Ostomy in 2010 - A Year in Review with Ostom...

2010 has been an amazing year for Ostomy Guide! Our little fledgling blog has grown tremendously and we’ve had the thanks and blessings of many ostomates who were seeking for more resources, support, and community online. We look forward to 2011 and all of the exciting things it will bring.

But for now, I’d like to sum up the year with the year’s most popular Ostomy Guide content:

Number 1 Topic: Traveling
In 2010, we saw many reactions, concerns, and changes in how airport security handles…well, us. This has been by far the most popular topic of the year, as these security policy changes have changed the way all of us perceive air travel; changes that affect those with medical needs the most, including ostomy. Here is some travel-related content on Ostomy Guide:

• Preparing for an Ostomy on the Go
• Full Body Scans and Ostomy
• Unique and Interesting Ostomy Products

Number 3: Ostomy News of 2010
There was a lot of news about Ostomy this year. Below are some of the most interesting tidbits:

• IDEAS Climbs Everest - the last of 7 peaks
• American Nurses Association now recognized wound, ostomy, and continence as a nursing specialty.
• Elvis Could’ve Lived with Colostomy Surgery
• UOAA presents the 1st annual Ostomy Awareness Day
• Nadine Cole supports Ostomy

Number 4: Product Catalogs
This year, we added online catalogs for Hollister, ConvaTec, and Coloplast to first help individuals locate the right supplies in the wide spectrum of Ostomy products, and secondly to help identify their compatibility, product codes, and HCPCS numbers. Since we don’t list prices or sell items on Ostomy Guide, we’ve linked relevant products to the Ostomy Guide sponsor, STL Medical Supply, so you can get more detailed descriptions, prices, and product reviews from individuals who have used them. Here are links to each of these product guides:

• Hollister Product Catalog
• ConvaTec Product Catalog
• Coloplast Product Catalog

Hope you enjoyed this roundup…and…

Happy New Year!!!

The Best Colostomy and Illeostomy Supplies for Dif...

Colostomy surgery isn’t taken lightly. Bad news about health, combined with frightening surgery, a stoma, and a pile of necessary medical equipment for daily life is nothing taken lightly. It is a life-changing event that at times is cumbersome, embarrassing and difficult.

Those of us who have experienced the pain and suffering of colon cancer, Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis or other digestive diseases understand without question a Stoma is preferred over illness, and wearing ostomy appliances are an easy exchange to a potentially fatal health condition.

Whether need for an ostomy is temporary or permanent, there are thousands of ostomates living out their lives happily, many with little thought of their Stoma or the extra work required to manage ostomy appliances every day. And thanks to modern ostomy products, everyone can go about their daily business with less thought of their stoma and more about living life.

Below are links to a series of articles based on lifestyle and situations where specific types of ostomy supplies come in handy.

Ostomy Supplies for Active People
Ostomy Supplies for Intimacy
Ostomy Supplies for Overweight People
Ostomy Supplies for Children and Pediatrics
Ostomy Supplies for Cleanliness and Odor Preventions
Interesting Ostomy Products You Haven’t Seen Before

Useful Ostomy Supplies For Pediatrics

Kids should be kids, and most of the same conveniences found in adult ostomy supplies can be found in pediatrics ostomy supplies. Pediatric ostomy supplies are scaled to fit and conform to smaller bodies, available from major suppliers of Ostomy supplies:

Hollister Pouchkins – Pouchkins pediatric ostomy products are small-sized pouches for newborns, infants, and young children. Materials used in the Pouchkins line of ostomy supplies are constructed with soft plastics and ComfortWear fabrics for extra comfort for a baby’s sensitive skin.

ConvaTec Little Ones – The Little Ones line offers all the benefits of ConvtaTec’s ostomy products for the needs of children and the preference of their parents. Each pouch is designed to fit the contours of a child’s body and sit comfortably and gently on their skin. Little Ones includes post-operative, colostomy, illeostomy, and urostomy supplies, including some colored prints.

Coloplast ColoKids: Coloplast’s answer to Pediatric Ostomy supplies use the Assura Adhesive Coupling (AC) system that makes it easier to apply the pouch to the barrier. Coloplast offers both 1-Piece and 2-Piece Ostomy systems for Pediatrics.

Useful Ostomy Supplies For the Overweight

For ostomates with some bulk and heft around the stoma, the extra skin can fold, increasing perspiration and moving the skin in ways that can loosen the barrier’s hold. The skin can also become more easily irritated in these situations if the barrier does leak, causing skin irritation, rashes, and other unpleasant situations. Thankfully, there are some ways you can mitigate these issues:

Ostomy Paste – Pastes such as the very popular Stomahesive Paste will help fill in any uneven skin around the stoma that can cause leaks or problems with skin barrier adhesion. This makes wear time longer (meaning less appliance changes and money saved) and makes wear more comfortable. Some other pastes are Hollister Karaya Paste, Hollister Adapt Paste, and Coloplast Ostomy Paste.

Ostomy Powder- Powders are helpful to absorb the moisture before placing an Ostomy adhesive or appliance against the skin.

Conformable Wafers – Stomas come in all shapes and sizes. Most skin barriers come pre-cut or cut-to-fit. There are also flexible, conformable barriers such as ConvaTec’s SUR-FIT Natura Skin barriers with Stomahesive, designed to conform and adhere to the contours of the body.

Cohesive Seals – Cohesive seals are moldable donut-shaped, gel-like rings that conform between skin and appliances to help prevent leakage. It’s perfect for hard-to-fit stomas and come in sizes around 4” you can cut down and form to any size and shape you need.

Cleanliness is Next to Godliness - Ostomy Su...

With some preparation and easy planning, you can quickly decrease the amount of time caring for your ostomy and also decrease the potential embarrassing situations. Here are some ostomy supplies available to add to your list:

Washes, Cleansers, and Wipes – There are a number of incontinence/ostomy related products that work great for situations where a pouch, appliance, or barrier has leaked. These products clean the skin to keep it free of rashes, irritation, and infections that can be caused by skin contact with wastes. Some wipes also have adhesive removers, so you can clean the “tacky” feeling of adhesives and leave the skin soft before you start applying the next skin barrier.

Devrom Tablets – These are over-the-counter and FDA approved tablets for odor control that can be used by those with Ostomy as well as IBS and incontinence. The formula includes bismuth subgallate - simply chewing 1 Devrom tablet with meals will help control internal digestive odor.

Pouch Deodorizer – There are deodorizers for pouches such as Hollister’s m9 Drop Deodorizer that simply needs a few drops in a new pouch before applying to neutralize pouch odors. Similarily, Coloplast makes a product called O.A.D. that with a few drops offers odor protection for up to 8 hours.

Pouch Gas Releases and Filters – For pouches without filters built in, you can easily add an Osto-EZ-Vent that lasts the lifetime of your pouch, allowing for air release. For something that also filters pouches, consider Filtrodor filters from Coloplast which allow you to not only control the odors but how much gas gets released from the pouch.

Room Spray Deodorizers – There are a number of sprays, and while retail store products can mask remove odors, there are a number that are highly effective in neutralizing odors quickly. Bard Medi-Aire Odor Eliminator is a great product, Odor Assassin works great, and so does Hollister m9 deodorizer.