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Your stoma nurse can advise you about products you can use to help reduce any smell and give you dietary advice to reduce gas. My stoma bag was a one piece flat, Sensura Mio from the second day post op. About a week later, we changed it to a Convex Sensura Mio, due to my constant leaks. I still use the same convex bag almost two years later. But, I have experimented with different systems and different brands. As you recover, you can start to eat a healthy, balanced diet that includes plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Many medicines are designed to dissolve slowly in your digestive system. Having a colostomy should not alter the effectiveness of your usual medicine.
Colostomy equipment is discreet and secure, and you should be able to do most of the activities you enjoyed before. If your job is particularly strenuous and involves a lot of heavy lifting, you may need to wear a support belt or girdle. Your stoma nurse can advise you about this. Having a colostomy can also affect the blood supply and nerve endings to the penis. This can make it difficult to get or maintain an erection (erectile dysfunction). Above: The Coloplast Sensura Mio one piece system and the Hollister Moderma Flex one piece system. What is a Two Piece System?There's no reason why you cannot travel after having a colostomy, but you'll probably need to plan extra time into your journey. A colostomy bag is used to collect your poo. How often it needs to be changed depends on which type of bag you use.
for the best results, irrigation should be carried out at the same time every day, which may be difficult when you're away from home on holiday or with work
Can burp the bag when the excess gas / air build up by releasing the mechanism (I would only advise doing this on a mechanical coupling, not an adhesive one!) Irrigation is not always possible. For example, it's not suitable for people with Crohn's disease or diverticulitis, or if you're having radiotherapy or chemotherapy.
If you notice any tablets in your appliance, tell your pharmacist or GP, who will recommend an alternative medicine. Some people tend to apply the baseplate – to ensure fit and placement – then apply the pouch. Others just apply the whole two piece system like they would a one piece. This is a personal preference and dependent on circumstance – ie I would apply a two piece in its entirety if I was changing and my stoma was abit more active that I would ideally like during a change! You'll be given an initial supply of colostomy appliances, as well as your prescription information, before you leave hospital. You can get further prescriptions from your GP. Sometimes a two piece bag might be more visible under clothing, as the coupling has to be hard to ensure the integrity of the bag.How well you recover will determine how much exercise you can do. If you feel any pain, stop immediately. However, different manufacturers do different things: Salt’s only do two piece in closed and drainable pouches, not for urostomies. And Dansac and Pelican only do one piece bags. Examples of companies which do both one piece and two piece systems well are Coloplast with their Sensura Mio range, Hollister with their Moderma range and ConvaTec with their Natura range. This is not to say that you can’t use a different system for your stoma. Ileostomates favour two piece systems as much as colostomates and urostomates. It’s all down to personal choice and preference. You may find that some sex positions you enjoyed are now uncomfortable after having surgery. Try different positions until you find what works for you.
Sometimes, you can get more wear out of a two piece system. If the baseplate is cut and applied perfectly, you can get days wear out of it. This is favourable to colostomates who have predictable output. With both bags, I was able to wear my normal clothes; Hollister was less visible but Coloplast was just as noticeable as my one piece. Not that this mattered much, how it looked to others wasn’t my biggest concern. The functionality and its ability to last my usual two days was my priority. I’ve found that using a two piece helps when I am traveling and when I go away from home. I bring it along as an option, because I like the flexibility. And almost two years down the line, I am more comfortable and capable of changing between the two options. Which style of ostomy bag do you use? Does it change on circumstances? If yes, which situations call for which system? You should be able to return to the diet you previously enjoyed. If you previously had a restricted diet, you should be able to reintroduce the restricted foods. Smell and gas You may find it very tiring when you return, so to start with it may be possible for you to work fewer hours than normal and do lighter duties. Ostomy Bags are often referred to as ostomy pouches or ostomy appliances. They come in three different types and with numerous options. The three types of ostomy bags are colostomy bags, ileostomy bags and urostomy bags. Within these types of ostomy bags there are many variations. Below is the comparison of a one versus two piece system. Before we begin, we need to go through some of the terminology used when discussing stoma bags: A great comparison, side by side, by Vitality Medical
Drainable: means the end of the pouch has an opening in which output can be drained from. These usually applied to ileostomy bags, because their output will be thinner and more frequent.