The natural excretory pathways must function the way they should. Any severe malfunctioning in those parts of the GI or urinary tract can be life-threatening. In such situations, your doctor may decide you give you an ostomy, which involves diversion of intestines or ureters to let the bodily waste evacuate through a surgically created opening in the abdominal wall. This opening is called a stoma.
Several reasons or medical conditions that may lead a person needing an ostomy may include birth defects, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, incontinence, diverticulitis, and many more.
Even though ostomy surgery is a treatment for life-threatening health conditions, many people think of it as a procedure that results in a long list of drawbacks that only add restrictions in a person’s life. Well, the matter of fact is that an ostomy helps a person to become healthy and active again. Believing in the ostomy myths can do more harm than good.
That said, we are now going to talk about some most common ostomy myths.
Your ostomy is a visible feature of you
One of the most concerning myths about an ostomy is that people you meet can tell about it the moment they see you. That is far from the truth. An ostomy bag lies flat with the abdomen in such a way that it doesn’t let anyone know about its existence. You will be walking around in the street and meeting your friends without worrying about having anyone know that you are wearing an ostomy bag.
Exercise will become difficult
If you were a fitness enthusiast before surgery, you would want to get back your previous fitness regimen as soon as you can after surgery. While it may not be possible to resume things with the same intensity after surgery, you can start slow and build workout intensity with time.
Ostomies smell bad
Most of the people worry about ostomies emitting an odor. This has been a problem in the past, but the modern-day ostomy appliances contain the smell in the best possible way. Unless there is a leakage occurring from under the skin barrier, you shouldn’t have any problem related to odor.
Traveling will be stressful
An ostomy doesn’t stop you from traveling. Whether you want to travel for work or want to go for a long drive, you can manage your ostomy well enough to prevent it from getting bothersome during your journey. If you are considering air travel, be sure to have enough of ostomy supplies to avoid any unforeseen circumstances related to ostomy management during the entire time you are away from home.
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