Author: Patrick Carter

Colon cancer is always treated either through local or systemic treatment. However, the treatment method depends on the cancer stage, physical health, or personal choice. Local treatment often targets surgery, while systemic treatment targets biological therapies. Many colon cancer treatments are always treated through surgery. The type of surgery depends on where cancer has invaded and how far the disease has spread.

Most early colon cancers are always treated through polypectomy. Through polypectomy, polyps are permanently removed by being cut at the reed with a wire loop instrument. The machine, colonoscope, contains a camera and a light to perform its functions.

Colectomy is another surgery that majorly focuses on removing some portions of the intestine that have been affected. A colorectal surgeon always operates this surgical operation. Colectomy is typically performed through laparoscopy or open method. The method used depends on cancer location in the colon and the size of cancer. During a colectomy, the affected part is removed, and a healthy colon attached to it to ensure the patient’s body functioning returns to normal.

Colostomy surgery is an open surgical procedure in which part of the colon is inserted into the abdominal wall through an opening. Amazingly stoma, the part of the colon that is constantly exposed, is insensitive to pain. The external bag that collects the waste is always worn in the abdomen. Eventually, in the second stage, the healthy ends of the colon are reconnected, and the stoma is closed up.

It is always better for patients to understand that surgical procedures contain both risks and benefits; hence one should know before proceeding with the treatment decision. Some of these surgery risks include; bleeding, infection, scarring, adhesions, incision dehiscence, leaking anastomosis, and blood clots in the legs.

Local therapy is another technique for colon cancer treatment. The radiation therapy uses X-rays which kill cancer cells. This procedure is mainly used by an oncologist who prepares the radiations to attack and kill cancer cells to treat cancer. The radiation procedures are always painless, with little or no side effects at all.

Another cancer treatment option is a systemic therapy that affects the entire body instead of targeting the specific place where the infection has occurred. The patient often takes chemotherapy drugs. The drugs travel throughout the body, killing cells that are dividing rapidly. The disadvantage of chemotherapy is that it does not differentiate cancerous cells from healthy ones, which makes the patient be replaced after the treatment. The procedure is only applied to patients, who have late-stage colon cancer. Chemotherapy is mainly in two ways where intravenous drugs get injected in the vein or oral through the mouth. Chemotherapy is always a tedious process, as the doctor has to analyze the stage and grade of the cancer infection. He also finds suitable chemotherapy drugs to be used depending on the treatment goals and intervals through which drugs will be consumed.

Other cancer treatment methods include targeted therapy which contains antibodies that attack the protein growth factors that cover cancerous cells hence reducing the cancer effect. Immunotherapy is another cancer treatment option where a person uses their immune system to attack cancer cells with the help of immunotherapy drugs such as Opdivo.In conclusion, colon cancer has many ways in which it can be treated.

.

So I have been living with a stoma for quite some time now. If you happen to have stumbled across this article by mistake and you have no idea what a stoma is, then I suggest you quickly stop reading and go spend time with your family or something. Consider yourself lucky, because stomas are quite possibly the grossest thing that has ever existed since the dawn of time. Anyways, I had an ostomy a couple of months ago. As you can imagine, I have had to make quite a few adjustments in my life since getting a stoma put in. The recovery process after surgery was just such a pain in the behind, and I wouldn’t wish any of that entire experience on to anyone. Just so you know, I didn’t choose to get an ostomy. I was forcibly dragged into the hospital by my parents and basically drugged on the operating table. All things considered, it was probably for the best, because my colon was failing and I would have likely died without a colostomy, but I still didn’t want to live the rest of my life with a stoma, so dying didn’t sound too bad to me at the time. Anyways, now that I’ve somewhat recovered from my surgery, I have started looking around at different places to find the ostomy supplies and accessories that I will need to be buying until the day I die. 

The first thing I have noticed when it comes to finding ostomy supplies is that it’s super embarrassing to buy ostomy products from a place unless they are a pharmacy or something like that. For example, if I am seen casually buying a week’s supply of ostomy pouches at a self checkout at Walmart, I suddenly find myself surrounded by people who are looking at my ostomy bag and it’s just the worst. I mean, I already hate being the center of attention, but this whole ostomy thing takes it to another level altogether.

So I stopped going to Walmart to buy my ostomy supplies, because I feel like I was always being watched and they also didn’t have the best supply in stock. They had some ostomy products that were useful, but any of the serious stuff was left out of Walmart’s supply chain I guess. Lesson learned in that area! So instead of going to supermarkets, I tried going to pharmacies instead. Pharmacies offer a bit more of a variety of ostomy supplies, and you can actually find some decent products on the shelves of Walgreens. People also don’t really judge you when you’re shopping at Walgreens, because everyone else is pretty much at their lowest anyways.

The only problem I’ve found there is that they don’t have some of the specific stoma adhesives and powders that I have been looking for, and their ostomy pouches are a bit more expensive than I’d like them to be. Well my friend, I have some good news for you if you are looking to buy some ostomy supplies anytime soon. I have recently begun to order my ostomy supplies and accessories exclusively online, and it has been an absolute pleasure. Never again will you catch me shopping in-store for some lame old ostomy brands and products that are way outdated. Plus, the prices on the internet are unbeatable.

Ensuring that the ostomy is securely attached during each change will help eliminate any leaking. Besides this, we have 6 more suggestions that can also keep leaks at bay.

1. Make Healthy Skin Precedence During Ostomy Care

Having skin that is not looking its best is not easy to control. This is true if you need to keep placing a wafer over the site. However, by maintaining healthy skin right from the start will help eliminate chances of skin damage or irritation.

Consider the following:

Get in touch with your nurse if any complication arises concerning a peristomal.

Implement the use of a skin barrier that can promote healthy skin.

2. Ensure Proper Fitting of the Barrier

Ensuring a properly fitting barrier can keep the skin protected from any damage or irritation that a leak may cause. Regardless of the stoma size and any protrusion ocurring, having a proper fit will ensure that the pouche´s flow will not leak from beneath the barrier.

To ensure a fit: 

Determine the stoma size prior to applying a barrier

Once the barrier is applied, check that the fit is secure around the edges of the stoma and skin.

Double check that skin does not show between your stoma and barrier.

Administer powder around skin that is broken prior to attaching a new wafer and ostomy bag 

Stop using the powder as soon as the skin around the peristom is dry and does not appear damp. Once the skin is pink and dry, there will be no need for powder.

3. Replace the Ostomy Bag as Often as Possible

Replacing the ostomy bag often will keep leaks from occuring and in preventing any possible future leaks. When an ostomy bag is too full, it can become vulnerable to a leak because of heavy weight and stress placed on the barrier.

To prevent a leak make sure to:

Replace the bag regularly to prevent a leak

Decrease the amount of time to wear the same pouch based on your needs, excrement amount, and stoma.

Make a minimum of two changes each week

4. Guard the Ostomy as you Conduct Physical Exercise

While conducting physical exercise or playing sports, the stoma could see some stress due to the constant movement. Implementing specific clothing will be able to put concerns aside. 

Consider the following:

Ensure your ostomy bag is empty first

Wear sports clothing such as running shorts or tights.

Employ a wrap or some sort of support to prevent the bag from moving

5. Be Careful While Detaching the Ostomy´s Barrier

Having an ostomy bag that is not properly removed or taking it off too fast may lead to stripping of the skin. Any damage caused could easily bring about pain, skin irritation, and even a leak.

Consider the following:

Do not rush, remove the barrier slowly and gently

As you gently remove the barrier do so by beginning from above and peeling down, ernsuring to keep the skin taught as you do.

Preventing a Leak From the Start

By sticking to the five methods above you will be able to avert a leak. If you happen to encpounter a leak, you need to find the source as quickly as possible. If you need more advise, then your nurse should point you iin the right direction.

Ever what happens to you when you don’t properly change your ostomy pouch on a regular basis? Well boy, do I have a story to tell you. Now keep in mind that this story is going to be a bit graphic and contains a lot of information about ostomies that you probably don’t need to know unless you have an ostomy yourself or are just really interested in them as a pioneering advancement of modern medical technology. Anyways, I must warn you that this story is very graphic and is not for the faint of heart or those with weak stomachs. This story begins when I woke up from surgery, joined by a stoma and a really bad headache. That’s right, I am one of those lucky few people who have had to undergo surgery to have a stoma put in. This is obviously sarcasm, because I believe that I am one of the unluckiest people on the face of this planet. 

Well if you’ve had a stoma for any serious amount of time, then you’ll know that things don’t always go according to plan. One such occurrence happened to me a couple weeks ago when I was in line at the Walmart Pharmacy. Let me just say that I have always struggled with having bad gas, and that this is just a part of life that I came to terms with. Before I had an ostomy, it was a lot easier to hold in my flatulence until a more socially acceptable time to pass gas.

However, having a colostomy means that I can no longer when my gas comes out. Whenever the gas is ready to go, it makes its way through my stoma and into my ostomy pouch. Ostomy pouches are made to catch all that stuff that is coming out of your stoma that can no longer come out of your body in the normal way it is supposed to. Do you have any idea how weird it is to never again have to go to the bathroom the normal way? To be honest, I kind of miss the sensation of doing it the old fashioned way. Anyways, sometimes when I get real gassy, my ostomy pouch will fill up way quicker than I was expecting. There is no real way to fix this problem besides letting out some of the gas. 

The problem with letting out the gas is that – of course – it smells really bad. Well on this particular day, I found myself knee-deep in a Walmart Pharmacy waiting line, trying to bring my Grandma her prescription medication for the week. Before I knew what was happening, I felt my ostomy pouch start ballooning underneath my clothes. I felt down on the pouch and knew that we were reaching dangerous levels of pressure on that baby, and I knew I only had minutes before I started leaking odor. I quickly went to excuse myself and go to the bathroom, when I tripped on some old man’s cane that was poking out a few feet behind me. As I was falling, I knew that things were about to get horrific. I landed face first, slamming my ostomy pouch onto the tile floor and hearing the poor thing burst at the seams with a great popping sound. The whole Walmart experienced the inside of my stoma that day.

This is a little bit different from a normal fart. Usually, you can control farts with a sphincter control, but this one does not control where the gas releases. 

Nobody wants to have this happen in the wrong social situation. Sometimes, you may become attuned with it, other times, not so much. 

Rather than being embarrassed though, there are ways to get rid of not just the noise, but also the odor from this too. It does involve a bit of experimentation on your part, but there are lots of different means to stop the sounds from getting out. 

Check the colostomy Bag 

If your bag does not get seated correctly around the stoma area, it’ll leak the contents, air, and sometimes small. You should make sure that it’s fitted, and you’ll only smell stuff during bag changes. 

You also may need to change it if you have been wearing it for about three days or so. 

They do have filters too if you’re worried about this, and it can help you determine how to eliminate the embarrassing situation. 

Get different Pouching Systems 

This is where the nurse helps out a lot. 

Anyone who has had a colostomy knows that not all devices are the same, just like how our bodies are all not the same. 

One bag may work well for one person but won’t’ be good for you. 

Usually, there are one or two-piece systems, with the one piece being used a lot more and is more low-profile, and usually is easier to change in some cases. You can get this closed where if you need to get out gas you just remove it, or with a clip near the bottom to get rid of contents and gas.

Some also offer pouches that are vented and filtered to help with gas. 

Try different ones and see if that works for you. 

Not fitting? Don’t Patch it 

Sometimes, if it fits wrongly, or there are leaks, you might believe that a paste or tape is the solution. It’s not.  Usually if the bag isn’t correct, it’s better to get a new system, since your body contours and skin all vary, and if there are wrinkles, scars, or skin that’s moist, it does impact the fit. 

Get the Deodorant 

Just like with other smelly places, if you have odors here, there are actually deodorants you can get to add to this. 

There are also different supplements to help with this. 

These deodorants should be discussed with your doctor though, since it may irritate the skin and make things harder. 

Dietary concerns 

If you’re healed up, usually you can eat whatever you want. The big problem though, is that those that are gassy for you will cause gasses again. 

If you’re worried about gassy emissions, you should try to avoid them. 

Some of these foods include: 

• Fibrous veggies and fruits 
• Beer and carbonated drinks. 
• Spicy, greasy, or even fried foods 
• Dairy 

If you know that it’s causing gas, you may want to reduce eating it. 

Also if you chew gum, and also use straws, it actually can get the gas out of there, helping to reduce elimination. 

Gas is awkward, it’s embarrassing, and for some people, it can make them feel terrible too, with stomach pains galore. If you suffer from gas though, you’re not alone, and here, we went over a bunch of different ways to not only help with gas elimination, but also improve your quality of life too, and to make things much easier on you as well down the line. 

Now that it’s 2021 I am over hiding from anything.  We have seen so much madness and healthcare craziness that nothing is off-topic. Ostomy. It’s a term no one really talks about and those who could talk about it choose not to. And yet it’s something we should all know more about.  This is because they are more around you than you would ever know. 

Now being a gear guy I love talking about ostomy gear.  I also love shopping for it as well.  But if it’s time that you need to change out your ostomy supplies and take care of your stoma, whether that’s once a week or once a day, you’re better off making sure you’re taking care of yourself first and foremost, and then the supplies. Getting the best gear is really going to give you the best chance of enjoying your life.  Let’s face it your health is what matters most here, so focusing on it is what you need to keep in mind. Go slow and do things the right way, and don’t feel like there’s any rush. So when you’re doing these things, you’ve probably noticed your skin can get a little irritated in the process. So make sure you are not using bad things to harm your body.

Being on top of skin situations is much better than paying for the pain by not being proactive.  You’ll notice that prevention is the best thing you can do, and it’s what you should always have in mind when changing out your pouching system. The best skin protection you can have is the right supplies. In fact, that’s why we so often recommend quality ostomy supplies, because they’re known for having systems that fit extremely well and are comfortable for your needs. And believe there are tons of options, so don’t feel trapped. 

Now everyone has a different body and some need one thing and others another.  Another thing you can absolutely do for yourself is using a skin sealant, which can be available in a roll on, a wipe, or a spray. It may seem scary at first, but check out some youtube videos on these.  These are amazing for allowing the skin barrier to adhere to your stomach far easier, and it allows it to stay on longer. For those who only change their pouching system every 3 or 4 days, it could be worth looking into using a skin sealant since it helps by adding a protective coating on your skin. This also helps with sensitivity, which is a bonus for using a sealant. Most contain alcohol, so prepare to feel a burning sensation at first, and make sure it dries completely before putting your system back on your skin. You can get some without or with a different cleaner on them as well.  But the good thing is, if you ever struggle with dry or even oily skin, sealants work extremely well to find that perfect balance.  It can help you feel more confident and happy. 

So the major takeaway is that if you’re ever unsure what you should be doing with your ostomy gear, always think back on sanitation, safety, and comfort. If something is off in those categories, you should seek alternatives. Just ask the right questions and check some YouTubes to make sure all is going well. 

Not many people have told me that I should run harder and train more with my stoma.  It is a crazy thing to think about but the truth is that knowing that I have a medical condition that most people don’t make me work harder and train more.  I know that in some cases and during certain times that is an unwise move, but the fact is that I am training more and hitting the gym more than I ever have.  I have also spent more time enjoying the physical aspect of life on vacation and doing some amazing hikes all thanks to the work that I have put in, in the gym.  It is a funny thing, but a lot of what I do is because I want to let people know that you can do anything with a stoma and to help encourage others and myself to not sit still in life. 

Now learning how to run and workout with a stoma was not the most simple of things. But I knew it was something that I could accomplish because I saw so many others doing it and succeeding in ways that I know I could never.  I saw professional athletes doing amazing things with a stoma and the more I looked into what they used and the ostomy gear they worked with the more I knew that I could do it too.  I saw these incredible people using pretty regular ostomy gear and heading out to do wild feet of human strength and endurance.  For me, all I wanted was to be able to jog and enjoy hiking trails.  That is the staple of things that I love to do outside and I figured that if people could run marathons, swim miles in the ocean, and bike 100 miles all in one day then I could go hiking with my stoma and ostomy bag too.

This is when I decided to break into research on how to run better with my own stoma.  I usually wore regular shoes, but I personally found that my own running gate needed to probably change a bit to accommodate my ostomy bag.  I know it is a small thing, but I could feel my movement a bit too much and my more heal forward gate was going to not cut it for me.  So I learned about running on the balls of my feet and gave that a try. I found it hard to do but it lowered my body’s impact absorption by running more like the American Indians did back in teh day with moccasins.  So I decided to get into minimalist running.

This meant using those finger shoes or toe shoes that have almost zero paddings and allow you to run similar to being barefoot.  This was a very hard change for me because it meant my calves were going to have to grow and be able to take more impacts. But after a few weeks, I was able to get my body in better shape and my stoma loved the change. I felt more confident in this style and it also helped my body and my knees with all the impact.   Being able to run harder and go further is really nice. So give it a try!

Understanding all aspects of your health can be beyond complicated.  There is a lot of things you are just not going to know or even be ready for!  When people first learn they are going to get an ostomy surgery things can be difficult.  Lots of things happen all at once.  You meet lots of new people and get to know your ostomy nurse and surgeon really well.  They give you massive amounts of information to learn and are generally really good at teaching you what you need to know in a very friendly way.  The learning curve is something that just seems super hard at first, but then it starts to get better.  When you are at the hospital they will give you great suppliers to get your ostomy gear from.  I personally like a few different ostomy suppliers because they are really informative and easy to work with.  What most people won’t go into detail about is how having an ostomy works with having pets.  Especially when you have dogs.  It can be a whole different story.

Dogs, cats, and well just pets have an incredible sense of smell and are generally very acute at picking up that something has changed. Dogs for instance generally have a sense of smell that is 40 times greater than ours! They know that you have a stoma and some are a little too excited about it.  In general, many pets get along just fine and match your emotions and become a great asset and friend for the situation.  So for my life, it is a bit furry in real life.  Now I have two dogs and they both reacted very differently.  One pet was almost indifferent and really went along with life as absolutely normal as could be.  He was what I will call a very good boy.  On the other hand, one dog was not so good. They all come in different temperaments and some are good for one thing and simply not another. 

The ones that are interesting can be just fine for other situations.  My other dog is a Yorkie breed.  He is a fast-paced dog that is always on the go. That dog breed is also known for being very one-track-minded or hard-headed.  This pet would simply not go away or stop pestering what he smelled.  Even when everything was perfectly sealed and working great thanks to using ostomy supplies gear the dog would still try to jump all over me when I was on the couch.  So I ended up having to train him very quickly.  I suggest you start by purchasing a lot of your pet’s favorite treats. 

Training animals to deal with your medical issues is complicated.  The easiest truth to know is that you simply won’t win and train your dog by being mean or forceful.  At this time in your life, it’s not a good idea for you either.  Your abdomen muscles are not what they used to be and you are likely more prone to hernia situations as well.  So use kindness and lots of treats to work with your pets as soon as you get home.  They know something is different so treat them for being good with it! I hope this helps you with your stoma and pet’s!

Known in the medical field as an emergency procedure, Ileostomies can help to remove or bypass diseased or injured colons. It is known as a major procedure performed in order to heal the large intestine or colon. Ileostomies are considered lifesaving procedures and are only done as a last resort. You can find out more about this surgery below.

What Is an Ileostomy Procedure?

An ileostomy, also known as a loop ileostomy, is an ostomy that’s created in order to remove part of your large intestine (colon) or rectum. If you have Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, you may need to have your large intestine removed through surgery in order to prevent future flare-ups. The piece of colon remaining after surgery will be attached to your skin with staples on either side so you can continue digesting food while recovering from surgery. You’ll still be able to use your bathroom normally because your stoma, where feces are released from, will be inside of your body rather than on its surface like in some other forms of ostomies like colostomies. Only certain medications should be taken with an ileostomy; talk to your doctor about specific interactions if you’re unsure about taking any meds. Creating an ileostomy takes place during what’s called a resection. A resection is essentially removing all or part of something due to disease. In most cases, removing your colon and attaching it to make a bag — hence ostomy — for stool allows doctors to fix health problems related to Crohn’s and colitis without removing healthy organs like parts of intestines or spleens like they do when fixing cancers near those areas.

How Long Does the Procedure Take?

An ileostomy operation takes approximately one hour from start to finish. In that time, a surgeon will remove a section of your large intestine as well as any diseased sections. Once those sections are removed, one end of your colon is attached to a stoma bag, which serves as a portal for waste material to exit your body. The first part of your small intestine will then be attached to your anus. From there, you’ll pass waste through a tube into your newly created pouch. You can go home after 24 hours or so but must return every few days to have the size of your stoma increased to accommodate more waste. In total, you’ll probably spend around two weeks in-hospital following surgery—but all told, recovering from an ileostomy typically lasts about six weeks or so if you follow doctor’s orders closely.

Living with an Ileostomy.

If you’re living with a ileostomy, you should be prepared to make some adjustments to your lifestyle. It may seem like you’ll never feel normal again, but remember that every person will react differently to their stoma placement. Ask your doctor if there are ways to make daily tasks like bathing easier. Take it slow when returning to work, especially if you have a desk job—making small trips between meetings might help ease back into sitting all day long. Try not to worry about things that aren’t in your control; stress only makes conditions worse. The more prepared you are for an ileostomy placement, the smoother things will go once everything settles down. Most importantly, take care of yourself during recovery.

There are a few different days that simply bring joy to my life.  They can be based on the season or simply a season.  Opening day for baseball is always the most exciting day of the year.  I didn’t feel this way until I started working at a really cool job. But the perks that come with some sports are worth loving.  Baseball was not my favorite sport to follow, but it really is a fun one to play.  A new yearly work tradition is to take an opening day off and drink whisky and smoke cigars all day and call it a workday.  Yes, this was actually something that was done at work.

This gave me a new look on life and how I could enjoy it.  Wow, do I love the opening day of baseball now. It has got me and my family back into the spirit of baseball and we are more and more finding ourselves outside playing baseball.  It is indeed a little more difficult due to the fact that I must take my ostomy supplies with me.  Yes, indeed I have a stoma and it does take a little more work to stay safe and not get messy when being outside.

But there are reasons that some sports are easier to play than others.  So some differences I have to deal with playing baseball differ from my normal day is that I know I am going to get more sweaty.  This means I need to dress appropriately and wear clothes that breathe and wick moisture away.  For this, I suggest not getting ostomy supplies that are made with cotton.  Cotton breathes, but it does not wick moisture away very well.  Some people don’t know anything about different fabrics and that is totally ok.  Not everyone needs to run a sweatshop. 

 So I find myself getting really sweaty and staying that way. And if I am getting more sweaty in one area than my ostomy bag prints and everyone knows I have one.  It looks a little strange and it gets super annoying because it sticks to my shirt.  Or I should say my shirt sticks to it more.  That is not a good look for me and not fun to deal with.

What I would highly suggest would be to find yourself a moisture wicking ostomy bag and supplies.  This means find polyester or nylon ostomy gear so you are ready to go outside and play. I cannot stress enough that it’s important to go outside and be in nature and for me do it with my family.  Being on the sidelines is nothing that a stoma has kept me from doing.  It is worth fighting to find the best gear to go out and enjoy your life.  You don’t need to be sitting on the sidelines, instead go out and be active and find the gear and clothing that works for you.  I don’t wear compression shirts anymore because that would just get in the way and possibly cause some leakage issues. So I wear loose-fitting clothes when I am outdoors and honestly I like just fine. So grab a mit and maybe a bat and play ball its time to go and have a great time and live a great life.