Learn with Comfizz
Looking for ostomy education & related topics, helpful hints & real life experiences? Look no further! Browse our blog for support!
Hot weather - you either love it or hate it! However, if you have an ostomy, it can cause problems.
Hot weather can and does cause problems in ostomy life, but everybody is different and is affected to different extents.
Knowing how to handle hot weather with an ostomy and how you may need to adapt your daily routine definitely helps and also enables you to feel more in control. Read on for some tips to help make the heat more bearable!
Can you have a sex life after stoma surgery?
Having ostomy surgery can, naturally, be so daunting, then you've got all these life elements to think of that increasingly creep back in as you recover, including your sex life.
Being concerned about intimacy is normal and you may have questions running through your head such as "will my partner find me attractive any more?", "will my sex life be the same as before surgery?" and "will having sex hurt me?"
How long should an ostomy bag stay on?
If you are new to the ostomy community, one of the first questions that may be on your mind is ‘how long will my stoma bag last?’. Unfortunately there is no definite answer (annoying I know sorry!). It should be changed when needed, preferably before you have a leakage starting and not so long that you see your baseplate start to give way. As you get into a rhythm of your stoma routine, and you establish when it is safe and comfortable for you to change it, it will become as automatic as getting up and brushing your teeth in the morning.
What does an abnormal ostomy look like?
Whether you're new to ostomy life or not, knowing what your ostomy should look like can help you to feel more in control & more knowledgeable. Knowing what is visibly normal and what isn't, as well as getting to know what feels normal is vital to adjusting to ostomy life. What should your ostomy look like? After ostomy surgery, your ostomy is likely to look swollen and you will normally be able to see it through a clear, drainable ostomy bag so that your surgeon, doctors and nurses can check your ostomy easily. Your ostomy may also have stitches around it to hold it to the skin around your ostomy and these stitches are often dissolvable. Your ostomy may also...
What are the stickers for that come with ostomy bags?
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.
What is going on holiday like with a stoma?
Travelling feels like such a luxury after the last two years. I am eagerly awaiting my family holiday with the family and can’t wait for my toes to touch the sand and feel the salty sea air on my skin. Is there anything better? Fish and chips at the seaside, the kids playing outside care free, and that dreaded morning alarm set too silent. If you have kids it won’t make much different mind! But, just being able to turn it off feels so rebellious! Packing for a family is a task in itself. Inevitably something will get left, and if you are like me you will have to buy more sun-cream as you leave it at the beach or...
Is it okay to fly with a stoma?
Travelling with an ostomy for the first time for any journey can be daunting, to say the least.
It could be months since you've had your surgery or years, but it's safe to say that whenever it is, it's perfectly understandable to have many questions & worries.
Why would a child need a stoma?
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
What are the 3 types of ostomy?
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.
My 2nd stomaversary: What lessons have I learned?
It's been 2 years since my second stoma following age 2 1/2 when I had my first reversed as a baby. I went 30 years without one living with a J Pouch to find myself needing a second during the second lockdown. I count myself extremely lucky that I was given that surgery during the times we were living in.