Care and Support After Your Ostomy Surgery: Coloplast® Care

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If you are facing a potential surgery leading to an ostomy, you naturally will have many questions and concerns. It is important to voice your questions and concerns to your healthcare professional. Gather as much information as you possibly can while you are in the hospital. Having a friend or family member with you can be helpful as they can also assist in remembering information and understand how you will need to care for your body and pouching system after you leave the hospital.

However, despite education offered both before and after surgery, statistics show that as many as 46% of patients still feel underprepared when they’re discharged from the hospital. If you have already had your surgery and are back home, feeling a lack of confidence, ill-equipped, or underprepared, you are not alone.

Many ostomates are unsure of how to care for themselves and their pouching system following their surgery. That is why WOC nurses recommend that ostomy patients be connected to additional resources after they’ve left the hospital.

Coloplast Care is a comprehensive support program that gives people with an ostomy personal support throughout their life.

Having the support of Care, you’re not travelling the journey of living life with an ostomy by yourself. – Keagan

There are so many questions that you don’t know to ask until you start life as an ostomate. Coloplast Care helped me stay focused on what was important. – Mike

Coloplast Care covers everything from the Basics, such as: ‘What is an Ostomy?’ and ‘Before Surgery’, to ‘Routines’ and ‘Lifestyle’. Not only are there helpful articles and real-life stories from others on the website and through emails, individuals are partnered with a dedicated advisor for personalized support.

One of the best parts of Care is that you can actually speak with a person. They were listening to what I was trying to do and what my concerns were, and coming up with different solutions they felt would work for me. – Mike

Having the ability to access the Coloplast Care website is a great resource. The reality is that your healthcare provider isn’t available 24/7 around the clock. – Keagan

Gathering the right tools, resources, and community around you following your ostomy surgery will determine your ability to succeed and live a full life as an ostomate. Whether figuring out what to wear to the beach, how to prevent leakage, or learning how to use your appliance, there are resources available to you 24/7. You are not alone in this new chapter of your life.

Visit Coloplast Care to enroll and get your support program started.

 

Mike and Keagan have been compensated by Coloplast to provide this information.

Editor’s note: This article is from one of our digital sponsors, Coloplast. Sponsor support along with donations from readers like you help to maintain our website and the free trusted resources of UOAA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Ostomy Diet Guidelines After Surgery

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Chances are you will be able to return to your normal diet not too long after your operation. It is good to keep in mind that foods that were good and healthy for your body before your operation are still good for you. A well-balanced diet is recommended for most individuals.

Although your ostomy nurse more than likely will give you tips and advise you on your health and diet, here are some alternative helpful suggestions for maintaining a proper diet after your surgery.

Follow the advice of your surgeon, dietitian, and/or WOC nurse regarding any dietary restrictions right after surgery or on a long-term basis.

Start Small

Ease your way back to proper nutrition with small quantities of food. It is recommended to eat 3 or more times per day in smaller quantities and portions. Try to eat these meals at the same time each day to help regulate bowel movements. Eating more frequently and in smaller quantities will help aid your body’s ability to process food and help with unnecessary gas.

For the first several weeks after your surgery, eating simple and bland soft foods will be easier to digest. Keep in mind that chewing your food well also adds to the ease of digestion – the more broken up it is, the easier it will be to process. Take your time with introducing high-fiber foods back into your diet as these will be harder to digest and can cause blockages. Ileostomates are often encouraged to avoid high-fiber foods to prevent risk of obstruction. Always follow the advice of your surgeon, dietitian, and/or WOC nurse regarding any dietary restrictions right after surgery or on a long-term basis.

If you are trying new foods, it is advised to try them slowly and one at a time. This will help you to have a better understanding of how your body works with the new foods and if any will cause excess gas, constipation, strange odors, or diarrhea. Slowly incorporate them into your diet and make note of how your body responds to them. Remember that every body is different and what affects someone else may not affect you in the same way. This is why it can be helpful to keep a journal or diary of how your body responds to different foods.

Drink Lots of Liquids

It is important to drink lots of liquids with an ostomy. If you have an ileostomy, more specific ileostomy dietary guidelines will be helpful. Dehydration can happen as you lose more fluids daily after an ileostomy, due to the fluid not being reabsorbed into the large intestine. Make sure to hydrate even more on hot and humid days or if you are participating in active sports. (Sports drinks and other high electrolyte drinks can help with this.)
Coffee and tea are fine to drink, but water and juices are still better sources of liquid, so be careful not to use coffee or tea as a substitute for water.

Can I Drink Alcohol With my Ostomy?

Alcohol is fine in moderation, you may want to try one drink (or even a half) and wait and see how it affects your body. Like other carbonated beverages, beer may cause extra gas and uncomfortable bloating but every body is different and what affects one person may not affect you in the same way.

Ostomy Problem Foods

Even though you can still enjoy most of the foods you loved before surgery, there are some foods to be aware of after your ostomy, specifically foods that are hard on digestion and can cause blockages. The following is a list of common foods that can cause problems, as they don’t break down easily:

  • Nuts
  • Seeds
  • Popcorn
  • Dried fruit
  • Mushrooms
  • Raw-crunchy vegetables

Eat these foods in small quantities and be sure to chew them well. If you think you have a food blockage, you should call your doctor or ostomy nurse. Having an ostomy certainly doesn’t mean you have to completely change your diet. By steering clear of a short list of problem foods and making sure to stay hydrated, you can get back to enjoying the foods you love.

To learn more about proper nutrition with an ostomy, visit Coloplast Care online.

Follow the advice of your surgeon, dietitian, and/or ostomy nurse regarding any dietary restrictions right after surgery or on a long-term basis.

Editor’s note: This educational article is from one of our digital sponsors, Coloplast. Sponsor support along with donations from readers like you help to maintain our website and the free trusted resources of UOAA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.