“Congratulations, you’ve made it through surgery! The hardest part of your physical journey is behind you and your recovery has begun. Now you need to try to take it easy which, I know, is not always easy! But rest is vital during this first stage. You will likely experience some incisional pain and gas pain, especially during the first 3-5 days post-op, but it gets better. Please don’t be alarmed the first time you look at your stoma — it will shrink by approximately 50% in the next few months. I encourage you to learn as much as you can from your Wound Ostomy Continence nurse (WOCN) and establish some routines as you spend your next few days in the hospital. If there isn’t a WOC nurse at your hospital or if you need help when you get home, find a WOC nurse HERE or HERE
Remember, you’re still under the effects of the anesthesia so your feelings are likely to be all over the place. Try to stay focused on positive thoughts and most importantly DO NOT WORRY about tomorrow. You are in the “one-day-at-a-time” phase of your recovery. You are going to heal, and you are going to get back to doing all the things you love. I promise.
Hang in there—we will help you every step of the way. The most important thing for you right now is to rest and focus on getting through the next few days…one-day-at-a-time.
Former NFL Kicker
Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, Grateful Ostomy Patient
Get Through Today
Rolf emphasizes the importance of focusing solely on getting through today.
Roadmap to recovery
Ostomy surgery is a life-saving procedure that changes how bodily waste (stool) leaves your body. An ostomy can be temporary or permanent. There are many reasons a person may end up needing ostomy surgery. It is important that you understand why you needed surgery and which type of surgery was performed.
Click here to read more about your specific type of surgery.
Click here to watch a short video from the American College of Surgeons about your surgery.
Your body has just gone through a huge trauma and needs time to recover and begin to heal.
• You may have a tube that goes down your nose and into your stomach to prevent vomiting until your bowel starts to “wake up”. (Anesthesia temporarily slows down the activity of your bowels.)
• You may have a PCA (patient-controlled anesthesia pump) with a button to push when you need pain medicine. Don’t worry, the pump is programmed so that you cannot get too much medicine. It is important for you to use it when you need it. Click here to read the guidelines from the American College of Surgeons for safely managing pain.
• You will likely wake up with inflatable pneumatic leg pumps wrapped around your legs. The wraps are important as they promote circulation in your legs and help keep blood clots from forming.
Activity
• Your physical therapist or nurse will probably help you get out of bed to walk or sit in a bedside chair and ask you to increase your activity every day post-surgery. (You may think they are crazy!) It may be difficult and a little painful, but this is a big step forward on your road to recovery.
• As you get in and out of bed these first few days using the “log rolling” technique is very helpful.
• Make sure to use the incentive spirometer (blow bottle) as instructed by your nurse to help you take deep breaths and expand your lungs. It may be challenging at first, but it is important and can help prevent pneumonia.
• It’s important for you to support and protect your abdominal area as you recover. Watch this video to learn how to brace yourself if you have to cough or sneeze.
Embracing Ostomy Life Goals
Take a look at the ostomy pouch which was applied to your abdomen with a special skin- friendly adhesive. The pouch is clear so your doctor and nurses can check your stoma and its output. You will be able to choose a flesh-colored opaque bag later when you leave the hospital. The stoma is the part of your intestine that has been surgically brought through the surface of your abdomen and then folded back and sutured in place. The stoma will likely be red/pink and swollen with stitches around it. Don’t be alarmed by the size of your stoma, it will shrink quite a bit in the next 6-8 weeks. A stoma does not have nerve endings; therefore, it should not hurt.
Ostomy terms you want to know
WOCN – Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses are specially trained to treat ostomy issues and are heroes to all of us who have been through ostomy surgery! If you experience any problems with your ostomy, either in the hospital or after you go home, find a WOC nurse who can help you.
• The effects of the anesthesia are likely clouding your thinking – don’t trust your feelings, just acknowledge them, feel them, journal about them, and know they will come and go.
• Don’t think about tomorrow right now, just get through today. Focus on one-day-at-a-time.
• Lean into support. Ask the hospital about resources available to you during your stay. They may offer groups, art therapists, therapy dogs, mental health counselors, chaplains, or other helpful individuals and resources.
Who is Rolf?
Rolf Benirschke is a former NFL Man of the Year and All-Pro placekicker who played 10 seasons in the NFL for the San Diego Chargers. His career was briefly interrupted when he was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease that required ileostomy surgery in his third season. Remarkably, Rolf returned to play seven more years with the Chargers, becoming the first ever professional athlete to play with an ostomy appliance. He has been an outspoken champion of the ostomy community for the past 40 years and created Embracing Ostomy Life™ to provide the hope, education and encouragement to ensure that no one goes through ostomy surgery alone.
Join Team HOPE
Do you wish you could connect with someone like you who has an ostomy and similar life goals? You can! Our Team HOPE (Helping Ostomates through Peer Encouragement) program can pair you with a volunteer who has an ostomy that will listen, empathize and suggest resources to help you along your journey.
