Colorectal Cancer: Post Treatment 0 - 6 Months: Medical Care Stages II,III,IV

It takes a while to get used to having an ostomy. 

As soon as your body heals, you can resume every thing you enjoyed doing before the surgery – including exercise, sitting in a hot tub, and sexual activity.

 Presumably, before you left the hospital you learned how to care for the stoma, the skin around the stoma, an ostomy pouch, and the health of your altered digestive tract. If you didn’t learn this information from an oncologist or a specially trained enterostomal therapist (ET) nurse, consider contacting an ET nurse. They know all the latest techniques and resources. To find an ET nurse in your area, go to www.wocn.org , click on “Patient Information”, then click on “Find A Nurse In Your Area”. 

Experience indicates that it is helpful to talk with other people with ostomies (ostamates) about their experiences. Ostomates can also give you tips you may not have learned from the ET. For example, most people find it easiest to clean the stoma and surrounding skin when the digestive tract is least active. For many people, this in the morning before breakfast.  You can find other ostomates through: 

• The Colon Cancer Alliance Buddy Program. Call 877.422.2030 or click here .
• The “visitor” program of the United Ostomy Associations of America  which can put you in touch with local support groups. It also has a magazine, The Phoenix, which covers practical aspects of living with an ostomy. www.Ostomy.org or call 800.826.0826
• A local or online support group for colorectal cancer ostomates
• Your oncologist
• A social worker at your treatment center 

An ostomy is likely to make you feel isolated from people who do not have one and to bring up a variety of emotions. Make sure that emotions don’t keep you from taking proper care of yourself or your ostomy. Start by reading our information about emotions and dealing with them. Click here when you are ready. 

Information you should know includes how to take care of the stoma, the skin around the stoma, how to choose, empty and clean appliances that attach to the stoma,  the health of your altered digestive tract, and the effect of various foods on your digestive system. For practical information,see the sections of our document: Colorectal Cancer; Ostomy 

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