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Life as a construction worker with colostomy

I am a full-time construction worker for work. About six months ago, I found out I had to get a colostomy as I was having destructive internal digestive issues. My doctor told me the adjustment period should be two to four-month, but it is still an ongoing process for me. My job is not that much more difficult with my ostomy bag, but there are certain things I can not do as quickly as I once did now that I have this pouch over my abdomen. Life with an ostomy bag while being in construction has its hurdles, but it is not impossible.

The adjustment period has taken a while. My doctor told me that it would not be more than four months. I am still adjusting, but I have almost forgotten about it. The few significant adjustments for one was going to the bathroom without having to be in the bathroom. It is an odd feeling like you are doing something illegal in a way. Another adjustment has been food. I can no longer eat my favorite, that being pizza. My doctor told me if I had it again, I may have some dire consequences erupt in my bag. That is not something I want to see or think about, so I am taking his advice and not eating pizza again.

Working with an ostomy bag in my profession has had its challenges. I can not reach up as high as I once did. Doing anything that requires leaning is also out of the question. Any type of side to side leaning, and I will have a lot of strain in my abdomen area since the bag is there, keeping all that skin in place not letting it flex and move. Surprisingly, I have come to realize that I prefer the jobs where I’m leaning over or crouched down. It is odd because I used to hate those kinds of jobs. Now with my ostomy bag, it is nice to be hunched over and take some of the pressure off.

Some things that annoy me are the fact that I can not stand fully upright without there being some pressure or pulling in my abdomen area. I also do not like the slight smell I catch from time to time. I have heard about a new bag that had a filter to release the aromas, but all you smell is the filter and the scent that is in it. I am not a fan of emptying my bag, and I do not think I ever will get used to that. It is not very pleasant and usually smells horrid.

As a construction worker with an ostomy bag, life is not much different than it was before. I can still get my work done, sure I may not be as fast as I once was, but it makes me take my time and think everything through. There are still some adjustments I have to make, but in time I will get used to this pouch being there. I am happy to be still alive and well, all things considered. My coworkers support me and my situation, and they all respect the slower speed I work at now. I’m glad to be surrounded by such good people.

What is Loop Colostomy?

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A colostomy is the making of a round pit in the patient’s abdomen in the result of the removal of an infected part of the colon or rectum. When it comes to colostomy, it has a few more types. Colostomy can be loop or end, ascending, descending, sigmoid, and transverse. In this write-up, we shall discuss and cover all the aspects of the loop or end colostomy.

Loop Colostomy

A loop colostomy is the type of colostomy in which doctors bring the entire loop of the colon to the outside of the stoma. They open the proximal limb and distal limb into the same stoma hole. This does not make a transverse section of the large intestine. Moreover, surgeons dissect the proximal end of the colon to create an end or loop colostomy. While they staple the distal end of the large intestine.

People have a misconception regarding loop colostomy. Due to its name, they think that this is a permanent procedure. While the loop colostomy is a temporary stoma. Thus, after the healing of infection or injury, doctors can reverse the procedure. After the reversal of the loop colostomy, an ostomate can excrete the stool through the anus. Moreover, in this surgery, a patient suffers from less intraoperative blood loss. A loop colostomy patient spends less time in the hospital as well. He can discharge from the clinic quickly as compared to other colostomy persons. Furthermore, when it comes to the complications of the operation, there are a few risks involved in the loop colostomy. The procedure is safe and takes less time for healing.

Indication for Loop Colostomy

The following are a few primary indications for the loop colostomy:

To mitigate the distal obstruction.
For the treatment of rectal cancer.
After the performing of distal anatomy, it reroutes the load of feces.

Pre-procedure for Loop Colostomy

In the pre-procedure of the operation, a nurse identifies the accurate location for the stoma. The primary aim of the pre-session of surgery is to mark a precise spot. If your opening is not in the right location, it will create trouble for you. Moreover, it will be a source of extensive morbidity. This will generate distress, trouble, and dissatisfaction; therefore, fabricating the appropriate location is necessary. Well, this is the duty of an ET nurse to find out the right place for the stoma and mark it. The design of the stoma depends on the exactness and accuracy of the marking. This opening should not have a skin crease; moreover, it should be away from the umbilicus and bony prominences.

Furthermore, a patient should not pass out during the marking of the stoma location. A patient has to check the feasibility and facility with the marking site. He should perform his/her normal activities, like sitting and bending. Moreover, a patient can discuss his doubts during the marking and pre-procedure session.

Fabrication of Loop Colostomy

The following are a few approaches surgeons adopt for the designing of the loop colostomy:

Open-loop colostomy.
Laparoscopic loop colostomy.
Trephine- or colonoscopy-assisted loop colostomy.

However, with the time that approaches and techniques are evolving. Moreover, it depends on the type of disease, what you need, and which procedure will be the right option for your stoma.

Care for the Loop Colostomy

A loop colostomy is temporary; therefore, patients take it lightly. Well, it needs a discardable pouching system. Moreover, the waste material should not allow contact with your abdomen and peristomal skin. In the case of loop stomas, a patient should drink plenty of water and fresh juices. It clears away any kind of blockage in the colon. Moreover, a loop colostomy patient should change the pouching system after every three days. Well, it depends on your hygiene routine too, but do not wear the device for a longer time. Make sure your peristomal is dry and clean all the time. As it is a reversible procedure; therefore, the hole will get closed after the healing of the end colon.

Feeling Good With Your Stoma

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Safety may be the top hierarchy for how we judge our lives. It matters the most and it really shows when you find yourself with some kind of injury or even an ostomy. I like to be so secure in my life that I am not worried about it. But how does this really happen? That is because there is so much confidence in those items. We never think about it because we feel comfortable with them. That is the exact feeling that I think anyone with a stoma should have when it comes to their gear. It should be so good and they should have so much confidence in it that they don’t even think about it. That is my personal opinion and the opinion of many people and companies out there. Confidence is key to being happy with your stoma, and I want to talk a bit about that today.

The information helps build confidence and when you go to the hospital it is the first place it starts. Hopefully, you had an amazing ostomy nurse and hospital staff and they gave you great knowledge on the subject. The learning curve for learning about how to live with your stoma is steep. But that is a good thing because the curve is steep and then goes down from there. But I think it’s important to keep learning and to search for the best products for each task. So learn all you can from them and take all that knowledge and put it to good use. Ostomy gear can be learned about from a lot of different places so lets get onto the next.

To me my start of confidence really started at the pharmacy which was a great place to be. This was because I got into a conversation with the pharmacist about ostomy gear. I was terrified and ashamed on the inside, but the pharmacist made me feel comfortable and was there truly to help me. I was given lots of tips and he took me through his whole section and why he kept ordering the products that he did. The feedback he had from his customers over the years led him to have a vast assortment of ostomy bags, seals, and sanitary supplies. I learned a whole lot and his next suggestion was to call major manufacturers and learn about the really important details that mattered to me.

Going right to the source was key. There are many online that sell ostomy products and they seem larger than life. I am an outdoor person and certainly like to do active things. By talking to a few customer service people at these companies I found a vast amount of knowledge. They have helped people, run races, hike, and climb mountains. It was a crazy and awesome experience to hear about what other people used and why they made the gear the way they made it for those purposes. It was a great experience.

Now the internet and social media are in some ways really helpful. I find that there are a lot of places to go and people to follow that can give cool ideas and ways to deal with their stoma. With any luck you picked up some tips to helping you on your journey.