“Let’s Celebrate Ostomy Awareness Day”

Ostomy Awareness Day is a day, where many ostomates celebrate and share how they adapted to their new norms. Dealing with strenuous health issues, enabled me to bring knowledge, support and offer forum’s to others with similar circumstances. We started this Non-Profit to show that it’s possible to live a productive life with an Ostomy, Ileostomy or Urostomy. This movement was created with empty hands, and will continue with holding hands with other ostomates. We’re hoping this non-profit shows ostomates that they can regain their confidence in life. By sharing the joy I feel when I wake up every day with an Ostomy, Prosthetic Breast and self-catheterizing; I’m hoping It help’s others to regain their confidence in knowing that we are beautifully and fearfully made. 

Ostomiesawreness.com Inc. facilitates several Ostomy Support Groups and Donate free ostomy supplies to many ostomates that can’t afford them, or supplies that insurance companies are unable to provide. Ostomiesawareness.com Inc. has made some great strides, but still have a lot more to accomplish in moving forward

Any donations at this time will contribute to our mission with achieving our future goals. 

We greatly appreciate all donations, and it will be used to support many ostomates with receiving future support and free supplies. If you wish to contribute, please go to the donation page on the website (hit the givelify square) or link below:

Please join the mission With your donation, we’re one step closer to helping others live a better quality of life with an ostomy. 

If you have any questions, I would be happy to provide you with more information about how you can help support our vision at ostomiesawareness.com Inc. 

Please see contact page to send messages. 

E-Mail: Ostomiesawareness@yahoo.com

“WE ARE WHAT WE CONSUME”

Getting back to a great taste of delicious, nourishing food is a must for us all with ostomies. After my ileostomy surgery I thought my post-op dietary instructions from my providers were going to be my new-norm and permanent eating habits. After increasing my Ostomy support network and speaking with a nutritionist who was familiar with our conditions, I was able to re-attain normalcy in my nutrition.

I started with liquids during my post-op and then slowly transition into solid foods. Some of us may struggle with this transition and that is completely normal. Following up with your providers or nutritionist for additional help during this transition is recommended. I believe having someone who specializes in ostomy care can be extremely helpful along with attending support groups. These steps helped me begin my journey with a low fiber, low in spice and low-fat foods diet. I remained in this dietary stage for approximately five weeks. Increasing my low fiber intake helped with reducing gas throughout my recovery period.

Please check with your provider regarding your nutritional intake 4-6 weeks after surgery. Dietary restrictions help decrease the risk of gastrointestinal tract issues and helps prevent obstructions. (UOAA)

High spicy and fat foods may cause diarrhea or reflux

Keeping a food diary in the early stages allows you to gain a better understanding of what nutritional intake works for you. By logging my daily intake, I was able to identify my foods of choose, and the foods that caused a negative reaction to my digestive system. Selecting food from all major food groups gave me a proper nutritional balance in my daily diet. According to UOAA people with ostomies should consume up to 5 to 6 small meals daily, and drink a hour before and after each meal. You should always drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated at all times weather the stool is solid or not.

Fiber is a great nutrient source to help form solid stool, and its also known to be a carbohydrate, that’s important in a ostomy diet. The fiber that’s needed is Insoluble it does not dissolve in water, causing it to add bulkiness to our stool patterns. Here’s a couple of example of foods with Insoluble Fibers:

LIST OF FIBERS

• Whole Grains
• Fruits
• Veggies
• Beans

(please see UOAA “EATING WITH A OSTOMY” for more nutritional information)

Please contact your provider to determine which medication is best to slow your output, if your having difficulty with food intake.

Getting back to eating normal is a tasks that takes time. Being able to eat out again is an even longer task but is achievable. Though it will take time it will become easier to manage as time progresses. In the beginning many may be stuck with the question does it smell, fear of using public restrooms or even fear of having a leak in public. I like to call this ostomy anxiety. As we grow with living and being more productive with our ostomies and learning what foods make us do certain things or feel a certain way it gets better for example.

My food diary taught me to determine my food in-take through trial and error along with the general guideline effect of food for those with an osotmy. (OSTOMATE FOOD REFERENCE CHART FOUND ON UOAA WEBSITE)

I struggled with Gas, Odor and Diarrhea and logging my daily in-take helped me identify the sources that contribute to these issues. My list of foods that contribute to these issues are listed below in each category.

GAS PRODUCING FOODS

• Dairy Products
• Carbonated drinks
• Beans
• Certain Soy Products

ODOR PRODUCING FOOD

• Bake beans
• broccoli
• Eggs
• Fish
• Garlic
• Onions
• Peanut Butter
• Some Vitamins and Medications
• Some cheeses
• Some veggies

DIARRHEA CONTROL PRODUCTS

• Applesauce
• Bananas
• Potatoes
• Peanut butter
• Toast/bread
• Fiber (supplements)
• Oatmeal/Grits/Cream of wheat
• Pasta

keep in mind everyone reacts to food differently, remember to chew all foods carefully for proper digestion, and to avoid any blockages. Try to eat in moderation, this will help decrease gas and give you a better food tolerance. I learned as a ileostomy patient, maintaining a low sodium diet helped with hydration.

As I became more comfortable living with my ostomy, I slowly started adding some of my old favorite foods back into my diet. If something irritated or upset my stomach I wouldn’t eat it for a few months, or I would cook it a different way.

Living with an ostomy can be challenging in many ways; but with guidance, support and your will to grow, you can regain your ability to live and not just exist in this world- creating your New-Normal.

A “Breakthrough”… From Leaks

What is a piece of mind?….which was a question I used to ask myself time and time again when it came to leaks. Living with an ostomy can be challenging so dealing with leaks is like a nightmare you never seem to wake up from. I am here to let you know, it gets better with time, good teaching methods and a great support network to help you ease back into your daily routine.

It took me a while in the beginning to fully grasp the process. Learning my pouch system seemed like a lot of work but I had the appropriate training from a great ostomy nurse. It was like going shopping for clothes in a catalog because I tried so many different pouches in order to get the right fit. It may take learning different methods before you get into your comfort zone, and believe me it’s ok. I went from trying several different systems before I changed from a two piece pouch system to the one piece that helped secure me from my leaks.

I went into a one piece with a skin barrier ring around the stoma, to prevent irritation or damage from drainage.

I use Stomahesive Powder(my preference). Normally I apply the powder around the stoma before placing the barrier and pouch. The powder acts as a skin protector by absorbing moisture and contributing to extended wear. This powder is also good to use for any redness, rawness or skin irritations.

PLEASE CONTACT YOUR OSTOMY CARE PROVIDERS IF ANY SIGNS OF PERISTOMAL COMPLICATIONS.

If you still have some doubts about getting leaks there are more options to help you feel confident, like placing barrier stripes around your appliance because it helps fill in skin irregularities. Due to my sensitive skin I used Securi-T Barrier Stripes(Hydrocolloid skin), I placed them around my appliance like a “picture frame”. This brand is also a great replacement for allergic reactions/irritations to tape as well.

I used the water proof Hy-Tape, along with the Securi-T Barrier Stripes. This tape is my life line, it’s a medical tape with many different types of applications. It’s good for bathing, swimming, perspiration and it reduces any chance of irritation. Along with being waterproof and washable this secure wound dressing gives you that piece of mind to know you have the confidence and support to continue your daily activities.

“Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside of you that is greater than any obstacle.” – Christian D. Larson

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Everyone will have different needs from one day to the next, but lets agree that dehydration is one thing we all can relate to.

The questions we all have are, how much fluid should we be drinking daily? what are those fluids? and how much do I need to stay hydrated?

Some people may need 2 to 2 1/2 Ltrs (6 to 8 glasses) of fluid daily, whereas others may need more or less.

Lets just make it clear PLAIN WATER alone is not good hydration. 

In order for fluid to be well absorbed by the body, a drink needs to have a small amount of glucose and some sodium. This concept is known as osmolarity.

Water is mostly absorbed through the large intestine(colon) which was interrupted, some water is absorbed in the small intestine(ileum), so it is possible to stay hydrated but difficult with a ostomy. 

Here are some Tips/ Recommendations to stay hydrated:

-Gatorade (G2 less sugar) or sports drinks(low sugar)
-Homemade oral rehydration solutions
-Coconut Water
-V8 Juices (veggie juices) -Pedialyte

It is recommended that you drink extra fluids during hot weather and exercise.

Signs Of Dehydration:

Symptoms such as
dry mouth, headache, tiredness, weakness, confusion, dizziness, low blood pressure 
and low urine output (very little urine that is very dark) can attribute to other health conditions as well, but they are often due to dehydration.

IF YOU FEEL SEVERELY DEHYDRATED OR IF YOUR URINE IS VERY DARK IN COLOR, THEN SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE IMMEDIATELY.

Here are a few examples of some foods with high water content (just remember your dietary restrictions):

-Watermelon
-Applesauce
-Yogurt
-pudding
-Smoothies
-Jell-O

Few more examples (slow down ostomy) but still good for hydration:

-Potatoes
-Bread
-Cracker
-Bananas
-Pretzels

HERE’S A FEW ADDITIONAL TIPS TO STAY HYDRATED

-Carrying a beverage with you that’s refillable, when you go out.

-Sip small amounts of fluid at a time, to help hydrate properly.

-Enjoy your favorite beverages (with flavors, fruits) for additional nutrition and electrolytes.

FOR MEDICAL ADVICE PLEASE SEE PROVIDERS TO SLOW DOWN TRANSIT TIME (ask doctor’s about taking Metamucil and optimize for water absorption)

We believe living with an ostomy should be a road to a new norm an productive life whether it’s socializing or being active. We all live different lives, share similar stories and are now back to the things we enjoy doing within them. Let’s live a life full of productivity, and stay healthy while doing it.

Thank you to all for the comments and support

Learning to Live with Confidence

It starts with you!

You are beautiful, for you are fearfully and wonderfully made.

PSALM 139:14