Ileostomy: An Overview

A surgically created opening in the abdomen to allow the end of the small bowel to stick out is known as an ileostomy. This newly created opening provides a pathway for digestive wastes to leave the body after the removal of the colon. Generally, an ileostomy is on the right side of the body, but it may also be on the left side in specific circumstances.

The stool passing of an ileostomy can have a consistency varying between liquid and pasty consistency.

Depending on the reason for you to undergo surgery, you can have an end or loop ileostomy.

What is an end ileostomy?

The surgeon will form an end ileostomy after removing or resting your colon. He will bring a part of the small bowel through the abdominal opening to create a stoma. Depending on why you needed to undergo surgery, an ileostomy can be permanent or temporary.

A permanent ileostomy is something you are going to have to live with for the rest of your life, but a temporary end ileostomy is different. The surgeon has to consider several factors to decide when to reverse your ileostomy. The general rule of thumb is that you will have to live with an ileostomy until your bowel recovers fully from the underlying disorder. It may take a few weeks, a few months, or a few years for your bowel to recover.

What is a loop ileostomy?

A loop ileostomy consists of the stoma created on the top of a small bowel’s loop pulled out through an incision in the abdominal wall. The purpose of this ileostomy is generally to allow bodily wastes to leave the body without proceeding to the diseased section of the bowel. The most common reason you may need a loop ileostomy is the bowel obstruction. Although a loop ileostomy is generally temporary, it can be permanent in some cases.

A loop ileostomy has two openings, one of which passes out digestive wastes, while the other one may pass out mucus.

Why might you need an ileostomy?

There can be a variety of reasons for you to require an ileostomy. Your doctor and ostomy care nurse will explain to you the procedure and its impact on lifestyle.

Common reasons for you to need an ileostomy may include the following.

• Diverticulitis
• Ulcerative colitis
• Crohn’s disease
• Bowel incontinence
• Trauma
• Cancer
• Damage due to radiation
• Familial Adenomatous Polyposis
• Congenital abnormalities

The look and feel of a stoma

A stoma has to be a little protruded from the surface of the abdominal skin. Being moist, red or pink, and soft to touch are the most common characteristics of a stoma. The overall appearance of a stoma is similar to that of the inside of the mouth.

Due to no nerve endings in the stoma, you won’t feel anything when you touch or rub it. It, however, contains a lot of blood vessels, due to which the stoma can bleed easily when you rub it. Mild bleeding of the stoma is nothing to worry about, but you will need to do something if there is excessive bleeding.

Taking care of your stoma and the skin around it is an entire subject to cover. As a piece of quick advice, you should take suggestions and recommendations from your doctor or ostomy care nurse to ensure effective ostomy care.

Will an Ostomy stop me from playing basketball

Basketball is a way of life for most people that live in the state that I live in.  When the Pandemic happened and all local courts shut down the basketball courts, we almost had riots.  The government took down the rims that our tax dollars paid for and told us that it was illegal and threatened to arrest us for playing basketball.  Now I must say that was absolutely crazy and almost caused riots in our city.  I say all this to show how important the sport is in our state.  This is a big deal and when I was asked by someone about to get an ostomy surgery they asked if basketball was going to end for them. 

The first thing I was able to tell him was a wonderful thing.  I put a big smile on my face and was able to tell him that it was not going to end for him.  Basketball is most definitely a good possibility to be able to be played in your future. Unless there is a medical reason you shouldn't a stoma generally won't keep you off the court.  I will suggest getting some good gear though. I like to use ostomy Supplies when I play basketball. 

ConvaTec Ostomy Supplies has been really good about helping me choose the right gear for athletic adventures.  I ended up using their recommendation for a bag that had loops for a elecastic belt. Using a belt to strap things down helped keep it all from moving and it really helped me be able to keep up my game.  They are also really good about giving advice on lots of different sports and outings.  So I would suggest giving them a call or heck most ostomy brands are really good and helpful.  This is an industry that is really out to help its customers live a regular and happy life.

I will say when you are about to get started after surgery don't play hard right off the bat.  I would suggest starting slow. You are now more likely more susceptible to hernias and your abdominal muscles are a bit weaker. You just had surgery. So don't jump into being super athletic right off the bat.  Now you need to now work your way up to being that athletic again and practice really lightly to start. Try new gear and don't just hit up the first 5 on 5 game at the park.

Stock of Supplies

Something people should not have to worry about during a nation-wide lock down is their medical supplies. Americans all over the country are wondering where they are going to get their ConvaTec ostomy supplies during a time like this. Thankfully, the government understands the importance of medical supplies and will continue to produce and distribute ConvaTec ostomysupplies through this difficult time. Anything could happen at any point, so they would recommend that patients stock up over the next several weeks. People would be put in a pretty sticky situation if they did not have access to the supplies they need. Consider ordering a few extra of these products during the quarantine. You never know what might happen.

Bags

Bags are oftentimes reusable. And this is great for a few uses and cleanings! But obviously, the bag will eventually need to be changed. This could even be a time to try out a new type of bag that you have not had the time prior. You will, afterall, be spending the majority of your time at home so you can check on the bag and how quickly it needs to be changed.

Adhesive

Each time you reapply a bag you have to apply an adhesive. Some people opt for time. Some really enjoy paste. Another option to think about is also a spray type adhesive. It is important to make sure the adhesive you choose is agreeable with your skin. The reason most people have to try a few different types of adhesive is because of how their skin reacts to it. Might as well get a few different type just in case your body develops this weird reaction to the type of adhesive you have been ordering for years.

Ostomy Belt

One thing you certainly can do during this time is take a little walk, run, or hike. This does not put you in any danger because this does not put you in direct contact with anyone else. If you have not previously purchased one, an ostomy belt is perfect for physical exercise. It helps the bag and stoma stay staple during any strenuous movements. This might be a great chance to try out something new.

Cleaners and Deodorizing

Cleaning supplies are the most important part of your ostomy. Keeping your stoma clean is of the upmost importance during a time like this. Infections spread much quicker through open wounds. And your stoma essentially is an open wound. So always wash your hands before cleaning and make sure you are cleaning quite often.

Changing Drainable Bags

At first people may feel like their ostomies are an inconvenience. Sure, changing your daily routine can be difficult and frustrating at first. But the payoff is worth it. After just a few short months, it will no longer be an inconvenience. Once you have the feeling of relief and stress-free, you want to do everything you can to keep that. Sometimes patients are hesitant to change their routine once they’ve had that feeling. But the truth is, sometimes things change. And sometimes your stoma changes and you need to change your routine accordingly.

One product many people report is with their ostomy bags. Especially while healing, it is possible your stoma can change size and shape. If the stoma is changing, the bag you are using probably isn’t going to work anymore. You and your doctor picked a specific bag to fit your needs on that specific day you went in. Now that you are at home your stoma could start to change and you can make a decision on what type of bag to try next. ConvaTec ostomy supplies come in many different forms. There are so many types of ostomy bags available to choose from according to your needs. Maybe you have always had a drainable bag, but now you may benefit from a two-piece ostomy bag. Don’t be afraid to try different options and see what’s best for you.

Also, people report not being able to feel their stoma becoming active after healing starts to take place. At first the intestines and stoma are raw and swollen, so you may feel the pressure of the stoma becoming active. After a while, though, the healing will take place and the pressure will go away. Sometimes this means people will not realize how many movements they are having in a day. The bag could leak because of this. They could opt for a different bag that is either slightly larger or that has better leak protection.

If you have never tried drainable bags, they are very convenient. You can wear this type of bag for several days so no more raw skin after replacing adhesive every day. The skin can be easily irritated by changing the bag so often. If your skin is constantly irritated, consider switching to drainable bags. When the person wants to empty the bag they simply position themself over the toilet (or catch it in a cup to be discarded) and open the seal to let the output drain out.

Getting Ready for Calamity and being safe with your ostomy gear.

There is nothing worse than seeing people in pain and suffering. The fact is that the economy is not great in 2021 and because of the pandemic it probably won't recover well.   It really is hard to believe, because I have never felt that our first world economy would ever struggle at anything.  But we saw that our freedoms could be taken away in a heartbeat and half the country wanted it.  Now, this is not a talk about freedom or rights, but as a person who has a stoma and needs medical gear to survive to see the ability to get that gear to disappear made me an advocate for freedom fast.  It is wild to think about in the United States and since I have an ostomy I fear that healthcare will be involved in my loss of safety and rights. 

I saw a lot of bad things happen in other cities and I didn't want it to happen to me.  I had friends who have stomas and need medical gear each month who lived in those cities.  They told me that most stores shutdown.  Their local pharmacies were allowed to stay open, but then the riots came.  People started rioting and burning and looting all across the nation and in major cities, they were not stopped.  The governments stopped the police from policing and people are now pretending like it never happened.  Cities are in ruins a year later and it was like it never happened.  

This is really crazy, but pharmacies are not the first stop for ostomy gear in most people's lives. But they are a place we can get supplemented or backups from when we need them.  Now, what didn't make the news was that deliveries and shipping did not happen in those major cities where riots took place.  People stopped working in those areas and my friends were trapped.  It was literally a looting nightmare and if they left their home their safety was going to be put at stake.  No police action was going to save them.  It took about two months for them to get new replacements.

Yep, it all happened last year and it seems likely to happen in 2021.  So what I took from this was a lesson they told me.  It was to prepare for supplies to not be available for up to two months.  This is a good buffer of extra gear to have on hand in case something bad does happen again.  The election is right down the road and it looks like this is all a possibility again. So my plan has been to be ready for another economic shutdown and collapse.  

I am not a prepper, but being prepared is pretty smart.  This is pretty expensive and can be hard to do but if you save up and get a little here and there it is possible.  I know that I am a stickler for expiration dates, so I also plan on substituting the gear out over time as my monthly shipments come in.  I think that with the way our economy is and how uncertain the markets are that this is a wise move.  It is not normal to have a ton of extra gear and supplies, but when economic collapse is the new normal it may be worth it. 

Getting back into shape after an ostomy surgery

This year hs been a little different than most.  Our country moved into a totolitaian society and most people thought that was not a bad thing.  But I also ended up getting an ostomy and that has not been the most fun experience.  I have worked really hard to make sure that I am physically fit enough to survive in our new United States.  The new normal is terror from governments and jail time for those who enjoy our constitution.  But one area that I have had to focus on is my stoma. There are a lot of misconceptions about what happens when you have a stoma and many people have them and live a wonderful and absolutely normal life.  In most cases, life doesn't really change and the things that you don't really change. That is what you should know and be excited that you are alive and that life will go on pretty much the same as it did before.  That is because I use really awesome gear and don't have to think about it failing. Now that the serious stuff is out of the way let's talk about being active with a stoma. I am not the most in-shape person but I do love to be outdoors and play sports. So getting back into shape was key to me.

If you are going to be a bit wild outside and active then you need to be prepared.  I know that there are some great gear items that help me be able to do this without having to think about my stoma. Calling up your pharmacist or some cool online companies is key to learning. I know that there are a great many companies that I didn't know.  I called up up few after finding them on the internet and had some great conversations and learned a ton from them. I have found that the vast majority of companies in the ostomy care business are amazing and really good at helping people learn and giving great gear advice. These helped to move me into a safe and happy feeling doing activities outside and in the wild.

One of my go to products that I ended up loving bags that have belt loops and also elastic belts.  This helps me keep things tighter when I am being crazy.  I love to play basketball, go hiking on a weekly basis, and lots of other outdoor activities with my family.  This helps me out when I know I am going to be super active.  I also put on a stoma guard as well. It is just what is sounds like and is awesome for full-contact sports.

Don't jump into working out right after surgery though.  It is no surprise that I didn't start off after the ostomy by going full-on into being super active.  I started slow and worked my way up to grow my muscles back and be safe.  I have had many injuries and starting slow is always the best way to not injury yourself more. So this is one thing that I really suggest you do too.  You are now more apt to having hernias and abdominal issues, so follow your healthcare provider's advice and stay as safe as you can.  But also have fun, and remember that being active is part of enjoying life.