Life as a construction worker with colostomy

I am a full-time construction worker for work. About six months ago, I found out I had to get a colostomy as I was having destructive internal digestive issues. My doctor told me the adjustment period should be two to four-month, but it is still an ongoing process for me. My job is not that much more difficult with my ostomy bag, but there are certain things I can not do as quickly as I once did now that I have this pouch over my abdomen. Life with an ostomy bag while being in construction has its hurdles, but it is not impossible.

The adjustment period has taken a while. My doctor told me that it would not be more than four months. I am still adjusting, but I have almost forgotten about it. The few significant adjustments for one was going to the bathroom without having to be in the bathroom. It is an odd feeling like you are doing something illegal in a way. Another adjustment has been food. I can no longer eat my favorite, that being pizza. My doctor told me if I had it again, I may have some dire consequences erupt in my bag. That is not something I want to see or think about, so I am taking his advice and not eating pizza again. 

Working with an ostomy bag in my profession has had its challenges. I can not reach up as high as I once did. Doing anything that requires leaning is also out of the question. Any type of side to side leaning, and I will have a lot of strain in my abdomen area since the bag is there, keeping all that skin in place not letting it flex and move. Surprisingly, I have come to realize that I prefer the jobs where I'm leaning over or crouched down. It is odd because I used to hate those kinds of jobs. Now with my ostomy bag, it is nice to be hunched over and take some of the pressure off. 

Some things that annoy me are the fact that I can not stand fully upright without there being some pressure or pulling in my abdomen area. I also do not like the slight smell I catch from time to time. I have heard about a new bag that had a filter to release the aromas, but all you smell is the filter and the scent that is in it. I am not a fan of emptying my bag, and I do not think I ever will get used to that. It is not very pleasant and usually smells horrid.

As a construction worker with an ostomy bag, life is not much different than it was before. I can still get my work done, sure I may not be as fast as I once was, but it makes me take my time and think everything through. There are still some adjustments I have to make, but in time I will get used to this pouch being there. I am happy to be still alive and well, all things considered. My coworkers support me and my situation, and they all respect the slower speed I work at now. I’m glad to be surrounded by such good people.

How to Deal with Stoma?

For bowel cancer, you will have to go through colostomy or ileostomy. Life after this would be different. Thus, you will have to learn new tactics to spend an easy and life. Well, there will be no change in your routine and daily activities. However, a few alterations and new things in your hygiene routine and body. Thus, you will have to adopt a few habits that will allow you to live happily with a stoma.

How to Spend your Days with Stoma?

The new opening or hole in your belly is the stoma. Now, it will be temporary or permanent, it depends on your disease and kind of surgery. However, you will have to live a few months or the entire life with the stoma. Therefore, an ostomate will have to learn the new life rules. When the small bowel or ileum is brought to the tummy, it is an ileostomy. And when it incision and opening with large bowel or colon, it is a colostomy.

When there is a temporary ostomy, a patient has to go through two surgeries. One has done for the creation of stoma and the second for the closing of the opening. Also, it brings back the original paths of ileum or colon.

Dealing with a stoma is not as tough as an ostomate is assuming. It might take a little time to get used to the new lifestyle. However, you do not have to change the routine, work, daily activities, hobbies, and everything else you used to do. Moreover, it will require some accessories that are necessary for the cleanliness of the stoma. Thus, learn the usage of these components. First, you will take a guide and help from the ostomy nurse. He/she knows what you need and how to use them. Thus, do not believe in any online stuff or a guide who does not know your exact case.

Emotional Help and Support

Once you have ostomy surgery, your emotions, way of life, and thinking will get disturbed at first. Therefore, you will require emotional help to get the stand and live a normal life. As I said earlier, the primary support will be in the clinic from doctors and nurses. Moreover, family comes on the second point. This will be your support and as a family member, you need to understand the ups and downs of the patient. Therefore, realize that this is not something that will bother you or stop you from living a normal life. Emotional support is something paramount important in case of any kind of surgery.

Care of Stoma Opening

Being an ostomy person, there will be only one change in your life and that is cleanliness and care of a stoma. Thus, learn how to change the stoma bag and other accessories. Some people get issues due to the leakage of the opening, the reason is they do not know how to fix the stoma pouch. Thus, change the appliances after every two hours in case of Urostomy. And you should change it once or twice a day in case of Ileostomy and Colostomy.

Hobbies and Other Activities

Ostomates assume that their new life will be tough and they cannot spend their usual days. However, this is just the thinking of their patients. Once they have ostomy surgery and their hole gets healed. They will know that they can live their previous activities. No one is stopping them from playing sports, having exercise, follow their passion, spending time on their hobbies, and official work. Travelling is possible for ostomates. However, when you are on your work, you should have an ostomy kit to change your appliances and take care of yourself.

Stoma Care FAQs

While there is tons of information about stoma care available over the internet, sometimes it’s a better idea to look at the basics rather than getting lost in the complexity of details. In this article, we will discuss the fundamentals of stoma care by answering some frequently asked questions.

How to stop an ostomy bag from ballooning up?

Ballooning of an ostomy bag happens due to wind. Although there are five filters in an ostomy bag, they can stop working when they get wet. One of the ways to avoid the ballooning of this bag is to avoid consuming gas-producing foods and drinks. You can also burb your ostomy bag if it can be drained.

Does getting a camera into the stoma hurt?

Some people think that having a camera into the stoma must be a very painful experience. Having a camera into the stoma may be a necessary part of a diagnostic procedure. Since you will have to remove your bag for a moment, you may be worried about the unexpected evacuation of waste materials from the stoma during the checkup. The best practice is to take bowel prep before the checkup if you have a colostomy. And if you have an ileostomy, you may have to fast for some time before the procedure. Make sure to take a spare ostomy bag as your doctor will remove the existing bag before getting the camera into your stoma.

What is the right way to deal with a hernia?

A hernia can be quite an irritation, whose discomfort can range from difficulty wearing an ostomy bag to pain in the peristomal skin area. You may wonder where to get hernia support wear from. However, it will depend on the local prescribing guidelines. Your stoma care nurse will help you know what is available in your locality. Therefore, you will prescribe you any hernia support wear depending on that availability.

How to deal with red, sore skin under the flange

Sore skin can be quite painful. First and foremost, you will need to determine the reason for this soreness. Is it because of the wrong-sized hole in the flange or stomal output getting in contact with the peristomal skin? Leakage is the biggest reason for this skin irritation. In such a scenario, the best practice is to consult with your stoma care nurse as soon as possible. They may suggest you a barrier spray to help your sore skin. You can also try a home remedy consisting of Gaviscon liquid.

What to do with an ostomy bag peeling up on one side

Clothes rubbing against the edges of your baseplate can cause them to lift. It can be significantly difficult to get those edges back after they detach from your peristomal skin. One of the ways to deal with this issue is to use some micropore tape to stick the peeled-off tape back. You can also use flange extenders after getting a prescription from your ostomy care nurse. These extenders come in a semi-circle shape and stick around the edges of the flange.

What Is An Ileostomy?

The stoma created on the small bowel, also called the ileum, is known as an ileostomy. This stoma, or opening, is a part of the small bowel, which means that it is brought out through a cut in the belly during a surgical procedure. As a result, it passes out stools, bypassing the colon and rectum. It is usually on the right-hand side of the abdomen, and it may be permanent or temporary.

Some most common diseases that may result in you requiring an ileostomy may include the following.

• Ulcerative colitis: This condition refers to the inflammation and ulceration of the lining of the large bowel and rectum. This condition is identified through diarrhea, bloody stools, cramping pain, fatigue, anemia, weight loss, and other painful symptoms.
• Crohn’s disease: This condition is also an inflammatory disorder that can affect any part of the GI tract and result in symptoms such as diarrhea, pain, bloody stools, mouth ulcers, fatigue, anemia, and weight loss.
• Cancer: The growth of cancer cells in the colon can result in a patient requiring an ileostomy.
• Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP): This condition is usually inherited from children from their parents, as suggested by the name of the disorder. It usually affects the colon and rectum. These polyps can become cancerous if left untreated.

Wastes passing out of an ileostomy

The primary function of the colon is to absorb moisture and salts while digestive waste passes through it. With the colon removed, the patient has to expel bodily wastes through the ileostomy. It means that those wastes may be watery-loose because there is no colon to absorb moisture. The consistency of wastes also depends on the amount of water you drink every day. If you drink plenty of water, you will pass out more liquid stools. An ileostomy passes out 500 -700 mls of digestive wastes per day. That is why a patient must wear an ileostomy bag the entire time. Most ileostomy bags are drainable, meaning that they can be drained without having to be detached from the body.

What are the types of ileostomy?

An ileostomy can be one of two types: end ileostomy and loop ileostomy. An end ileostomy is created when your surgeon decides to remove or rest your colon. So, it can be permanent or temporary, depending on your situation. A loop ileostomy, on the other hand, is when your surgeon brings a loop of the small bowel out of the body and makes a small incision on the top of this loop to create a stoma. The surgical procedure in this regard results in the formation of two openings of a stoma. One of those openings expels wastes, while the second one leads to the rectum and anus.

Caring for an ileostomy

Since an ileostomy generates high-volume stomal output, it is necessary to make sure that your ileostomy bag makes an ideal seal with the skin around the stoma. Digestive wastes passing out of an ileostomy are generally rich in digestive enzymes, which can be quite corrosive for the abdominal skin. That is why it is necessary to take care of your stoma and the skin around it. You may discuss your requirements with your doctor or ostomy care nurse if you have any concerns.

 

Basic Information About Stoma Goods

Stoma goods include stoma appliances (ostomy bag and faceplate), skin barriers, and other accessories. Doctors and nurses may use technical terms, so you might need to learn those technical terms to avoid confusion.

Stoma appliance (faceplate and ostomy bag)

The two essential components of an ostomy appliance are the faceplate and ostomy bag. An ostomy appliance that has these two components integrated is known as one-piece ostomy appliance, and the system in which these components can be separated is known as the two-piece ostomy appliance.

Faceplate

The plate that fixes an ostomy bag to the body is known as the faceplate. This place is available in two types; the adhesive type and the non-adhesive type. If you wish to use a non-adhesive type, you are going to have to use a belt to ensure a tighter seal. Still, it can allow the leakage to occur through the skin underneath it. That’s why most of the people consider using the adhesive type, which has the skin barrier integrated into it.

As for the shape, the faceplate can be flat or convex. The convex type uses a convex ring, which is inserted into the faceplate flange. You can also buy an ostomy appliance with a convex flange that comes with a built-in convex ring.

A faceplate is either pre-cut or free-cut. The pre-cut faceplate has a small hole of a specific size. It is perfect for the people who have an average stoma in terms of shape and size. As for the patients for whom the pre-cut faceplate is not an option, they can consider using the free-cut option that doesn’t have any hole. A free-cut faceplate, instead, comes with markings that allow patients to create a hole according to the shape and size of their stoma.

Ostomy bag

The component of the ostomy appliance that collects bodily waste passed out by the stoma is called the ostomy bag. The bag that collects the stool is called a stool collecting bag, and the one that collects urine is known as a urine collecting bag. Typically, the film used in this bag consists of 3-5 layers, and 2it has a deodorant effect.

Colostomy bags come in two types: one with a vent to squeeze the stool, and one with no vent. The one with a vent is known as an open-end colostomy bag, and the type that doesn’t have any vent is known as the closed-end colostomy bag. Each of these bags is suitable in its own particular set of circumstances.

The ostomy bag that you are going to need to manage your urostomy features a tubular vent and a stopcock valve. There is also a non-return value in this bag.