5 Myths About Your Ostomy and Real Truths Behind Them

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This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice.

Most people only have the vaguest idea of what ostomy is all about. The ballpark figure of Americans living with an ostomy is about 1 every 500 of them. The main takeaway about it is that it involves creating an opening in your body by surgery for bodily waste discharge.

The opening is called a stoma, by the way. Ostomy can give debilitated people suffering from various diseases a new lease on life that involves fewer to no hospitalizations or clinic trips. It’s also pain relieving.

With that said, what are the top myths about ostomy?

1. “Ostomy is a Death Sentence”

Ostomy is not a death sentence. It’s actually a stay of execution. Without it, many people would die quickly. If you’re given the option to do ostomy surgery, it’s a means of extending your lease on life. They’re extremely ill and might end up resting in peace without it.

Fatal complications await those who opt out on an ostomy that’s recommended by the doctor. Many patients might contend that ostomy allowed them to live longer or even get their life back when push comes to shove.

2. “Ostomies Are Only Done by Cancer Patients.”

As hinted above, ostomies are not only taken by cancer patients. They can also patients suffering from Crohn’s disease, neurogenic bladder disease, familial polyposis, diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, birth defects, and so forth as well as cancer.

You have people suffering from Crohn’s disease who’ll claim that they’re able to do all of the things they’ve always done now that they’ve been given this new life support option. Otherwise, they’d be held back or forced to pay huge fees in hospitalization due to their illness.

3. “Ostomies are Permanent.”

There are patients who’ll have to maintain an ostomy and stoma for life. There are many others who’ll only have the ostomy performed temporarily until their root disease gets taken care of. The intestines can heal from fistulas, scarring, abscesses, infection, and inflammation.

For these patients, the procedure can be reversed to make an internal pouch, particularly when you could excrete or get rid of your bodily waste products on your own with no ostomy assistance.

4. “People with Ostomies Smell or Stink.”

Many modern ostomies come with charcoal air filters. This neutralizes the odors. Taking care to not end up with an ostomy leak should also prevent patients from ending up with ostomy odors.

Let’s say a patient has ulcerative colitis at 10 years old, requiring removal of the rectum and colon through proctocolectomy. After the surgery was over, she lived with an ileostomy for two months until her j-pouch healed up.

You can live with ostomy with proper maintenance and hygiene even when young, thus preventing odors all throughout.

5. “It’s Obvious When You Have an Ostomy.”

You can hide your ostomy easily under most apparel. Patients with ostomy might be worried about how visible their ostomy bag or tube is. However, most people don’t pay attention to that. They wouldn’t even give such people a second look.

To the average person, a hidden ostomy is unnoticeable and you’ll have to inform them it’s there for them to even become aware of the apparatus. After having an ostomy, you can wear the same clothing you used to wear save for a few exceptions and alterations too.

Many pouching systems have means to hide themselves in everyday apparel so you won’t have to give the bag a second thought.

Keep in Mind the Following

You should also buy the best ostomy suppliesfor your ostomy needs by learning just what it entails.You’ll take better care of what you buy once you’re aware of the truths and lies regarding best ostomy practices.

The reason for ostomy varies. It might be because of diseases like incontinence, diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), or even cancer (like colon cancer or metastasized cancer reaching your excretory system).

References:

https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/blog/8-myths-about-ostomies-debunked

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