So after 6 days in recovery my wife came home. The stome needed care-packing gauze daily, removal of bandage and gauze. the first day I changed the gauze I did not fully cover the stoma fully, inside it had dried out most likely causing the weaped fluid to dry out. I now realize now why you would not like this to happen as I now i'm not able to put the gauze in as deeply as before. Wish I could start over. I'm pretty sure they did not want a scab to form inturnaly. I have not told my wife because she will panic. I wish the nurse would of told me to fully cover the stoma to prevent the drying effect. So now what do I do.. It is Sunday and I will call the Dr.Monday..
KJC
Mar 04, 2018 5:49 pm
Bill
Mar 05, 2018 6:13 am
Hello KJC. A tip given to me by my niece, who is a ICU nurse. It sometimes helps to keep the area soaking in warm water which helps to loosen the dryness and eases the gauze away rather than tearing it.
The easiest way to do this is to soak in a warm bath! It can be relaxing too, which can't be bad for the soul.
Best wishes
Bill
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Posted by: iMacG5
About seven years ago, just about every aspect of my life was ostomy related. From the moment I was told an ostomy might be needed until some months down the road I existed as a person afflicted with a colostomy. I feared someone other than my immediate family might find out I had a bag. Ugh! What could be worse? Suppose it filled real fast when I was out with no place to hide and take care of myself. God forbid should it leak in church! Suppose I roll over on it in bed. I was a lesser creature, destined to a life of emotional anguish and physical routines different from most of the rest of the world. I felt like a freak. Then I found folks like you guys here, read your stuff, really “listened” to what you had to say and I began looking at things differently. We know perception is everything and I began to understand how good things were relative to what they could’ve been. So many folks had it so much worse than I did. That didn’t make my discomfort go away but it exposed how fortunate I was to be dealing with my stuff and not their’s. I felt a little guilt, maybe selfishness but quickly forgave myself by understanding I just wasn’t smart enough to fix my feelings. Then, I wonder what smarts have to do with feelings. My perception was warped so my perspective toward my existence was warped.
I learned over the last few years with the help of lots of folks right here at MAO that I could be better at living just by accepting some facts. It is what it is and so what? It’s not the worst thing to happen to a person.
I think everything is, in some way, related to everything else. I just put the ostomy thing in the back seat and drive forward.
Respectfully,
Mike