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I am sure that the overwhelming majority of us TRY to do the right thing for our bodies and most importantly for our ostomies.  However sometimes we are in a rush and have to take shortcuts.  Sometimes we are limited in supplies and have to "make do" with what we have on hand.  Sometimes we just make mistakes, plain and simple, no matter how simple or logical a solution may sound.  Here are some issues we have heard about or dealt with and how the solution may not always be a positive one.Not we …

Sunlight and vitamin D for bone health and prevention of autoimmune diseases, cancers, and cardiovascular disease.Heading into the "Dog Days of Summer" here in August most of us are avoiding the outdoors and the heat as much as possible...  and rightly so!  However, with most everything in life, sunlight in moderation even during these sweltering days in August is good for us. As humans, we depend on sun exposure to satisfy our requirements for vitamin D.  Solar ultraviolet B photons are absorbe …

A Book Review of Brenda Elsagher’s I’d Like To Buy A  Bowel Please Ostomy A to Z (2006)I recently had the opportunity to hear Brenda Elsagher’s offbeat presentation.  She is a stand-up comedian, a parent and wife, an author, a public speaker and advocate, an ostomate, and runs her own business.  She is also highly involved in her community.  Does she live a full life after her surgery?  I’ll leave that for you to decide.Ostomy A to Z is a collection of humorous stories and poems by enterostomal …

My name is Jan Madaffri, and I am 31 years old. I only knew my husband four months before my ileostomy surgery. At that time, I had a J-pouch which was slowly failing since July 1991. In January, 1990, I received my first ileostomy due to ulcerative colitis, then later reversed to the J-pouch. I wasn’t in pain anymore from ulcerative colitis, but I was unable to control my bowel movements. This put a big damper on my social life, being a prisoner to a toilet.When I met my husband, I only explain …

If during the course of your surgery, your rectum and anus were removed; you have what is called a Perineal Wound. In layman’s terms, you now have a gap or a wound in your perineum. Since most of the attention is focused on the stoma for patients with colostomies and ileostomies, the perineal wound is very often neglected when it comes to care, management, and even while receiving appropriate discharge information. Doctors and Wound Care nurses have a tendency to explain the ostomy and even the …

  “How do I get my pouch to work with the creases in my abdomen?”  “How do I get a difficult pouch to stick?”  “What can I do to pouch a retracted stoma?”  These are just some of the questions heard from ostomates on a daily basis, the world over.  With the help of these tips today, hopefully you can avoid come of the common challenges that face anyone with an ostomy. When in doubt, always contact your medical team. They know your individual needs better than anyone …

It is true that our bodies contain many normal bacteria; we do not live in a sterile world. We humans have a natural immunity to many of these organisms; some are even helpful in keeping down growth of more harmful bacteria.Infection however occurs when the number of these organisms exceeds the body’s ability to handle them. Some of the first signs of infection in the area of a wound are redness, swelling, pain on touch, and often fever. It is important to report such symptoms to your doctor bef …

Sooner or later, we will all have a situation that calls for a hospitalization.  While a hospital stay can be a trying time for the best of us, as an Ostomate there are a few things we must keep in mind to make our stay as comfortable as possible.Take all your ostomy supplies with you that you will need during your hospital stay. The hospital may not have the type of medical supplies that you are using.Prepare yourself to do some expert communicating, especially if you go to a hospital where ost …

One of the current and more frustrating problems facing a new ostomate today is the shortened hospital stays that are part of the cost control efforts of today’s “new” health care system.  The “get-them-in/get-them-out” procedure is barely enough time to come out of the anesthesia, wake up, and realize what’s been done, let alone get help, training and an understanding of an ostomy and its care. At Express Medical Supply, a medical supply store, we talk to many people who are discharged and they …

Express Medical Supply, a discount medical supply store, works with a lot of people who have had an ostomy for a long time; they also work with people who are brand new ostomates. Each of us can make life better; for ourselves and for those we meet who might someday have to face ostomy surgery for their own good.I’d like to suggest two ways to do this:  First, please consider supporting the United Ostomy Association,  not only financially but also giving volunteer help in your local chapter. You …