If you allow it to get too full, the weight of the stool may pull the pouch away from the skin. A person with an ileostomy will need to empty the pouch about five or six times in a 24-hour period. If you have a colostomy, you will need to empty the pouch two or three times in a 24-hour period.
The pouches are odor-free, and they do not allow gas or stool to leak out when they are worn correctly. Your nurse will teach you how to care for your ostomy pouch and how to change it. You will need to empty it when it is about 1/3 full, and change it about every 2 to 4 days, or as often as your nurse tells you.
It's always a good idea to empty or change your stoma bag before you go to bed as it will help to prevent your bag from filling up too much overnight and disturbing your sleep.
The average daily output of an ileostomy is about 500 ml per day, but may be up to 1,000-1,500 mls in a day. The average daily output of a colostomy is about 500 ml per day, with a range of about 200-700ml. You should learn to monitor the amount and consistency of your bowel movements.
You need to empty a drainable pouch when it gets to be about one-third full. Don't let it get more than half full. This keeps the pouch from bulging under your clothes. It also helps prevent leaking and odor.
When the large bowel has been removed the small bowel must adapt to absorb more fluid, which it is not as effective at doing (this will improve over time). This means output from your stoma can increase.
Keeping hydrated with an ileostomy, colostomy and urostomy
Keeping hydrated is an important aspect of living with a stoma. For many people it is just making sure you are drinking plenty throughout the day. You should try to drink 6-8 glasses of water each day along with any other drinks such as tea or coffee.
For those with an ileostomy, output tends to be thinner and more frequent, prompting about six to eight bathroom trips a day. Some people who have an ileostomy may be looking for ideas on how to firm stool up a bit and decrease output and/or trips to the bathroom.
Some people have 2 or 3 movements a day, while others have a bowel movement every 2 or 3 days or even less often. It may take some time after surgery to figure out what's normal for you. While many descending and sigmoid colostomies can be trained to move regularly, some cannot.
At first you will pass wind through your stoma and then, usually within 2 or 3 days, you poo through it. This should start to improve as your bowel recovers from the effects of the operation.
Some people have a temporary colostomy made during their treatment for vaginal cancer. The colostomy is closed a few months later when the bowel has fully healed. Some people have a permanent colostomy or ileostomy. When you have a stoma, you need to wear a bag to collect your poo or urine.
You can bathe and shower as normal with your stoma and, unless you have been specifically advised otherwise, you can do so with the stoma bag on or off. It won't fall off in the water if you choose to keep it on and if you bathe with the stoma bag off, soap rinsing over the stoma isn't a problem.
A urostomy is a surgery that allows urine (pee) to leave your body without going through your bladder. The surgery creates an opening called a stoma. The urine goes into a pouch (bag) you wear on the outside of your body.
Rinsing your ostomy bag
After you've cleared your bag from all its contents (with a good aim, hopefully), you can rinse the bag with water.
As you may have gathered so far, there is not a major difference between a colostomy and an ostomy. A colostomy is actually a type of ostomy that allows the body to pass stool when the colon is not working properly, or if a disease is affecting a part of the colon and it needs to be removed.
Immediately after your surgery, your anus may continue to expel poop and other fluids that were left inside. But new poop will now exit through your stoma. Most people will be able to feel their bowels move and know when poop is about to come out. But you won't be able to control it anymore.
After a stoma, the bottom part of the bowel no longer has poo passing through it, but it still produces mucus. Dead cells from the lower bowel or rectum may be mixed in with the mucus. The mucus may leak out of the anus, or you may feel the urge to go to the toilet.
The BBC Radio 1 presenter had a stoma bag, which she refers to as Audrey, fitted last October after being diagnosed with bowel cancer. The operation diverts one end of the colon, which is part of the bowel, through an opening in the abdomen called a stoma.
If you have higher fluid losses than the average person, it's best to drink the recommended 6-8 cups of fluid a day plus choose saltier foods and hydrating foods. Occasionally when someone has loose bowel movements, drinking more fluid can make them more dehydrated.
You must still include fibre in your diet. Choose some foods from the following list daily: Wholemeal bread. High fibre cereal e.g. Weetabix, porridge.
Take time to eat slowly and chew your food well. Smaller meals with frequent snacks and nourishing drinks between meals. Regular intake of food and fluids to help achieve optimal colostomy function. Minimise high intakes of caffeine from tea, coffee, and fizzy drinks, and alcohol.