So you have a stoma huh? Well I completely understand. Actually, I probably understand better than most people ever will. Why is that? It’s because I too have a stoma, and I have had one for quite some time. I even run a support group in my local community that is specifically for ostomy patients and people trying to come to terms with their new life with a stoma. If you have been struggling through your first few weeks with a stoma, then I have some good news for you. I will impart some of my supreme stoma wisdom onto you and hopefully give you some tips and tricks to make your life a little easier. Now, of course, you are still going to want to listen more to your doctors than you would to me (I guess that’s why they have a degree and I don’t), but you can rest assured that I know what I’m talking about when it comes to ostomy and I will not lead you astray. There is a huge responsibility upon me to bring helpful resources and information to all my fellow ostomates out there, and the last thing I would want to do is cause you any suffering or harm with my advice. 

Today we are going to be talking about cleaning your stoma. Yes, this is a super uncomfortable process at first, and it honestly feels like a bit of a chore. Unfortunately, it is going to be a chore you have to deal with for the rest of your life, so you might as well get used to it. The first thing I have to say about cleaning your stoma is that you need to pay careful attention to your stoma, the skin barrier, and the skin around the stoma area when you are actually cleaning it. This is because the color, texture, and appearance of these areas will tell you a lot about their health or any potential problems that may be occuring.

It is good to remember that the stoma should always be a bright reddish pink (kind of life ground beef color), and that it should appear moist and shiny. That is without a doubt the single most revolting sentence that I have ever written, and I am ashamed of myself for doing it. Anyways, you’ll want to make sure that the stoma and the skin around it are not inflamed or appear to have any infections when you’re cleaning it.

The next thing to keep in mind is that you should be cleaning your stoma and the area around it pretty much everytime you change your ostomy pouch. Yes, I know this sounds like a lot at first, but I promise you will get used to it. Keeping this area clean is going to be the number one priority you have in your life from now on, so you can forget worrying about relationships or finances. It all comes down to the stoma baby. When you are cleaning your stoma, there is no need to use fancy soaps or lotions. In fact, those things can actually harm the stoma. It’s best to just use warm water to wash out the area and then dry it with a soft wash cloth or paper towel. I hope this article was helpful for you! Good luck.