Stoma Nurse

The Stoma Nurse visits you as soon as you get home. This initial visit is to go through how to deal with your new found friend the stoma. Also the nurse helps you to decide on what colostomy bag is right for you and answers any queries or concerns you may have. I found it to be quite a surreal experience going through all the sample bags. It really was a reality check for me. My goodness....this is real. It seemed as if it would be such a bind and interrupt my life in such a negative way but that wasn't the case. I soon adapted. After trying out endless samples I opted for a bag that suited my needs and that was comfortable. I went for the Drainable bag with a part see through pouch. I am generally a nosy girl at the best of times and felt that I wanted/needed to see what was coming away from me. I think this helps to give peace of mind to. After all, I was producing horrible green stuff in hospital which I knew to be abnormal so I just needed to know it was all working as it should be. The bag is covered by a skin coloured material so you dont see anything unless you look under the flap! The drainable bags also help prevent the stoma site and surrounding skin from becoming sore as you do not need to change the bag daily as with closed pouches.

My Stoma Nurse, Helen, was a true Gem. We got on very well indeed. She helped me to come to terms with my new way of life. Her visits were weekly at first until she was confident that I was ok with everything. Then I was left to deal with it on my own but Helen was always at the end of the phone should I have needed her. I then just had a couple of visits to her at the health centre where she checked on my progress and caught up on the gossip !!