Living with a stoma
Date issued:April 2022
Review date: April 2024
Ref: C-494
PDF: Living with a stoma final April 2022.pdf [pdf] 830KB
After your operation
When you wake up from your operation your brand new stoma will look quite swollen.
As you start to heal it will shrink and change in size. This will take quite a few weeks.
Stomas come in a variety of shapes and sizes. A healthy stoma is:
Pink or red in colour
Not painful
Bleeds easily when rubbed or bumped. It should stop bleeding quite quickly.
Your stoma bag and having your first poo
Your stoma bag will be measured so it fits your stoma shape. This stops the bag from leaking. Your bag might change as your stoma gets smaller.
You may not poo for a couple of days after your operation but this is quite normal and nothing to worry about.
The Stoma Team will visit you daily. When your bowel starts to empty poo into the stoma bag you will be taught how to change it.
Getting back to normal life
You will have felt quite poorly before your operation and will be hoping to feel more yourself soon.
Your stoma is for life. Once you have got used to washing and changing your bag you should be able to carry on as usual.
It is up to you whether you want to tell friends about your stoma bag. The bag will lie close to your skin so no-one will know you are wearing one.
You may feel a bit tired for a few weeks after your operation. You do not need to stay in bed but you might like to have a sleep in the afternoon.
To help you recover:
Go for a short walk each day to get some fresh air and a little bit of exercise
Do not lift anything heavier than a half full kettle
Spread housework out through out the day; sit down and rest when you feel tired
Avoid stretching up to reach things in high cupboards
Keep an eye on the skin around your stoma. Talk to the Stoma Team if the skin is red, sore or itchy or if you have seen blood in with your poo
Your clothes and bag
Your stomach may feel a little bit sore and tender for a while.
You might find it more comfortable to wear loose fitting clothes that do not touch your stoma bag.
Once fully healed you can go back to wearing your normal tops.
It is important to keep a spare stoma bag and wipes in your handbag/rucksack at all times so you have supplies with you should you poo whilst out.
The hospital will get you a radar key so you can use accessible toilets when out and about. These will give you more room and privacy to change your bag.
Impact of some foods
Any food that you would have eaten that could cause diarrhoea (the runs) or a lot of wind (farts) before your operation will still have the same effect now you have a stoma bag.
Your stoma bag can fill up with farts but these should find their way out through filters in the bag.
You may not feel up to eating much after your operation but your appetite should come back soon. You could try to eat small meals and healthy snacks throughout the day to keep your energy levels up.
It is important that you drink plenty of water during the day. This can be in tea, coffee or squash if you do not like drinking just water.
Stoma clinics
You may have lots of questions that you feel too embarrassed to ask but the Stoma Team talk about these things all the time!
You may want to ask about:
Kissing, cuddling and having sex
What happens to your bag when it is hot and you are sweaty?
Is it okay to go swimming and what can you wear in the pool?
You can phone the Stoma Team Monday to Friday on 01752 439474 between 8:30-4:00 with any questions or worries.
