The Lewis County Herald - 11/15/22
Since the blowout at the hospital I described last week, I’ve taken every measure I am aware of to keep from having another.
There was one other pouch incident, not involving failed adhesive but the hook and loop closure at the bottom of the pouch where you can empty it.
Just as I was preparing to empty the pouch after Tammy and I had returned home from an informal event, that closure failed.
It wasn’t anything near the extent of the hospital room incident, but it was unexpected and provided another lesson in being prepared for a weakest link in living with this appliance.
The Kit.
I have a “kit” that is always with me. It contains everything needed to change and maintain the appliance. I also keep a change of clothing in my vehicle.
I’ve adjusted pretty well, I think, by making a few minor habit changes.
Timing of meals and amounts consumed alleviate concerns of appliance maintenance when you know what your schedule will be.
I’m still experimenting with which foods produce undesired results.
I am increasing activity a little each day to be prepared for my full medical release in a couple of weeks.
Seat belts cause extreme discomfort. My temporary solution isn’t recommended.
We have attended several formal and informal functions with some planning, and without incident. I have been to some daylong meetings and we’ve traveled several hours by car.
A little pre-planning and strategically choosing where I sit help alleviate concerns when we leave the security of our home.
We haven’t been on an airplane since the procedure, but will have a plan in place to navigate through TSA screenings and other associated air travel hurdles.
Since the procedure I have only been able to sleep on my back and sit in a limited number of positions.
Bending, lifting, stretching, and shoe tying are activities to which I am still adapting.
We’re still working out ordering the correct amounts of stoma care supplies, and which products work best for my particular situation.
The appliance I am currently using is a two piece system consisting of a five-inch square “wafer” with adhesive on one side and a coupling ring on the other where the pouch attaches.
You trim the hole in the center of the wafer to fit your stoma and attach it to your belly then snap the pouch into the coupling ring.
Pouches come in various sizes and configurations.
The wafer is peel-and-stick but I fortify it with other adhesives (and a belt) and a “caulk” that helps to seal and fill gaps around the stoma to prevent leaks.
There are other associated products to help with skin care around the stoma and just about any other issue you can think of from having one.
The stoma nurses at the hospital provided a lot of information, and we’ve called them with questions a few times. The home health nurse has also given us some guidance, and I’ve even learned a couple of tricks from information floating around in cyberspace.
Until a couple of weeks ago, I didn’t know that consuming four or five large marshmallows about 20 minutes before an appliance change makes the task go more smoothly.
Trial and error have been the best at helping me to determine which things work for me in various situations.
I will never forget a favorite uncle who seldom missed a chance to point out a learning opportunity when one presented itself.
“Let that be a lesson to you,” he would say.
I’ve had plenty of learning opportunities in the past few weeks.
I hope this old dog is never too old to learn new tricks.
At this writing, we haven’t yet met with the oncologist and don’t know what he may recommend for the next step. We are hoping to work toward the reversal of the ileostomy sometime in January.
Tammy and I appreciate the continued prayers and positive comments on the series. The decision to write about this journey was made with the intention of sharing our experience so that it might, in some way, help someone else.
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