This topic is about someone who has a reversible colostomy and is considering whether to learn colostomy irrigation before their scheduled reversal. They are a teacher and are concerned about managing their colostomy pouch at school due to potential leaks and noise. They are unsure about the complexity of irrigation, the necessary equipment, and whether their insurance will cover the costs.

Here are some helpful insights and advice:

1. Before starting irrigation, get approval from your surgeon and practical instruction from an ostomy or WOC nurse, as not everyone with a colostomy is a candidate for irrigation.

2. Irrigation typically takes 30 to 40 minutes per session, though some report it can take up to an hour. However, it can free you from having to empty the pouch for the rest of the day and can significantly reduce gas and noise.

3. When establishing a routine:
- Decide on the water volume, number of infusions, and a consistent schedule. This helps "train" the bowel, often resulting in little or no output between sessions, which can last up to 24 hours.
- Some people irrigate daily, but once the routine is well-established, many can extend to every other day, and a few manage every 2–3 days, depending on how completely the bowel is evacuated and their overall fiber intake.

4. Choose a time for irrigation that best fits your schedule. Some prefer late-evening to avoid disrupting daytime activities, while others do it in the morning.

5. A complete irrigation kit costs about $55–$60. You may save money by using fewer pouches and wafers and having longer wear times. Many insurance plans reimburse the cost of the kit and consumables, so check with your provider.

6. A concise instructional video is available online to help you learn the process.

7. Personal experiences with irrigation vary:
- Many people say they would never go back to relying solely on bags once they mastered irrigation.
- Others found it ineffective or disliked the process after several weeks and stopped.

8. The general consensus is that if you are medically cleared, it might be worth trying irrigation for about a month to see if the benefits, such as increased confidence at work and reduced worry about leaks and noise, outweigh the initial learning curve.