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Ostomy Education

Whether you're new or experienced in ostomy life, a question you may not know the answer to is "what are the stickers for that come with ostomy bags?" We asked our Social Media & Marketing Specialist, Amy, who has had her permanent ileostomy since 2011, if she knows what the stickers are for and to our delight, she did, but admitted that it took her a good few years until she found out what they are for.

There are many possible reasons why a child may need a stoma. In this blog post, I look into some of those reasons. Without further ado, let's get started.  1. Hirschsprungs Disease - This reason had to be number 1 as it's what my brave little man inherited from myself, the reason for our ostomies. Born with non functioning colons we needed them completely removed along with 3cm of small intestine

When we discuss ostomies in this post, we will be referring to either an ileostomy, colostomy or urostomy. It is important to note that every individual who needs ostomy surgery is different, so every story and need for surgery is very personal to that individual. No two stories are the same.

Let's start this post by saying that drinking alcohol with an ostomy is not the same for everybody, as is the case with a lot of things in ostomy life. It is also different depending on which ostomy you have - ileostomy, colostomy or urostomy.

The person who is most aware of your ostomy's smell is you.  Also, it is normal to smell your ostomy output and gas when you are changing your ostomy bag. As you would if you went to the toilet the standard way to poo, it's natural for it to have a smell... After all, it is waste from your digestive system!

There is a lot of criteria based on each individual in question going into ostomy surgery, such as your condition/reason for needing surgery. Other factors will play a part in this such as likely quality of life outcomes of surgery, age, chances of complications in surgery and/or recovery, whether the body may just need a rest to heal such as with some Inflammatory Bowel Disease cases where an ostomy may be reversed and whether other health problems may not make a patient a good candidate for future surgery. Every case is different, just as each illness and/or need for surgery is very personal and unique to that patient.

I am rather a sociable being and love the bones of my friends. Having a poorly child will show you very quickly who the real ones are, the ones that reach out. The ones that have the difficult conversations then entertain your anxieties and dramatics in times of hardship. Child-care has always been an achilles heal for us with a child with both an ostomy and a feeding tube. 

International day of persons with a disability - 3rd December 2021 This day was first introduced by the UN in 1992 to protect the wellbeing of individuals with disabilities and their human rights. This year's theme is 'Not All Disabilities Are Visible’ which teams with the work I have done in the last 2 years with Pelican and Respond Healthcare. Their Be The Change Campaign and Cardiff City Centre’s signage change on toilet facilities, meant not just a wheel chair logo but also people who appear to have nothing wrong being included.

Tomorrow (Saturday 2nd October) is World Ostomy Day. This post, I thought I'd share with you some stoma facts (thanks to many great resources & my experience). What better time to share some facts than around World Ostomy Day?!