|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
E-Mail This Newsletter |
|
|
|
|
Printer-Friendly Version |
|
|
|
|
Subscribe to our Newsletter |
|
|
|
|||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Volume 30, Number 11 September, 2003
BEFORE DONATING BLOOD
By: Lawrence Davis, M.D., Via: Greater Cincinnati Chapter UOA
Ostomates considering the donation of blood should consult their physicians before doing so. This being said, bear in mind the experience of a physician who was also an ostomate in Carterville, GA. The following is part of his note:
“It is this physician’s opinion that an ostomate who has a history of kidney stones or periods of dehydration should never subject him/herself to the dehydration that is present after the blood donation.”
“My opinion is based on my own personal decision—as an ileostomate—to give blood. After my donation, no amount of fluids I forced on myself relieved the dehydration, which lasted two days. My third kidney stone came ten days later.”
“I think an ostomate can think of many other ways to serve his/her fellow man and repay medical sciences.”
BEING YOUR OWN HEALTH CARE ADVOCATE
Via: Mount Sinai Hospital, Via: the Internet
Mount Sinai Hospital encourages patients to be advocates of their own health care. To help you, they offer the following suggestions:
While you are in the hospital…
Bring a paper and pen to write down your questions for your caregivers (doctors, nurses, etc.) as you think of them and ask for answers to those concerns.
Consider keeping a journal if your health care experience is extensive, involving many health care professionals over a prolonged period of time.
Ask caregivers for their names and titles, and write them down.
Ask what tests and procedures are being done and why.
Find out when your doctor’s rounds will be done and have a family member or friend there to listen to the information, to ask questions, and to talk with after the team leaves.
Before you sign any consent forms, make sure you read and understand for what you are giving consent. Ask questions such as what is the nature of the procedure and who will be performing it.
Bring a list of all medications you’ve been taking at home.
When it is time to go home…..
Ask about and understand the normal or abnormal side effects of your procedure. (For example, how much pain should be expected.)
Ask for educational material on your condition, procedures and treatments.
Ask how much you should do when you get home and what you will need help with. Ensure that you, your family and your caregivers make arrangements for help.
Ask about your home care options. Find out exactly what home care arrangements have been made and ask for the contact name and phone number. If something is not covered make sure you plan for the help you need.
Ask about your expected recovery time. Find out when you can return to work.
If you or your loved ones do not feel you are ready to return home, state your concerns to your caregivers and ask for some time to discuss these concern in detail.
Ask about follow-up procedures. Find out what future appointments you will have and with whom.
Ask if you should have a follow-up visit scheduled with your physician.
If you need help resolving your concerns or want to give feedback to the hospital, call and ask to speak with the hospital’s patient representative.
Editor’s Note: While written for Mount Sinai’s patients, this is sound advice for any patient’s hospital stay.
SIT DOWN OR STAND UP?
By: Milly Johns, Via: North wind News, Excerpted
People with ostomy surgeries, who are slender, flat bellied, well built, with normal hand control and balance, can usually empty their ostomy pouches, or do intubations, with no problems, whether sitting down, or standing up facing the toilet.
Overweight, handicapped, arthritic elderly or pregnant ostomates, have to adjust their actions to what they can accomplish with the fewest problems. Pouches filled with gas, that have ballooned up like a
dirigible can pose special problems for them when emptying.
When emptying a drainable pouch from a front facing sitting position, scoot your body backwards on the toilet seat (for room to discharge the contents of the pouch between your legs and into the bowl). Bend the pouch bottom drain spout up above the contents, pinching the pouch off between your fingers prior to removing the clip. Aim the pouch drainable end into the bowl and slowly release the contents. By pinching off the contents above the clip before removing it and pointing the pouch end down between the legs, the ostomate can avoid the discharge going all over the place, including hands and clothing.
Some ostomates clean the drainage spouts of their pouches with a squirt bottle of water, wiping the end of excess water with toilet tissue prior to re-clipping. Urostomy pouches have a tiny valve for releasing urine.
For ostomates with a dirigible pouch that are arthritic, handicapped or with balance problems, pull up a chair, or stool in front of the toilet or have someone do it for you. Spread legs apart and scoot forward until the pouch can be emptied into the bowl. Clamp two fingers across the bottom of the pouch above the clip. Remove and empty. When emptying either way it is best to place some toilet paper or a tissue in the bowl toward the front to keep the contents from splashing.
Most public bathrooms today have room for a wheelchair patient to transfer sideways to the toilet. When that is not possible, for a wheelchair patient where there is no toilet, use a men’s plastic urinal, or a gallon coffee can with a plastic baggie placed inside with the bag opening overlapping the top about 3 inches. After emptying, seal the baggie and close the plastic lid to the can. When the opportunity arises, remove the baggie and empty. Dump it in the trash or a diaper container. Do not empty feces in a men’s built in urinal fixture in a bathroom.
ANOTHER SIDE OF THE STORY
By: Lynne Rich, Ph. D. Broward Ostomy Association, Via: Hemet –San Jacinto, CA
If anyone walked a mile in the shoes of an ostomate, how would they feel? What does having an ostomy mean to you? Survey says: good health, no pain, belonging to a group of strong, caring and compassionate people—ostomates, savvy individuals who’ve learned how and where to get and share knowledge, help, humor and
hope. Okay, there hasn’t yet been a comprehensive survey. Are you living as actively as you’d like to? If not, why? An ostomy is merely tissue that’s been surgically, relocated and designed to function smoothly. If even a temporary ostomy doesn’t work correctly and trouble-free, it may only need a little extra attention and care. You and your ostomy deserve the time necessary to be taken care of really well. After that, let your heart and brain take charge.
Living through health problems that led to ostomy surgery, you no doubt gained strength and fortitude. Your ostomy won’t break and neither will you. You might develop feistiness and greater determination. You may also discover bad hair days are more likely than bad ostomy days especially in a tropical, humid climate, during blistery winters, or in the windiest rainstorms.
If you’re not sure whether an activity is medically or physically all right for you to do, before you stop yourself from trying, ask your physician and ET (enterostomal therapist) if actual medical or physical restrictions prevent you from participating in or learning a new activity.
Ostomies don’t prevent work, traveling, living anywhere, swimming, scuba diving, hiking, or water skiing. Don’t allow inaccurate information or a negative attitude from preventing you from doing what you want. Adjust your attitude with realistic information. Just as you adapted to the ways your body changed as you were growing up, as an adult, you can adapt again and resume living as millions of other ostomates have done.
Learning how to take care of an ostomy is not as difficult as originally learned...earlier than you may remember...to walk, or later perhaps learning to drive a car, to wear contact lenses or bifocals. Ask questions. Terrific at sharing information, ostomates are resilient inventive, practical, and creative. At ostomy association meetings, notice how well people look. That’s due to deliberate effort and an optimistic attitude. Give yourself the same quality of care you expect from your doctors. Don’t ask less of yourself.
Having an ostomy might mean better health now, and living longer. Decide each day what you’d like to do. Socialize with other people, or spend time alone. Count on the people most important to you to remain loving and supportive. Call people you’d like to see. Let your family and others know when you want them to join you in various activities. Don’t think or expect the worst from anyone, including yourself.
An ostomy gives you health and options. Consider the Spanish Proverb: Living Well is the Best Revenge. Live well!
(Two recommended books provide valuable information. In The Ostomy Book, Barbara Dorr Mullen and Kerry Anne McGinn, R.N. present basic information about all three types of
ostomies, (colostomy, urostomy, or ileostomy), and tips about best ways to return to good health following surgery and
continuing to feel well after ostomy surgery. Maureen Bender wrote A Secret No More about her experiences as she resumed working, dating, and started an exercise program for ostomates.)
STOMA LACERATION
Via: Oneonta Chapter, NY
A laceration is a wound or irregular tear of flesh, and it could happen to your stoma. If your stoma protrudes, it can be lacerated.
A stoma that protrudes is preferable because the protruding stoma empties the waste into the ostomy appliance more easily with less chance of leaking. But since the stoma extends beyond the skin level, there is the danger that it can be lacerated. Virtually all barriers manufactured today have stiff, rigid or sharp material next to the stoma that can cut it.
The symptoms that may indicate that laceration has taken place are bleeding or swelling of the stoma. Since there are no sensory nerve endings in the stoma, usually pain will not be experienced. The fact that you may not feel pain does not minimize the seriousness of this condition. If not treated effectively, surgical intervention may be the end result.
It is not always obvious what has caused the laceration. It cannot be corrected until the cause is determined. There are many reasons for stoma laceration, but the most common are:
Improperly centering the barrier.
Shifting of the appliance.
Cutting too small a hole in the barrier.
Whenever there is difficulty in centering the faceplate properly, enlarge the opening and protect the skin immediately surrounding the stoma with an ostomy paste. Urostomates may need the intervention of an ET to review their special needs.
Using a mirror may be helpful when centering the barrier to the skin. Remember, the entire stoma– all of the moist bright red tissue-must be exposed through the barrier.
The newer extended wear barriers—ConvaTec’s Durahesive and Hollister’s Flextend– are manufactured with an inner barrier material that will swell around the stoma. This material is made to actually touch the stoma as it is worn and will not harm it. The outer barrier is a plastic that may still cut the stoma if in contact with it.
When the adhesive barrier washes away—like all other disposable barrier materials—the thin celluloid film remaining is capable of cutting the stoma. Positional changes like bending or even turning when sleeping can cause slippage. If you use an ostomy belt, it may pull the barrier either upward or downward causing the appliance to shift, thus cutting the stoma. Outer clothing—a belt, waistband, etc.—that rides over the appliance may cause it to shift.
We have also found a number of people, in an effort to follow the application directions found in all ostomy supplies, cut the opening too small. The opening should be no smaller than 1/16 of an inch to the stoma on any disposable ostomy system. A gap of up to 1/4 of an inch, is fine for most fecal ostomates, as long as the gap is filled with a quality paste.
Never underestimate a lacerated stoma. Careful investigation should reveal the cause. The stoma will heal by itself—providing it is not too badly damaged—when the problem is corrected. Lacerations usually heal slowly—in about four to six weeks. Careful measurement and application of an ostomy appliance is always necessary. As in most things in life, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
OSTOMY HINTS & TIPS
From Various UOA Newsletters
If you have cramps try running a hot shower on your back. It will relax the muscles and help hurry the food through the digestive tract.
Male ostomates who suffer painful collision between the pouch tail clip and sensitive 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.
Drinking tomato juice will help eliminate odor. Cinnamon or Cepacol can be used in the pouch for odor control.
Use a round clothespin to roll up your tube of paste.
Sign up for Evansville Ostomy Monthly Newsletter
Main Areas
Homepage |
Monthly Newsletters |
Ostomy Forum |
Links
UOA Chapters Online |
Comparing Notes |
Monthly Meetings |
Cartoonsville
Mailing List Messages |
Hints & Tips |
Contacts |
Membership |
Guestbook
Glossary of Terms |
Miscellaneous |
Search
Disclaimer
