Recently I saw a video entitled “Elijah Explains his New Ostomy” that has resurfaced from ten years ago. It centered on a conversation with Elijah, a little boy who had an ileostomy when he was about four years old. In his most articulate manner, Elijah tells us that the medicine he was taking didn’t work, he had surgery, and now he has an ostomy bag. Very matter of fact, very to the point, very much part of his life going forward. Youtube it if you want to fall in love with the most adorable and empowered little boy. He is asked what is in his ostomy bag, and he says, “liquid and some gas,” shows us his stoma (his small intestine that is sutured to his abdomen in order to divert his stool into the ostomy pouch) mentions that the stoma “does not hurt” and that he likes the bag because it has Velcro…cool!

The interviewer, who may be his mom or his nurse, asks Elijah if he had UC and that is why he needs the bag, and he says, “yes.” I wondered at that moment, while absorbing the precociousness and preciousness of Elijah, how many people viewing the video knew or understood UC? It stands for Ulcerative Colitis and is an Inflammatory Bowel Disease. My assumption is that a decade ago, the medicine that didn’t work was a first-generation biologic, but I really have no idea. The reality is that even today, many children and adults have ostomies for Ulcerative Colitis, and so many do not.

I began to think about the fact that in my blog I mention ostomy and its effects, but many may not know a few basics about it. So let me give you the $.50 tour, and of course, if you or someone you know is interested in more information, I will address that at the end.

  • There are three types of ostomy: colostomy and ileostomy are stool divergents; urostomy is for urine divergence.
  • Causes can be cancer, diverticulitis, severe infection, MS, slow motility or dysmotility, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, as well as others.
  • Typically, other modalities of treatment are used before an ostomy, but not always. It may be necessary on an emergency basis. Anyone can find themselves in the position of receiving one.
  • Ostomies are truly, unequivocally, and undeniably LIFESAVERS! There are between 750,000 and a million of us in the United States.
  • Some people have two ostomies; usually, a colostomy is on the left side of the body; an ileostomy is usually on the right; a urostomy is placed either side, depending upon the surgeon’s prediction of best outcome for the patient. 
  • Support Groups provide lifestyle assistance and guidance for emotional and physical issues, as well as reinforcing the feeling of community that we all need when facing any challenge.
  • Wound and Ostomy Continence Nurses (WOCN) are the key to comfort and health in that they provide the tools to correct fit of appliance and prevent or deal with breakdown of skin when leaking occurs. They, too, are LIFESAVERS!
  • Lastly, the United Ostomy Associations of America (UOAA) has an incredible wealth of information available on all aspects of ostomy and are an amazing resource. Their website provides all one needs to navigate the roads that will be traveled, and The Phoenix Magazine provides articles written by ostomates and those who care for us.

Need more? My book, SO MUCH MORE THAN MY OSTOMY: LOVING MY PERFECTLY IMPERFECT BODY! Is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

 

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