What to do when your stoma routine changes | by Rachel
Over the years, since having my most recent stoma surgery in 2020, my stoma routine has had to change. You may think when you find the right bag for you, there shouldn’t be a need to find alternatives but, many things can contribute to the need to make a change. Most notably for me was being pregnant. My stoma grew bigger, the size of my baseplate had to change and I had to change from a flat baseplate to a soft convex one. A change in your body is the most common reason, a supplier may not make the product you use anymore or there may have been a change to manufacturing which means your body doesn’t respond the same. Please be reassured that if this does happen to you, you should not be left to just ‘deal with it’.
Keeping a diary
If you notice a product isn’t working for you anymore, it is important to keep a diary of the changes. What you can see happening and any changes in your lifestyle. It may be something you can fix yourself. I have had instances where products have ceased manufacturing and I have needed to find an alternative. This was concerning stoma powder for my youngest. I naively thought they should mostly work the same but I was very wrong! This resulted in another two brands that needed testing before we found an alternative that worked.
Contact your stoma nurse
The most important thing to do is contact your stoma nurse and alert them of the problems you are having. They may well have found other patients experiencing the same, and should be able to advise you on what to do. If getting hold of your stoma nurse is difficult, your delivery company can also contact them. Being with Respond, I know if there is any issue they are more than happy to call the stoma nurse and work with them to find an alternative to send out. They will always need to consult your stoma nurse before releasing a product but having both yourself, and them, make contact should help quicken the process. It is important to keep trying and not accept negative changes such as skin breakdown and a bag not sticking. You deserve better!
Managing your prescription
Updating your prescription is something your stoma nurse will also need to do should you change products. I always follow up with the GP surgery anytime I have been told something will be done to double check. There is nothing worse than assuming something has been changed to find it hasn’t! A change to your stoma routine can bring anxiety and stress with something new to contend with. Following years of changing my own stoma bag, and my children’s, I do it on autopilot. When I have had to change an element of that process, it will take me a little while to get back into the flow. Be kind to yourself and allow for more time during bag changes.
Finally…
It is important to advocate for yourself. If you feel a product isn’t right for you, speak up and don’t take no for an answer. You know your body better than anyone, and you need to live with your stoma – no one else. When trialing a new product, I also keep a diary of how it is going, good or bad, in the first week or so. This will support you if it isn’t working to be able to show the stoma nurse you have given it a go but you really need a different product. Please remember you should not be left suffering or in pain with your stoma. There is a wealth of companies and products that cover both the stoma bag itself, and accessory products. It can be extremely disheartening if you have tried a few different things and they simply aren’t working, but don’t give up!
-
-
-
-
-
-
