As a newbie 5 years ago, my stoma was very quiet in the morning. I laugh now at the fact I would wrap myself in Saran Wrap or Stretch and Seal over my appliance in an attempt to keep it dry while I showered. I am guessing I am not alone having done that in the early days when one was sent home with a brand new stoma and no clue as to “now what”? The medical professionals had completed their services and happily drove home after ending their shift….
I stumbled along with outside help from a so-called stoma nurse who actually tried to pour the blue deodorizer directly on my naked little stoma…. He also did not speak much English, which was another problem, and it was obvious I needed to release him from his duties and do my best on my own.
Fast forward about one year (in which Saran Wrap stock doubled) when I stumbled onto MAO for the first time, and I am eternally grateful for this!
My first real exciting tip on the site was the mention of a totally naked shower… completely naked shower… who knew? I am quite sure once I did know, the ole' Saran Wrap stock plummeted along with my shower anxiety! I do tend to ramble on… sorry.
Anyway, in the early years, a morning shower presented no issue as my stoma was dormant until that first cup of coffee. However, over time that changed as I hungered for foods that I once loved and thought might be questionable. Again, MAO to the rescue… try new food a bit at a time and chew, chew, chew. Me and ole stomie came to blows with what I referred to as my “quiet time” as I added various foods to my diet. As with everything, time changes many things (appearance of chin hairs, for example), so we are forced to take one wtf at a time - this is especially true if you own a stoma and you like food and drink. Ya just gotta go with the flow….
I ordered this little stoma crown (as seen above in my original post) for immediate use once the heavenly naked shower water was turned off. I place 2 sheets of toilet paper over my stoma and slap this shield on to contain any surprises my stoma might tend to spring on me. It is my protector against any fallout trying to cause havoc on my morning. I then dry off, apply lotion, and tend to my other after-shower routines… then dash off to my room for the ugly stoma containment baggage aka Coverup.
This protector frees up both hands, and when I remove it - it rarely has any wtf's in it for me to deal with…. just an added anti-anxiety helper for me which I first spotted on a MAO post and the DIY (do it yourself) pictured by IGGIE…. jb
