What to Know About life After an Ostomy

Are you about to become an ostomate? If so, you may wonder what life is like after. This is a life-saving surgery, but you might wonder whether or not you can be intimate, exercise, or eat the foods that you love after this. Usually, leading a life that’s normal after healing does take a bit, and usually, it can be a bit different, but you can over time. An ostomy of course, usually is permanent, and it is a huge surgery, but it can save your life. It can be scary, but we’ll answer some of the biggest question you might have. 

Will others be Able to Tell 

Some people feel shameful or worried after having an ostomy.  It can be a bit hard for you to figure out if others can tell. The simple answer is that there are usually accessories and supplies that you can help you feel secure, discreet, and clean when you’re out of the house, or at home. Most people can’t tell unless you tell them. The cool thing too, is that ostomy pouches do take odor into account and have charcoal filters.  They also have panels that are comfortable too and keep the pouch quiet too. 

Will I have to Change My diet? 

If you’re worried about your diet after an ostomy surgery, just know that it’s very rare to have one of those unless it’s absolutely needed. Most don’t need a dietary change, but a lot of it is based on what you may need. Some foods might be cut out if you feel like they’re harder to digest, but most don’t need major dietary changes. Some people are able to eat the same foods as before, and it can be doable no matter the surgery. Ultimately, you need to just test it and see if it’s good for you. 

Can I exercise After? 

This is probably a big question if you’re someone who was exercising hardcore beforehand. Many who have a lifestyle that’s active may wonder if they can after they get the ostomy. Usually, this is based on the situation and type of surgery, and how much recovery that you do. Usually, you can get back to the activities that you were doing before once you get doctor’s approval.You also will need to stay away from rough-contact types of sports though, since that can impact the surgery in a lot of cases. But if you were running, biking, lifting, or even doing yoga, chances are you’ll be able to do just that, however, it may not be right away, so discuss this with your doctor before going into this once again. Usually, after 6-8 weeks when it’s healed up, the doctor will probably give you the okay to start running or biking or mild exercise. You will probably need to take things easily though, since you were out of commission for that long.

 The same goes for going back to work, returning to school, and the like. Sometimes, you can’t right away, especially if the surgery was extensive, and you haven’t recovered yet. If you were running around or doing heavy lifting before you got the stoma surgery, you will need to adjust, t and talk to the employer about doing so as well, since it could possibly be a problem over time. For most though, they don’t’ have to worry about it possibly completely changing their life. Going back to normal life and feeling good about this does take a little bit of time, but it can be handled and done if you want to.