So... I know a post on my knee is overdue & I do plan to update everyone on this really soon! In the mean time, I thought I might do a super quick FAQ on all things ostomy. The number of people reading this little blog is only ever increasing and I have lovely new readers all the time! Even some of my nearest and dearest don't fully 'get' what an ostomy is all about & an FAQ update feels needed!
Here are just some of the questions I am asked pretty regularly (many by once people have had one drink too many) - it is less about the 'health' side of things and more about the my day to day reality of living life with Margaret...
(All my answers are from my own experiences, I am not a health professional nor do I speak on the behalf of all ostomy owners. Everyones experiences are different.)
How is the bag stuck to your skin?
- The bag sticks to your skin with a flexible sticky wafer thing called a 'flange' (ewww). This flange has a hole in the centre that you cut in to which fits neatly around your stoma (piece of intestine) allowing it to pop through & collect waste inside the bag. There is an opening at the bottom of the bag which you empty out the waste from.
What does the bag feel like?
- I can't feel the bag on my skin. Thats something a lot of people find really weird, but imagine having a big plaster on your skin! Obviously half of the bag is flapping free so unless I am wearing a stomach wrap or high wasted underwear, the bottom corner can sometimes dig in to my leg. The only times I can feel the bag is when the skin is really irritated, unfortunately for me, this happens a lot of the time. The itching feels like lots of ants crawling over your skin but somewhere you can't quite reach. Imagine trying to scratch and itch with oven gloves on... thats what its like. I have really sensitive skin & seem to be irritated my most things so my skin feels like this at least a couple times a day. Antihistamines help, as does lightly slapping the skin around Margaret. I have to stop myself doing this in public...
Can you feel it when 'output' comes out? (ie. can you feel yourself poo?)
- Nope. In no way, at all. Stomas have no nerves so you can't feel anything. I never have 'the urge to go' or can control how much, when or where my bowels decide to push out waste. I could be sat in traffic, at a shop, watching TV 'poo-ing' away without a clue, it's a doddle! Instead, I empty the bag 5/6 times a day as it fills up.
Does it smell?
- Like when anyone goes to the loo, when emptying the bag the output does smell, nothing horrendous or anything worse than anyone else. Day to day, walking around, you thankfully can't smell a thing!
Can you still fart?
- Unfortunately not. It is something I actually really miss... but obviously my colon is completely bypassed both by poo & gas. Instead gas empties in to the bag and is released when emptying it.
How big is it?
- This depends on the brand or style you use. Mine is a small and so it falls just to the top of my thigh.
What can you eat with an ostomy?
- I can eat pretty much anything. Those who know can vouch for the fact that there is not much that could get in the way of me and food. The only things I avoid are mushrooms, nuts & seeds as they can cause blockages. Popcorn is one thing that I have been advised not to have but cheerfully ignore. I instead drink a hell of a lot of water when eating it & chew really, really well.
I have had to up my fluid and salt intake which is irritating but do-able. I avoid fish or cheese the day before going out as it doesn't produce the nicest smell.
Can you still drink alcohol & go on nights out?
- Yes. Well, I still do. I can't/don't overdo it, I rarely go mad or have more than a couple of drinks at a time. A lot of people don't get this and I do get stick sometimes for yet again going for the diet coke but my body tells me when it's feeling up to it (or not) and I often make the decision to pace myself rather than suffer later.
Can you still swim / do exercise / go on roller-coasters?
- Yes! I can do all of these things and have yet to find something I can't do! I even read an article once on how you can deep sea dive with an ostomy!
Do you still have a bum?
- Haha, this is something which I have been asked twice, both times by people who had had a little to drink and clearly lost all embarrassment in asking! To me, of course as with most things, there is very little embarrassment and I think a completely valid question! Yes I do. My ostomy is still 'temporary' so nothing has been removed. When it is made permanent, some people go on to have EVERYTHING removed. This would include your rectum etc. & they go on to sew up your bottom end. I'm sorry but even as write this I can't help but laugh. I recently read it being referred to as a Barbie Bum which is the best thing I've ever heard!
So do you still have Crohn's?
- Yes. Unfortunately an ostomy doesn't provide a cure. There is no cure. It is simply a way of managing the disease. This question is something I think I could dedicate a whole blog post to...
Hopefully this gives a bit more of an insight... as always, if anyone ever has any questions they've always wondered no matter how weird, please just get in touch!
Lots of love
XXX
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