first aid

I was going through old paperwork today when I found an old first aid certificate from a course I did at work. This got me thinking, as you do, as to why I can't ever remember covering stomas or ostomy. I know this is a bit of a strange one, but why do you think this is? I have my own opinion that it's a taboo subject that only ostomates can understand, but sometimes I can be a tad paranoid.

Interesting point. I guess the proportion of ostomates in the population is so small, and the number of ostomy-related incidents requiring first aid so small even within that tiny population, that it would be seen as too specialized to cover in what is at best a general course. In my own experience, even health professionals (nurses, ambulance people) in the UK regard an ostomy as 'specialist' (or do they mean 'yucky'? lol) and have little idea of how to deal with one. This is much less true here in France, where I've found nurses much more confident about stomas, maybe because stoma specialist nurses are only found in big cities.

My experience with the health professionals here in Chicago, Illinois, is that I don't think they train even nurses about ostomies! If you don't have a GI specialist, then they look at you like you have an alien growing on you! When I was in the hospital for heart surgery, they didn't know how to change the bag, and it took them hours to find me a replacement bag! I couldn't believe it! I was in a hospital! They need to train nurses better!

Hi all, I was in for my annual checkup and the nurse was setting up for a digital exam of the prostate, and I said, "Don't bother, I had an ileo with total proctocolectomy," and he said, "But the doctor would still need to do the digital exam," and I said, "Impossible, as my butt has been removed and sewed shut," and he looked totally dumbfounded.

I just don't understand it! They have the chart right in front of them, and they still ask dumb questions. I guess you gotta laugh!

My Ostomy Journey: Bruce | Hollister