Living with a stoma....

I thought that living with my stoma was going to be really difficult don't get me wrong iv had my days where I think when will this be reversed, but once your used to it is easy. 
Before you leave hospital they give you a list of foods that you should and shouldn't eat the main thing that you have to remember is low residue, so you can only have white bread, pasta and rice it's mainly stodgy food. You shouldn't  eat a lot of veggies or Fruit unless it's really soft so things like tinned veg and fruit are best. I love a salad as veg  so I really started to struggle after a few weeks and gave in. I had some creamed spinach it was amazing to have something different I had been living on mash, chicken and tinned carrots.  I had read a few post online where people had said if you chew chew chew then you should be fine (anyone with a stoma will be used to the catch line chew chew chew it gets drilled into you).  Well the next morning it was bloody awful I could actually feel the lumps from the spinach passing through my stoma and it wouldn't stop. At one point Scott came in to check on me, walked in and said why is there spinach all over the floor. It literally came out as it went in I stood there for a good 20 minutes whilst it just poured out, it's safe to say I havnt had spinach since 🤣. 
As the weeks went on I got used to being able to tell when my stoma was going to go when I had my bag off so it wasn't as messy. But it is messy in general I wasnt really warned about how many times a day I'd have to empty my bag.  I was pre warned about what food would make my output thick and what would make it watery to be honest it's easier to empty watery. 
After a few weeks I took the plunge and had a glass of wine I was very nervous about how my output would be but it was fine I noticed that red wine would make my bag very ballooned in the morning, white wine made the output too watery I would find that I'd have to empty after each glass. So far Gin and tonics been the easiest and doesn't make me feel as self conscious and worry too much 🤣. Iv had the odd glass of Prosecco too but am a bit cautious of the fizz and having a stoma you are advised against fizzy drinks due to the gas and ballooning.  So there you go iv done the research for anyone wondering about alcohol intake 🤣. 
After the 6 week mark I did try new foods they do advice you to make a note of when you have something new incase you get a blockage. Iv now had most veg and salad and had no problem but I do chew a lot more than what I did. It is nice to be able to have salads now the weathers sunny too. Iv had mushrooms too but not very often. There's a few things I won't risk trying and that's sweetcorn, popcorn, peas and peanuts iv heard horror stories of those blockages.  

I have been very lucky with my bags I have iv never had a leak I know some people and have read about being having lots of leaks. Having spoken to my lovely stoma nurses about it and with the advice given to me is that you shouldn't suffer through anything with your stoma. If your bags leak try different ones it's not something that you should have to put up with or feel conscious about.  I did have a rash around my skin with my bags I was told off for suffering with that too as there always something they can do. Luckily I got the rash sorted and it's fine now. I kept thinking well iv only got to put up with it for a few months it will be fine I will cope. But there is people who have to have a stoma for life so no one should have to put up with it.
It is very important at the beginning of having a stoma to listen to your body and not over do even a 10 minute walk can make you tired and put strain on the stoma area I found that wearing tight leggings after a few weeks help support more for walking and pottering around not so much if your just sitting and lounging but definitely if you are out and about.  
You can get support belts too on a prescription through the nhs. 
I will update on here of any changes or anything that I think could help anyone with getting a stoma. 
https://www.fittleworth.com/