Focus on today and don’t worry about tomorrow. The phrase, “one day at a time” really applies here. Don’t get ahead of yourself and make today the best day you possibly can even though you are likely still in pain and have not yet completely cleared the anesthesia from your surgery.
Some people struggle with seeing their stoma for the first time. Your stoma is simply the opening in your skin where your intestine exits your body to connect to a pouch that will now collect your waste (bowel movements). It’s okay to feel apprehensive about seeing your stoma for the first time —you’re not alone! Your stoma is a part of you—just a part you are not used to seeing. It will be swollen and look a bit like a cherry tomato. (But don’t worry. Over the next few weeks, the swelling will go down and it will eventually be about half the size it is right now.) There are no nerve endings in the stoma itself, so it will not be painful.
Your body is recovering from a major trauma—you will likely feel like you have been hit by a truck. Don’t underestimate the impact on your body both physically and mentally. The aftereffects of the anesthesia are real and may leave you feeling foggy, disoriented, and sluggish…all very normal. Take a deep breath and be thankful that the worst is over. The surgery is behind you and things will get a little better every day.
To help you understand what to expect and how you can recover quicker over the next few days, I want to introduce you to some of my favorite WOC nurses, Angie, Melody and Joy who will be sharing their wisdom and tips and tricks with you in the days to come. They care so much about their patients and have a wealth of experience – I know you’re going to love them!
Former NFL Kicker
Former NFL Kicker, Walter Payton Man of the Year, Grateful Ostomy Patient
Get Through Today
Rolf emphasizes the importance of focusing solely on getting through today.
WOC Nurse, Melody, candidly shares her own ostomy journey and how she dealt with feeling overwhelmed and helpless.
Roadmap to recovery
Take a few more steps today than you did yesterday.
• Your nurses will want you to get out of bed so it’s important that you learn how to “log roll” out of bed to minimize your pain. Watch this video by physical therapist, Heather Marra, to get some tips.
• You may not like your nurses right now, but they care about you and want you to become independent as soon as possible. Watch this video.
• Moving will help your bowels to “wake up” and start functioning again. WOC Nurses, Joy and Melody, share their tips here and here.
• Take deeper breaths to expand your lungs and chest with the incentive spirometer (blow bottle). Using diaphragmatic breathing – deeper, bigger breathing – can help relieve tension, increase mobility, and make you feel better, as well as minimize the chance of getting pneumonia. Watch this video.
• It’s important to support and protect your abdominal area as you recover. Watch this video
Food and Nutrition
After surgery, your bowel will be swollen. Your eating plan will begin with a diet of clear liquids. As you recover, you will start eating solid foods, beginning with foods that are low in fiber – like eggs, lettuce, milk, tuna, rice and ice cream (known as a low fiber diet, previously referred to as a low residue diet). You should avoid high-fiber foods like beans, potatoes, quinoa and berries because they are harder to digest.
Click here to see a “sample menu” that lists fiber content in grams.
Embracing Ostomy Life Goals
• Continue to manage your pain. It’s easier to stay ahead of the pain than to try and catch up. Click here to learn more about how safe and effective pain control after surgery.
• Write down and remember to ask the surgeon any questions you may have about the details of your operation and what to expect going forward. Drawings or pictures can help in understanding.
• Make sure you have a nurse specialized in ostomy care (WOCN) scheduled to meet with you if possible. If there is not a WOCN at your hospital you can find one here or here.
• Emptying your ostomy pouch is a big step toward independence. Click here to learn how to empty your pouch.
Ostomy terms you want to know
Stoma – Stoma is a Greek word that means “opening”. A stoma is the part of your intestine you see sticking out of your abdomen. It has been described as looking like a rosebud and is pink and moist, like the inside of your mouth. Although it looks raw, a stoma has no nerve endings, so you won’t be able to feel anything if you touch it. The skin around your stoma is called “peristomal skin” and it’s very important that you take good care of it and keep it healthy.
Don’t worry about tomorrow
Thoughts for today
• You may be going home soon and feeling anxious about being on your own. I’ve got some encouragement for you here.
• The transition from the hospital to home with your new ostomy can be scary. Ask your ostomy nurse about symptoms that may indicate a problem and whom to call with questions if things come up. Having a plan can help calm any uncertainty you might be feeling.
• Have a way to record the information you learn in the hospital so you can reference it when needed.
• Don’t think about tomorrow right now, just get through today. Focus on one day at a time, one moment at a time.
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.
