Care Life with a stoma isn t always straighforward. Find your way with Coloplast Care

Coloplast Care Life with a stoma isn’t always straighforward. Find your way with Coloplast Care. Part 1 Welcome to Coloplast Care Meet the team her...
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Coloplast Care

Life with a stoma isn’t always straighforward. Find your way with Coloplast Care.

Part 1

Welcome to Coloplast Care Meet the team here to support you

Eating well

How to eat yourself better with a balanced diet

Getting out and about

How to get yourself active again

Hello

Welcome home and welcome to Coloplast Care.

Here at Coloplast we have learnt that whilst you are recovering from your operation that you will probably have many questions and possible concerns. You cannot be expected to know all there is to know on managing a stoma, and we understand that this is a time of steep learning for you. So in this first issue we aim to answer some of those questions and to provide you with both practical help and advice to assist you in your understanding and recovery. From advice on diet and exercise to answering questions such as how to deal with wind and how often to change your bag, we hope these articles will help ease adjusting to everyday life with a stoma.

You’re not alone With all the help and guidance you’ve had from your specialist Stoma Care Nurse, it’s only natural to be a little apprehensive.

But their help will still always be there when you ask for it – even if it is at the end of the phone. Similarly all of us here at Coloplast Care are ready and waiting for your call. We’re here to support you every step of the way, as you get used to your stoma appliances. As experts on all our products, we can offer you practical support, sound advice and years of experience. Day in, day out we talk to people going through the same experiences. So, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to give us a call. All our advice is free and so is the phone call. Melanie, Tom, Sophie, and Maria. Your Coloplast Care team

Everyone is different so in these early days the best advice is to take each day at a time and do things at your own pace And don’t forget that your Coloplast Care Team is at the end of the phone if you’re worried about anything or need additional advice and guidance about your products or lifestyle.

Helen Farmer Coloplast Care Manager

0800 783 1434

The Coloplast Care team are waiting for your call, Monday - Friday, from 9am to 5pm.

[email protected] www.coloplast.co.uk/coloplastcare Or email the team anytime, if you prefer.

Go easy on yourself Take it one day at a time and soon you’ll be feeling more like you. There’s no right or wrong way to recover after the major surgery you’ve been through. Some people are keen to get up and go as soon as they can and feel frustrated when they haven’t got the energy or mobility to do what they want. Others are happy to take it easy, but start to doubt if they will ever get back to their old selves. All we’d say is give it time. It may take weeks to recover fully, but it’s that time that will prove the best healer. Don’t do too much, but equally keep giving yourself little pushes, trying to do more day by day. Some people we talk to devise little targets for themselves. From getting out of bed, to stepping out of doors, to pottering around the garden or walking down to the end of your road, every achievement you make is a little victory worth celebrating.

Keep an eye out It’s perfectly normal for your stoma to change shape or size in the early days, but keep checking to avoid any leaks. In the first six to twelve weeks after your stoma surgery, you can expect the size of your stoma to gradually decrease. Don’t worry, this is perfectly normal, but it means that it is very important to let your Stoma Care Nurse know if it’s affecting how snugly your appliance fits.

“If you are unsure of your stoma size, always speak to your Stoma Care Nurse who will assess the correct size for you” Melanie, Coloplast Care

Some stomas fit well with appliances that have a pre-cut opening, but other stomas need a pouch that’s specially cut to size – that’s where your Stoma Care Nurse can help and advise you on the shape you need. Cutting services like the one provided by our home delivery service – Charter Healthcare – can make sure you get a tailored fit even if your stoma is still changing size.

When should I change? Until you get into a routine, it’s only natural to feel a little unsure about how often to change your pouch. So here are some simple rules of thumb to follow.

COLOSTOMY

If you’ve had a Colostomy, you’ll typically need to change your appliance whenever it’s full – around three times a day on average. Sometimes less, sometimes more, depending on how active you are and how well your pouch is adhering.

ILEOSTOMY

If you’ve had an Ileostomy you will typically need to empty your pouch when it’s around a third to half full. This equates to emptying your pouch around 3 or 4 times a day, but everyone is different and it might be a little more or less. You will only have to change your pouch every couple of days.

Your Stoma Care Nurse should have given you guidance on your own routine, but if you have any questions or need more advice, don’t hesitate to

UROSTOMY

If you’ve had a Urostomy you will typically need to empty your pouch when it’s around a third to half full, or every 2-3 hours – this equates to around 8 times a day. A full pouch can get heavy and cause the adhesive backing on your appliance to loosen from your skin. Emptying the pouch is also more difficult when it’s full.

get in touch with your nurse again or call us here at Coloplast Care. We’d be happy to send you some helpful information.

Bringing balance to There’s no need to suddenly change what you eat and drink. It’s just about making sensible choices and keeping everything in moderation. After stoma surgery you’ll naturally be concerned about how your digestion will be affected, but give it time, and you’ll find that you should be able to eat the same foods you used to eat. You may find large meals leave you feeling bloated within the first 2-4 weeks, so try “grazing” – eating little and often – and then gradually build this up to 3 meals a day. Be patient and take your time. If you’ve had an ileostomy, it’s particularly important to remember to chew your food properly to give a good start to the digestive process.

“My advice would be to graze little and often and then gradually build this up to 3 meals a day” Maria, Coloplast Care You don’t need to follow a special diet unless you have received specific guidance, so just try to follow a healthy diet with a sensible balance of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and fibre. You can still drink alcohol in moderation as long as it doesn’t interfere with any medication.

The three times rule If you think you’re having trouble with a particular kind of food, it’s worth giving it a break for a couple of weeks and then trying it at least three times before giving up. That way you’ll know it’s likely to be the food itself that doesn’t agree with you, rather than any other tummy bug you might be carrying. But always contact your Stoma Care Nurse if a problem persists. Below are some foods and behaviours that might affect you.

Don’t run dry Keeping hydrated is a vital part of your recovery, so don’t forget to keep filling up. Drinking around 8 cups of water a day will keep you regular and isotonic sports drinks are a good way to replace sugars and minerals if you get dehydrated. If you’ve had an ileostomy or urostomy you’ll be particularly vulnerable to losing fluid, so a simple tip is to just drink a glass of water every time you empty your pouch.

Foods, drink and behaviours that produce wind

Foods that are harder for the gut to break down

Plain water is best, but fruit juices – particularly cranberry juice, which can help to prevent urinary infections – are good too. Tea, coffee and alcohol are fine in moderation, but be sensible.

– Sweetcorn – Artificial sweeteners – Fizzy drinks and beer – Peas – Onions – Garlic – Broccoli – Cauliflower – Brussels sprouts – Cabbage – Spinach – Smoking – Gulping water – Chewing gum – Snoring

– Asparagus – Beans

Chew what you’ve got to chew.

– Popcorn – Coconut – Dried fruits and nuts – Celery – Mushrooms – Sweetcorn – Apple peel – Oranges and grapefruit pith – Raw crunchy vegetables

If you’ve got an upset tummy, a jelly baby might be just the thing to help. Having the runs is no fun, but a jelly baby could help to make you feel better! The gelatine in sweets like this or marshmallows can really help to slow things down. Also try stewed apple, banana, creamy peanut butter, cheese and carbs like potatoes, bread, pasta and rice. However, if you experience three or more consecutive bouts of diarrhoea you should consult your Stoma Care Nurse.

o your diet Still, just as anyone else, you might find some foods don’t suit you. You can pick up a stomach bug, or you may suffer from constipation from time to time. If this happens, treat the condition exactly the same as before. Just follow the three times rule below and you should be fine. Although we all love our food, try not to worry too much and let diet concerns take over your life. You’ll soon find a healthy appetite returns.

When the wind blows If you have an ileostomy or colostomy, wind is still an unfortunate fact of life. Here’s some advice on dealing with wind when you are wearing a stoma pouch. Prevention is better than cure, so chewing your food well and avoiding things like nuts, beans, fizzy drinks and beer can help things stay calm. Happily, the design of modern appliances anticipates these problems, so can help you to deal with the common problems of your pouch ballooning up or flattening like a pancake.

Ballooning

Pancaking

When there’s a build-up of wind in your stoma appliance it can sometimes inflate like a balloon. Although pouches have charcoal filters to release wind and deodorise, they can sometimes get blocked up.

Pancaking mainly happens if you have a colostomy. It’s caused when output collects round the stoma, causing a vacuum which makes the pouch stick together. Blowing air into a fresh clean pouch before you put it on and adding filter covers to the filters will help prevent a vacuum from occurring.

In this case “burping the bag” – simply pressing the bag together in the privacy of a toilet – can help, or you may just decide to change your pouch. If the problem persists it may be worth trying another type of stoma pouch and filter type.

In addition, a drop of oil or lubricant, such as Coloplast’s Brava™ Lubricating Deodorant, can help reduce the effects of pancaking by allowing the output to move to the bottom of the pouch and away from your stoma.

Ease yourself into exercise “Gentle exercise is a good thing, but it’s essential to avoid straining and twisting. Lifting heavy items can increase the chances of getting a hernia” Sophie, Coloplast Care

While getting moving is important, so is pacing yourself, particularly as you lift, bend and stretch. Exercise is good for everyone and your stoma doesn’t make you an exception. The only thing to remember is to start off gently, simply with walking around your home or garden to build your strength up. When you first leave the home, take a family member or friend with you, or keep a phone with you. It’s essential to avoid straining and twisting. Things like lifting heavy shopping, picking up children, lugging a vacuum cleaner around

or even lifting a heavy kettle in the early days, can increase the chances of getting a hernia. We’ll tell you more about hernias in the next issue of Coloplast Care, but talk to your Stoma Care Nurse for advice in the meantime, if you’re concerned. Special small pouches are available for use when swimming or playing sport, so there is no reason to rule yourself out. Just remember to build up gradually.

Getting into gear Before you get behind the wheel again, it’s wise to take precautions. It’s always advisable to check with your doctor or Stoma Care Nurse before you start driving again. You should also check that you are fully covered by your car insurance policy, as some conditions vary depending on your insurance provider. Even if you’re going a very short distance, it’s a good idea to keep extra stoma supplies in the car, but keep them in a cool place such as the boot or glove compartment, as heat may damage the adhesive. Similarly, you might be planning a first night away from home. If so, try to get into a routine where you always have extra supplies with you. There are lots of great products available to help you when travelling by car such as seatbelt stoma protectors, or leg bags if you have a urostomy.

Get a Radar key A radar key gives people who need it exclusive admission to accessible toilets across the UK, in a variety of public places, so you’re not restricted to public toilets. You will find these special toilets in places such as shopping centres, pubs, cafés, bus and train stations and department stores. These 9,000 toilets are locked to the general public, but could be open to you thanks to the Radar scheme. The key costs £2.25 + postage and packing and is available from Radar on

0207 566 0126 or visit the website at

www.radar-shop.org.uk

Go where you please With public toilets being so accessible these days, hopefully you shouldn’t have too many problems, but here are two ideas that might help give you extra reassurance.

Get the free WheelMate™ app It’s good to know you can go, wherever you go. So you might want to try WheelMate™ – a smartphone app and website, created by Coloplast, and updated by its users, that helps people find the nearest suitable toilet. It means you can plan trips into town, days out or holidays with complete confidence, knowing there’s nothing stopping you from going.

Toilet access card This handy card simply explains that you have a medical condition that means you might urgently need to use a toilet in a public place. Charter Healthcare will send you this card or you can request one from Coloplast Care.

Available on Google Play, the Apple App Store, and the NHS Choices Health Apps Library, WheelMate™ can help you: – Locate the nearest toilet, when you are out and about – Plan trips in advance by locating toilets with more suitable amenities and parking spaces – Add toilets and parking spaces directly in the app or on the website – Comment on and rate locations already listed

“I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis in 1990 at just 19 years old. During the next 15 years, I continued to have several hospitalisations and was in a great deal of pain until in 2008 I had an ileostomy. The early days after the operation of getting your head round how you look, how other people see you, having to try and find the right products that work for you can be hard going, but there really is light at the end of the tunnel. My Stoma Care Nurse helped me deal with each stage of the problems I was encountering and based on those problems, suggested a different product to try. It took time but I got there in the end! I now have a combination of products that really work for me. The biggest advantage for me having an ileostomy is now being able to go for walks free from pain, to be able to give my boys a piggy back without having to give up only after a few seconds because of the excruciating pain – and also to be able to do

something as simple as a handstand – something I didn’t think twice about in my teens yet for a good half of my life I was in too much pain to even consider doing such a thing. A stoma is a tough thing to have to come to terms with but with some positive thinking and by asking for the appropriate help, I have every confidence that everyone in a similar position can get there – like I did.” Aisha Powell, Wife and Mum of Two

How to place an order with Charter Healthcare

Remember to order your supplies…

Call 0800 132 787

The last thing you need to worry about is running out of supplies. Just get into the habit of placing an order when you have two weeks’ supplies left and it will soon be as natural as doing a regular shop at the supermarket!

If calling from a mobile:

01733 392364 Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm. Saturday 9am - 12.30pm.

Scotland office: 0800 917 8639 Order online

www.charterhealthcare.co.uk Once registered, your entire order history is kept for you online, so repeating your order takes just a click.

In the next issue… We take a look at hernias, trips and holidays, and taking care of your skin.

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