stoma care

From time to time stoma patients may experience stoma problems. The majority of these issues are not serious and can be resolved relatively quickly by adjusting part of your routine, swapping to a new product or altering your diet slightly.…

A stoma is an opening on the abdomen that can be connected to either your digestive or urinary system to allow waste (urine or faeces) to be diverted out of your body. It looks like a small, pinkish, circular piece of flesh that is sewn to…

Ever wondered what powers our Home Delivery Service? We put members first, which is why we have Stoma Nurses on hand at every turn. Meet the team here.

If you have been given a continent urinary diversion you will need to learn how to use a catheter to empty the urinary reservoir completely in a clean safe manner. You will initially be shown how to do this by your specialist nurse after…

What is a Urostomy? A urostomy or ileal conduit is the most common type of non-continent urinary diversion operation. During the operation, the surgeon will make a hole in your abdominal wall. This hole is known as a urinary stoma.…

It is essential that the highest standards of hygiene are maintained at all times. Handwashing is one of the simplest ways you can protect yourself from infection and stop germs from transferring to other people or surfaces (such as…

Stoma bloggers have done such a lot to reduce barriers around some key topics. We know how important it is to be able to draw on other people’s experiences when going through something like stoma surgery, so we thought we would share our…

We highlighted #stomaweek here at Bladder & Bowel Community, with a focus on stoma issues and related topics. As part of the week, we invited our Stoma Nurse to be part of a Question and Answer event, and we had some great questions…

This article contains links. Sore skin. Bag leakages. These four words are a common source of anxiety for people with a stoma. They’re also something that Charlie Bremmell became all too familiar with after her stoma surgery. …

How many of us when we are younger try to map our lives out? We give ourselves deadlines; by this age, I will be married, be the top or my career and have children! In all honesty how often do these plans actually happen when we want them…

Being diagnosed with a bowel condition is a life-changing experience, and most are simply relieved to have a diagnosis and a direction to follow for treatment. What if you’re several months or years down the line with treatment and aren’t…

What is a Stoma Nurse? A stoma nurse is a specialised role and will look after and advise patients with a colostomy, ileostomy or urostomy before and after surgery. This care may come from a Colorectal Nurse Specialist or a Stoma Nurse.…

Finding Freedom With A Flushable Colostomy Pouch Many people with a colostomy would say that life with a stoma can often be restricting. Daily challenges include needing to plan for the possibility of an unexpected pouch change,…

Changing your stoma bag may seem daunting at first but you will soon get used to the routine of it and over time you will find that a bag change will only take you a few minutes to complete.

What is a stoma reversal? A stoma is formed by bringing a loop of bowel (from the colon to form a colostomy or from the small bowel to form an ileostomy) to the surface of the abdomen. A pouch is then worn over the top of the stoma to…

As many ostomates know, a ‘usual’ stoma care routine can involve many pouch changes throughout the day, some more anticipated than others. Frequent, irregular pouch changes and dreaded leakages, can often leave skin feeling sensitive,…

Having a stoma shouldn’t limit your ability to travel in the UK or abroad. It may just take a little more forward planning. The Colostomy Association have developed a useful guide on travelling with a stoma. Here are our top tips. Make…

Irrigation is a system of bowel management for a colostomy in which you ‘wash’ the bowel to encourage a bowel movement. Over time your bowel will adopt this regular habit, and you should not produce waste in between irrigation sessions.…

If you have a stoma it may help to adjust your diet and exercise routine. Learn about stoma diet, and how being an ‘active ostomate’ can help you.

Looking after your peristomal skin (the ring of your skin that sits under your bag) is a vital part of your stoma care routine. It is important to avoid faeces or urine from coming into contact with your skin otherwise this can cause sore…

There are many different stoma care products for you to choose from. Your stoma nurse will probably help you choose one in the beginning. You may like to try some different pouches to see which type you find the most comfortable and most…

Straight after your stoma operation What will my stoma look like? Don’t be alarmed by the size of your stoma for the first few weeks after surgery. Your abdomen and your stoma will both be quite swollen and your stoma may also ooze…

Your Preoperative Assessment Depending on your hospital you will probably be offered a pre-op assessment a few days/ weeks prior to your stoma surgery. This assessment will involve a meeting with your surgeon to discuss any last minute…

If you have Inflammatory Bowel Disease or an ostomy then you probably know who Sam Cleasby is. Sam is the owner of the hugely popular ‘So Bad Ass’ website and one of the most influential voices for Crohn’s and Colitis sufferers. After being…

Lauraine has IBD, which has resulted in an ileostomy and she also suffers from endometriosis and an enterocutaneous fistula. Here, Lauraine tells us her story and how she is learning to live with her illness.

At Bladder & Bowel we love to talk to the amazing people in our community who in their work life, or their free time, are doing something to help others. We recently caught up with Bournemouth based fashion designer, Jasmine Stacey, who…

What is a stoma? A stoma is an opening on the abdomen that can be connected to either your digestive or urinary system to allow waste (urine or faeces) to be diverted out of your body. It looks like a small, pinkish, circular piece of…