After a few grueling weeks in the hospital, the pain is beginning to subside, and you’re now on the winding road of recovering from ostomy surgery. The doctors and nurses have armed you with a six-page instruction document, and now it’s time to take your recovery to your home court. You’re finally home! Now what?
I remember looking out the window on the drive home, wondering how the heck I was going to manage on my own. Well… It wasn’t easy, but I did it, and you will too! To help you out, I have 5 tips to help you recover from ostomy surgery at home.
I think now is a good time to point out that I am not a doctor, and nothing in this blog post should be taken as medical advice. Always follow the advice of your surgeon, dietitian, and/or WOC nurse. Okay, on with the tips!
Seek Community
Chances are you don’t know anyone else who has an ostomy. Your friends and family can be an invaluable source of support. Still, if you’re like me, you’re probably getting sick of people who have never been in your situation telling you that it will get better. They’re not wrong, but it’s a lot easier to accept and believe guarantees of a brighter future coming from someone who has experienced all the awful feelings you’re currently feeling.
Start online. Since you’re on this blog, I’m sure you know that places like Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, and Twitter are all great places to find support and community. It’s incredible how supportive the online IBD and ostomy community is. Once you feel ready, I suggest you seek an in-person support group or community. You can use this support group finder on Ostomy.org to find a group near you. It’s one thing to talk online; it’s quite another to hang out with fellow ostomates. You’ll meet inspiring and supportive people who live in your community and are thriving with an ostomy. Attending a bi-weekly support group had a profound impact on my recovery.
Pay Attention to What and How You Eat
After surgery, your bowels are tender and swollen. Be nice to them and stick to bland, low-fiber foods for a few weeks. You will most likely be given a diet to follow. Follow it. For me, I needed to stick to low fiber and high calories foods. Everyone isn’t going to be in the same situation here. Many people, like myself, will need to work on gaining some weight. Others will need to lose a few pounds. Either way, there are a few diet rules all new ostomates should follow while recovering from ostomy surgery.
- For starters, eat small frequent meals. Shoot for 6 small meals instead of 3 large ones.
- During all those meals, eat slowly and chew your food! A good guideline is if you aren’t sure you chewed enough, chew some more.
- Stay hydrated. This can be tricky for new ostomates missing a colon as the colon is where most water is absorbed. Make sure you are sipping water throughout the day and eating salty snacks. The salt will help you retain more water. Low sugar sports drinks can help replenish electrolytes. However, oral rehydration solutions like DripDropORS do a better job.
Make Your Home Comfortable
At least for the time being, you’re going to be spending the majority of your time in your home. Make it as comfortable as you can. If you can, splurge on products that you think will make your life easier.
I struggled to get in, and out of bed, so I purchased this bedside assistance bar. Yeah, it says it’s for elderly adults, but it was also exactly what I needed. In fact, it’s still attached to my bedside as of this writing. The other fantastic product I bought was a giant reading pillow. I had to sleep sitting up for the first few months, and this pillow allowed me to comfortably sleep at night.
If your home isn’t set up for recovering from ostomy surgery, make the appropriate renovations so you can comfortably recover. It doesn’t have to be forever.
Walk
Walk. Walk. Walk. And then go walk some more. There is a reason the nurses have you up and walking shortly after surgery; it helps you heal faster! Going for walks has a bunch of health benefits. It will help with your digestion, it helps keep your heart and lungs healthy, and can even keep clots from forming in your legs.
Start off slow. Your abdominal muscles have been severely compromised, and it will take time to regain your strength. The day I got home from the hospital, I decided I would go mail the rent. Kylie suggested we try that walk together, but I wasn’t hearing any of that. I’m a strong independent man, after all! Somewhere between my house and the mailbox, I realized I had made a huge mistake and had to call for assistance. Just walk around the house to start, then try to make it down the driveway, then down the block, soon you’ll be mailing the rent and going wherever you want.
Be Patient with Yourself
Accept that healing is going to take a while. You just had major surgery, and your anatomy has been altered. It’s going to take time for your body to heal and adjust to the changes. There are going to be good days and bad days. Maybe even good and bad weeks.
You also have to learn how to care for and manage your new ostomy. Things like figuring out which appliance and supplies work best for you and learning how to change your bag will be a painstaking process of trial and error. Just like anything, it can be hard at first, but with patience and practice, you’ll be a pro at changing an ostomy bag in no time.
Many new ostomates will be struggling mentally. It can be a challenge to accept your new reality of living with a bag. This subject deserves an entire blog post, but I will say this. It’s amazing how human beings can adapt over time. Give yourself time to grieve the loss of your old body, but with time I think you’ll grow to appreciate the new life after recovering from ostomy surgery.
Do you have any tips for recovering from ostomy surgery? Let us know in the comments below!
