Avoiding air sickness'
An upset stomach on a long plane trip may be due to normal expansion of gas in the intestinal tract created by the decrease in atmospheric pressure. It may be helpful to avoid greasy foods, and foods that produce gas such as beans, onions, cabbage, cucumbers, apples and melons, before and during the flight. Also avoid carbonated beverages.
Be prepared for a pouch change
Always carry supplies for one complete pouch change with you. This is very important in case you are brought to the emergency room and need to remove your pouch. They may not have a pouch readily available to reapply. If you irrigate, bring those supplies too. Every hospital stocks some supplies, but they may not be your exact type. (What they stock can usually be substituted for a short time.)
Digestion times can vary
Do not worry about how much time it takes for food to pass through your system. A meal usually takes four to five hours during the day to pass through the small intestine but at night it may slow down to ten to twelve hours. The passage time is also affected by the type of food and how much liquid is taken in. Always remember each person is different, and time and experience will show you what is normal for you.
Fluid loss an avoidable concern
People with urostomies, ileostomies, and transverse colostomies all have one thing in common ... they are continually losing fluid. These people are prone to stones in the urinary system because it is easy to become dehydrated. To prevent these stones and dehydration, you should drink two to three quarts of fluid daily (water and juices are the best), urinate at night if necessary and exercise daily. To stay well hydrated a good rule of thumb is to never pass a water fountain without stopping for a drink!
Supplies need not be sterile
Remember: It is not necessary to use sterile ostomy supplies. For example use washcloths or paper towels instead of expensive sterile gauze pads. Your stoma and surrounding skin is not sterile and only needs the same sort of cleanliness that the rest of your exterior body needs.
Review your pouch change routine
I would like to encourage you to look at how you change your pouch. After many years of living with an ostomy, people often keep adapting what they use and often find themselves using many products and taking hours to change their pouch instead of fifteen to twenty minutes. Therefore I encourage you to look at each product you use and ask yourself: Why do I use this?" and "What's the purpose of this step?" The procedure should be as uncomplicated as possible, and no one step should duplicate another. Do not live for your ostomy - make it live with you.
Five Minutes with an ET ... presented at a meeting of Chicago's North Suburban Chapter UOA
