoes, oranges, spinach, and tomatoes every day not only add flavor, fiber and fluid to your diet, they just might add up to a longer life. These foods are good sources of potassium, a mineral that has been linked to decreasing blood pressure and possibly decreasing the risk of stroke.
According to a medical report cited by the Harvard Health Letter, people who ate a diet rich in potassium (8 servings of fruit and vegetables a day) were the least likely to suffer a stroke. In addition, those whose doctors prescribed a potassium supplement along with a diuretic to treat hypertension were at a significantly reduced risk for a stroke. If you are not taking a diuretic, you should not take a potassium supplement because you can get a toxic dose of this mineral. But if you do take a diuretic for hypertension (high blood pressure), that is potassium wasting Talk to your doctor about a prescription for potassium. Adding fruits and vegetables to your diet is always a safe way to increase your intake of vital nutrients that can help you protect your health. Avoiding a stroke is just one more reason to increase your intake of these power packed foods. (If you have kidney disease, check with your doctor before increasing your potassium intake).
ALL APPLIANCE WEARERS
Via: Coos Bay OR Beacon & The Greater Orlando/Central FL, Picture Frame
Avoid letting your appliance get too full, either of waste or gas. Although one of our members says, he likes his pouch to “balloon up” because it makes him lighter on his feet, it’s not a good practice.
Normally, you should empty your appliance when it becomes 1/3 to 1/2 full, and before trapped gas makes it feel firm. As the pouch becomes more full, it places a greater strain on the snap fastener holding the pouch onto the flange, for two-piece appliance wearers, and increases the tendency for the adhesive part of the appliance to pull away from the skin around the stoma with ALL appliances. If it is not convenient to empty a filling appliance, perhaps you can get somewhere you can discretely “pop” the seal, and at least release the gas pressure. This trick can buy you a little more time before emptying is necessary. Also, for ileostomates, if you know that you are going to be traveling or in a situation where easy access to a rest room is not available, adjust what you eat to avoid high-residue food. Instead of eating two bran muffins and a bowl of Raisin Bran for breakfast, consider pancakes, which have much less residue. Be aware of how fast your body responds to eating. If you know that you can expect lots of stoma activity about two hours after eating, time your meal so that you won’t have to deal with a pouch approaching capacity at an inopportune time.
Similarly, urostomates may want to consider temporarily adjusting their rate of fluid intake for a short time. The caution here is that urostomates should consume plenty of fluids during the day. This technique is not advisable for periods of more than a couple of hours.
Ostomates shouldn’t skip meals before going out socially. In general, the less an ostomate eats, the more gas he or she will produce, with its attendant problems. Actually, a quick elbow to the stoma will usually silence it if it becomes operative at the wrong time.
FUNGAL RASHES
by: Lyn Kramer, RN, CETN, Via: The Pouch & Southern Maryland Counties Chapter
Fungal rashes are more prevalent in late spring and summer. This rash is the same as the one you can get on your feet, groin, or in any dark moist skin fold. This is the perfect place for this natural body organism to flourish—it is called a yeast infection.
People who have high blood sugars or eat higher quantities of sweets than normal, those with diabetes or people who take prednisone type medications, are more prone to this rash. Persons with an ostomy who wear a plastic pouch on their side are also more prone to this. The plastic ostomy pouch, plus the contents of the pouch increase the body heat and perspiration in this area during the warmer months.
The old adage of “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” comes to mind. If you know you fit into the above mentioned groups with these indications, then take action before you get the rash. Some simple things that you can do are:
* Make sure the barrier that sticks to your body is kept dry after showers and baths. You may use a hair dryer set to cool or dry this area very well with a towel.
* Use a micro-granulated, anti-fungal powder around the intact barrier area as well as under the pouch area. The area under the pouch may be applied daily. There are many over-the-counter brands available. The main active ingredients to look for are miconazole nitrate 2% or zinc oxide. These are not prescription items and are less expensive than Mycostatin powder that is often prescribed by a doctor for treating fungus.
* Use a pouch cover between you and your pouch. Some newer style pouches have an extra layer of material on the back that is called a pouch cover, but it is still made of plastic. You need a cloth or a very good quality absorbent towel cut to fit under the pouch area. You need to change the cover when it becomes moist or it can also grow the fungus.
* If you do develop a rash, do not use a cream on your skin area that is und
area that is under your barrier. The barrier will stick to the cream and not your body, thereby falling off. You only need to use the miconazole nitrate powder on the infected area. If the manufacturer’s instructions on your barrier allows it, you may seal the powder in with a skin seal; ie, Skin Prep, ALLKare, etc. You may need to change your pouch more frequently until the rash clears. It should clear in one or two changes.
BE COMPASSIONATE TO THOSE DEALING WITH LOSS & GRIEF
By: Dale Mayer, MSU News Service, Benefits Healthcare Supplement 3-02
Grief and loss are inevitable parts of living. Eventually every one will experience a loss. Maybe it will be the loss of a job, a marriage, health or the death of a loved one. Whatever the loss, it is followed by sadness and suffering. When death occurs, friends often describe feeling helpless. Based on my professional experience as a nurse and my personal experience after the death of my husband, I offer suggestions on how to support a grieving family.
An initial reaction is to bring food to the family. If friends are not careful, though, the amount of food can be overwhelming. Having someone organize a meal schedule is helpful and prevents multiple dinners from arriving on the same night. The meal doesn’t have to be fancy. I remember my children cheered when a pizza delivery truck arrived at our house. Label your dishes or bring disposable ones. The need for food doesn’t end after two weeks. Meals delivered months later are wonderful as are gift certificates to restaurants or an invitation to join you for dinner. The first few days to weeks after the death of a family member are numbing. Many people must be notified and a million decisions must be made. You can provide assistance by doing laundry, walking the dog or taking the children for a few hours. Try to allow the grieving family some quiet time each day.
Many people, children and adults alike, don’t know what to say to someone who is grieving. People are afraid they will say the wrong thing and often what you want to say may come out wrong. A heartfelt and simple “I’m sorry for your loss”, along with a hug might be the best words and actions. Don’t say you know how they are feeling because chances are, you don’t. No two losses are the same and they should never be compared. If talking is hard for you, send a note that expresses your feelings. Some of the cards I received after the death of my husband related stories and memories. I am thankful people are willing to share those stories with my family. Often, we are unsure of how to acknowledge a birthday or holiday. A phone call, visit or written note to the family is best. Families like to know that you have not forgotten their loved one. Include the grieving family in a holiday celebration. Occasionally a family may choose not to celebrate or celebrate in a very different manner. Be supportive of their choices and allow for new traditions to be developed.
Reluctance to talk with a bereaved person is often because we don’t want them to cry. Do not be afraid of tears. In grief, they are crying inside. Your words and hugs bring those inside tears to the outside. Tears are healing. I remember talking about my husband and tears flowed. My friend said, “I’m sorry I made you cry.” I replied, ”You didn’t make me cry—I cry every day.”
Conclusion, an important way to help a grieving family is to be a compassionate friend during good times and the inevitable sad times we all encounter in life. Compassion, which means to suffer with, will provide love and support to a grieving family. Love and support will help the family incorporate the death into their lives and move forward.
ABDOMINAL CHANGES
By: Arthur Clarke, RNET, Gettysburg, Via: Metro MD & Hemet-San Jacinto, CA
The surgeon allowed only so much moveable bowel in the construction of your stoma. Once that piece of bowel was pulled through your abdominal wall, it was tacked down on the inside of the abdominal wall and on the outside of the skin. That length will remain constant throughout your life, therefore, if the wall of your abdomen thickens (ie., with fatty tissue); the length of the bowel used for your stoma is not affected.
One result of the limited length of bowel with increased abdominal wall thickness, is that when you sit or stand, the changed position
causes the abdominal wall to shift forward and down, and the stoma segment prevents the peristomal skin from shifting as much as the rest of the abdomen. The limited movement results in a “skin well” around the stoma when you sit or stand.
Skin adjacent to the stoma becomes quite mobile being pulled down, then flattened by your changing positions. I have found that an appliance with a firm, convex surface which “pushes” the skin back and holds it stable, relative to the stoma, works much better than the highly flexible pouches.
UROLOGY CONCERNS
Via: The Rosebud, & G.B News Review & S. Brevard, FL.
Germs are all over the world, but when they are in the urinary tract, either in the conduit, the ureters, or the kidneys, they are in an abnormal location, and that is what causes an infection. What causes infection? Mostly, the reasons are unexplainable. Why do some people get more colds than others?
Infections can be caused by obstructions, kidney stones, tumors, cysts, or scar tissues. Almost synonymous with obstruction is infection, and then too often comes stone formation. Once you have stone formation, it’s hard to get rid of the infection. It’s a kind of a cycle that goes around and around.
Infection can be caused by urine being forced back to the kidneys through the conduit. This could happen if you fall asleep with the appliance full of urine and accidentally roll over on the pouch, causing urine to be forced back through the stoma and
the urinary tract with tremendous pressure. Invariably, the urine in the appliance is contaminated.
In general, to prevent and treat the infection, you need a good flow of urine, much like a stream. That not only dilutes the bacteria or germs in the urine but also helps wash them out. Two and one-half quarts of liquids daily are required for the average adult.
Night drainage is a MUST. Otherwise, you run the risk of urine backing up into the kidneys which can cause irritation or infection. This is especially important for urostomates with only one kidney.
It’s important to be aware of the symptoms of a kidney infection: elevated temperature, chills, low back pain, cloudy urine, or decreased urine output. People with ileal conduits normally produce mucus threads in their urine which give a cloudy appearance, but bloody urine is a danger sign. You must see your doctor if any of these symptoms occur.
CURE FOR DIARRHEA
Via: Sherman Area, Ostoline, TX.
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, documenting and testing home remedies used for generations to treat
diarrheic illnesses, reported the benefits of protein and starch.
Doctors have known that sugar increases the body’s ability to absorb salt and water during digest
digestion, but did not realize that starches and grains can do the same, early in the digestive process.
In the U. S., doctors usually hospitalize dehydrated patients and feed them intravenously, an effective but expensive therapy. In addition, intravenous feeding carries the potential for bloodstream infection. Getting an IV can be frightening to a child.
Diarrhea illness can be fatal, especially in small children in impoverished countries, because they rob the body of water.
HELPFUL HINTS
From Everywhere
Scraps and cut-outs from barriers are great to relieve pressure of blisters or corns on one’s feet. Keep them in a small jar with a tight lid and the paper backing left on until you are ready to use them. If you still have your rectum and have pain or a full feeling, you may have a collection of mucous which should be washed out. Check with your doctor regarding this.
Bring your problems and questions to chapter meetings; don’t be afraid or embarrassed to ask questions.
If you are beginning new medication—for any reason – keep a close eye on your stoma discharge. Contact your doctor if you suspect the medicine is going in and straight out.
Discard expired medications to prevent any potential adverse affects. Aspirin can be toxic to the kidneys just two or three months after expiration. The same is true for tetracycline Many drugs just lose their effectiveness.
Lack of bulk in a colostomate’s diet can be part of the difficulty
in elimination. This may be caused by eating to much highly refined food and not enough bulk, like bran.
Laughing is healthy for your body as well as your mind. When you laugh, you exercise your heart, lungs and adrenal glands. You also breath more deeply, increasing the body’s oxygen flow. Laughter may ease physical pain by triggering production of endorphins—natures pain killers.
Your attitude about your image will affect the attitude of your family, friends and the people around you. Be happy...you’ve been given a new life.
Ileostomates should not sit in one position for a lengthy period of time This may force pouch contents upward around the stoma and cause possible leakage. Stand up frequently.
Sharks do get cancer; therefore, shark cartilage pills offer no protection against cancer.
If your pouch doesn’t stick well, are you applying it right after showering in a high-humidity bathroom? Skin must be perfectly dry to receive and hold the appliance. Also oily products such as vitamin E and Dove Soap, can cause the wafer to loosen and fall off.
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