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Volume 26, Number 7 April, 1999
ENERGY ALERT Via: Rambling Rosebud
For quick energy, eat sugar, right? "Wrong", says Sarah Short, PH.D., a nutritionist at Syracuse University in New York. Simple sugars, found in candy bars and cookies, actually drain your energy. These sugars are so quickly absorbed into the blood stream that the pancreas, in an effort to return the blood sugar level to normal, sends too much insulin into the bloodstream. As a result, blood glucose, the main energy source, dips lower than normal and energy lags. Dr. Short recommends eating complex carbo-hydrates (such as raw fruits and vegetables, whole grains) for energy and pep. They release their sugars into the bloodstream much more slowly.
SOMETHING FOR THE NEW OSTOMATE Via:
Iowa City & Madison Newsletter
Don't forget! Rome was not built in a day. If changing your appliance seems to take forever, with practice it soon will become a small part of your normal day. "Waste disposal" for you once again will become a private matter. DO LEARN to care for yourself from the start. You may not always have someone around to assist you. DO COME TO OSTOMY Meetings where you can talk to others about your problems. You'll be surprised at the ease with which you can discuss problems once you're there. Bring your family members with you. It is also important to have them understand ostomy problems and their solutions.
WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF A FOOD
BLOCKAGE Via: Sharon Williams, RNET, Metro MD.,& S.NV's Town K
It may happen around midnight, that severe cramping sensation coupled with cessation of ostomy flow or watery projectile flow. When the cramps strike, that memory of having consumed some problem food follows soon afterward. What is the appropriate course of action for the ostomate Food blockage is an experience that many ostomates will have at one time or another. The enzymes of the digestive tract cannot digest cellulose or foods with high fiber content. Nuts, corn, popcorn, coconut, celery, Chinese vegetables, fruit pits, and tough cuts of meat are a few foods that may cause blockage problems. Ileostomates who chew their food poorly, eat rapidly, do not drink sufficient liquids or have dental problems will be more prone to have food blockage. When food blockage occurs, a post-op pouch should be applied. The size of the opening should be a little larger than normal because the stoma may swell and with a clear post-op pouch, the action of the stoma may be observed. The next step, if no nausea or vomiting is present is to start forcing liquids ... coke, tea, or whatever liquid produces a rapid peristaltic movement is best. A few crackers may be eaten as a pusher. Sometimes a change in body position, such as assuming a knee chest position, may encourage movement of the bolus of food. Massaging of the abdomen may also produce the same effect. Diarrhea may follow the blockage and it is necessary to replace fluids. Gatorade may be used for replacement of both fluids and essential electrolytes. Cheese, bananas and peanut butter help slow the diarrhea. It is normal to have a sore spot in the abdomen following an episode of blockage. A low residue diet should be followed for one or two days to allow the intestine to rest. If nausea and/or vomiting occurs with the food blockage, it is necessary to go to the emergency room immediately.
TO YOUR HEALTH . . . SOY! From
Mayo Clinic Health Letter Via: Spacecoast Shuttle Blest
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS Via:
Kitnap County Ostomy Association
Q. My Stoma tends to bleed quite a bit when I change my appliance Is this okay? Rounding off the square edges of a firm wafer, or skin barrier, will decrease the
chance of the belt catching on the corners. Male ostomates who suffer painful collisions
between the pouch tail clip and key organs, should try angling the pouch toward a pants
leg instead of pointing it straight down. Wear briefs and pass the pouch through a leg
opening in the brief to hold it in place. To slow down stoma activity, before changing
appliances, eat a tablespoon of creamy peanut butter beforehand or eat four or five
marshmallows, fifteen minutes before changing. Spearmint is one of the gentler mints. A
bit of spearmint vinegar in a glass of water calms the stomach and digestive system. It
also relieves gas and adds a tangy zest to iced tea. Check your rubbing alcohol if you are
cleaning skin with ft. If it contains glycerin this will prevent securing a good seal of
the appliance. Alcohol should only be used occasionally to degrease the skin. Stretch away
tensions. When a headache begins, STRETCH. It helps ease tense necks, headaches, and lower
back pain. Stretching brings needed blood to tight muscles and a feeling of well being.
Stretch slowly, hold, do not bounce or strain.
A Your stoma is very vascular, which means that there are many tiny blood
vessels at the surface. Therefore, it is expected that it may bleed slightly when
touched., but the bleeding should stop right away. Just like when you brush your teeth and
your gums sometimes bleed. Your stoma should not, however, bleed drops of blood or have
clots (clumps of old blood) on it. If this happens, you can apply gentle pressure and an
ice pack and you should expect to see the
bleeding stop within five minutes. There are a
number of reasons that may cause your stoma to bleed. First, inspect your stoma carefully
with the mirror. Check to see if there is a raw area from your appliance rubbing on the
stoma. Stoma bleeding can also occur if the stoma is rubbed too hard. So when cleaning the
mucous and stool from your stoma, gently wipe it away and avoid rubbing. The medications
that you take can sometimes cause bleeding. Heparin and Coumadin are two medications which
thin blood and prevent clots. Some pain relievers, such as Motrin and aspirin, can also
thin blood. If bleeding continues to be a problem, please contact your doctor and ET
nurse.
Q. Can you cause an damage to the Stoma by sleeping on it?
I have had
an Ileostomy for 18 months. A. It has not been my experience that patients with an
ostomy have damaged their stoma by sleeping on their stomach. If you have concerns about
this, you could put a small pillow or cushion under your hip to raise it up enough to
release any direct pressure that may occur.
Q. How do I know if Irrigation Is
right for me?
A. Irrigation is a procedure that some colostomates can use to cleanse
their colon, making it unnecessary to wear an appliance. Only a select group of people are
able to irrigate. To find out if you are a possible candidate, answer the following
questions: 1. What type of colostomy do you have? You must have either a sigmoid or an end
colostomy so that your stools are less frequent and more firm. Although I have seen a very
motivated person with a transverse colostomy irrigate successfully, this is not usually
recommended. 2. Do you have a normal bowel pattern through your colostomy? If
you are a person who has a large bowel movement once or twice daily through your stoma on
a regular basis, you may be an excellent candidate to irrigate. 3. Are you determined to
learn to Irrigate? Irrigation takes a lot of motivation and patience to work. You will
need to spend approximately an hour every day at the same time training your bowels to
irrigate. It may take days to weeks before you finally see results and are able to wear a
stoma cap instead of your pouch. 4. What Is the reason that you have a colostomy? Some
disease processes can cause weaknesses or fistulas in the bowel, making irrigation
dangerous. These conditions include Crohn's disease, Diverticulitis, and recurrent cancer.
If you've answered the above questions and feel that you may be able to irrigate, contact
your doctor and ET nurse and they will be able to help teach you how to irrigate
successfully.
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