Adjusting to life the first few weeks after your ostomy surgery may require a lot of effort and activities pruning while this may be the case for the first few weeks when you’re certified to be properly healed, then the restrictions on what you can do and not do will be tremendously reduced.
You don’t need to stop any activities so long as they are not strenuous and wouldn’t cause harm to your ostomy. You can also get these comfortable ostomy wraps.
Limit To What You Can Eat To Avoid Gas
Though you may have a favorite diet before going for surgery, if your doctor doesn’t permit you to eat, you will have to forgo it in the meantime. But when you get an ok from your doctor to resume your regular diet, then eating what you like is assured. However, you’ll find out that different foods affect your digestive system in different ways.
Why?
Some foods are more likely to cause gas, constipation, digestion problems, diarrhea, urine odor, and so on. But largely, the result of every food consumed depends on your body, so check with your physician.
This is not a call for a total cut down of gas-causing foods and drinks such as eggs, cabbage, broccoli, beans, onions, milk, bubbly drinks, booze, and so on, but they should be reduced drastically to control gas. Avoid skipping meals as this may unsettle your small intestine and cause even more gas. Endeavor to eat small meals throughout the day and chew your food properly before swallowing.
Reducing Your Participation In Sport
Sports involving much physical contact could pose a serious potential for injury. Any rough sport that may likely cause an injury to the stoma opening must be crossed out.
Before pursuing any sports after your ostomy surgery, you will have to consult your doctor or ostomy nurse about giving you the go and also recommending any special products and precautions you must ensure.
Strenuous Exercise Are A No No
Though it’s important you carry out some exercises such as walking, running, jogging, and swimming, as to strengthen your muscle and build core stability and flexibility, strenuous exercises such as yoga and weight lifting should be limited.
In addition, weight lifting immediately after your surgery is not recommended until your body heals to avoid the risk of complications. Your doctor should be able to recommend a support device to help with your abdomen when lifting weights.
If you believe that your ostomy bag may get loosen and cause a leak when running or swimming, you can make use of an ostomy belt to provide support for your ostomy pouch
Working With An Ostomy
While it’s not possible for you to start work immediately after your surgery as the stoma needs to heal before you start any straining work, you can’t completely shun work. Talk to your employer about having a limited schedule until you’re more fully convinced of your strength and consult with your doctor on best practices during work.
If your job requirement is all about manual labor or heavy lifting, your doctor should be able to advise you on some practices and recommend ways to protect your stoma at work.
