Ostacy:
Please read through my prior post one more time.
An ostomy pouch (ostomy pouch is the preferred term as the word pouch is less offensive than the word bag) is 100% odor free. The bonding of the wafer to the skin is a 100% air tight seal. There is no release of any odor or smell of any kind. You can swim in a swimming pool or scuba dive in the ocean and the seal will remain intact.
The wafer is composed of a hydrocolloid matrix with pectin and elastic polymers. The adhesion of a wafer is through a chemical bond that is activated by the body's natural heat/temperature. There is no glue or tacky adhesive.
You need to understand that most people with an ostomy do not carry around a large bag of poop through the day.
With an ileostomy (where fecal output is liquid in consistency), the pouch is drained and emptied about 8-10 times a day. Most people with an ileostomy empty their pouch each time they use the restroom to urinate.
With a colostomy (where the fecal output is semi-soft in consistency, like toothpaste), fecal output is only 2-3 times a day - often the same frequency of bowel movement prior to surgery. The large intestine moves in peristaltic waves that ripple through the lower digestive tract 3-4 times a day. People with a colostomy will generally empty their pouch after each bowel movement. A person with a colostomy also has the option of using a closed-ended pouch. With a closed-ended pouch, you simply take off the pouch, fold the wafer to seal on itself, place in a doozy waste bag or similar, and toss into the regular garbage.
It is understandable that your mother feels the many emotions that she does now - her anus and rectum are inflamed, swollen and angry.
But I can guarantee you that I do not feel "dirty" nor "repulsive" nor "ashamed" in having an ostomy. The stoma is a small rosebud of intestine that sits perched on my abdomen about 2 inches from my navel. It is 3/4 " in diameter. I wear a 5" Colopast Mio mini-pouch. It is low-profile, flexible and pliable, moving as my body moves. I rarely notice it presence during a day.
A clinical study actually looked at the hygiene of individuals with an ostomy and those without an ostomy. Individuals without an ostomy are constantly sloughing off dead cells through their anus. Individuals with an ostomy and a sewn up backside have no cellular debris and are "cleaner." You have to remember that an intact digestive system has its own mortal "yuck factor."
As far as terminology, ostomy bag and ostomy pouch are synomous. Pouch has a more positive connotation and is the preferred term by those of us (like me) with a permanent ostomy.
An ileostomy refers to a stoma created by a portion of the small intestine. A loop ileostomy is a temporary stoma where a portion of small intestine is brought to the surface of the abdomen and sliced longitudinally, creating an active stoma and a mucus stoma. An end ileostomy is a permanent ostomy where the distal end of the ileum is brought to the surface, turned back like a turtleneck sweater, and stitched into place.
A colostomy refers to a stoma partioned by a section of large intestine. A colostomy can be placed at any level/segment of the large intestine. Ex. A sigmoid colostomy is a stoma created at the level of the sigmoid colon. Ex. A transverse colostomy is a stoma placed at the segment/level of the transverse colon.
Ostomy pouches come available with and without carbon filters. Carbon filter pouches allow for the release of digestive gases as they are formed. There is absolutely no smell associated.
Some people do react differently to the different polymers and plastics used in creating the different ostomy pouches available. Each person has their own unique skin chemistry and skin composition and endocrine hormones. Each manufacturer has its own unique proprietary formulation/recipe that defines their brand of wafers and pouches. Some people will react to certain pouches and wafers where a slight odor associated with the pouches is concerned. Where this is the case, the person is best to try another brand of ostomy product. This may be the underpinning of the situation alluded to by your friend.
The main ostomy product manufacturers are: Hollister; Coloplast; ConvaTech; CyMed.
A hospital usually contracts with only one ostomy supplier to provide their hospital system with post-operative ostomy supplies. A patient at any one hospital will be outfitted with the ostomy brand that the hospital contracts with. Hospitals contract with a single manufacturer to achieve economies of scale and favorable pricing.
That said, the brand of ostomy product that a person is provided Post-operatively may or may not be the optimal product line for that particular person. Skin composition, stoma site placement, and abdominal topography are unique for each person. Different brands have different characteristics. It is wise for a person with a new stoma to call each of the major manufacturers and solicit free samples of wafers, pouches, adaptic seals/barrier rings, and skin preparation sprays/pads. Ex. I was provided with Hollister while in the hospital. When I came home, I researched different options and came to find the Colopast Mio and CyMed Microskin product lines to be ideal for me. The quest for the optimal pouching system is unique to each person but an important part of living one's best life with an ostomy.
I can honestly say that having an ileostomy is not a big deal for me, personally.Care for my ostomy takes about 10 minutes a day to change the wafer and pouch (I use a one-piece system and swap it out daily). Draining and emptying the pouch takes about 3 minutes from start to finish. I empty my pouch about 8 times a day. I empty the pouch when it is about 1/3 full. I do so as I do not want to carry a pouch of poop on my abdomen. I keep my pouch relatively empty.
Again, rare is the situation where someone is walking around with a full pouch 24/7. That people have a full pouch of poop sitting on the front of their abdomen is a gross misrepresentation of what it is to live with a well managed ostomy.
I am a petite person, 5'2" and 85 pounds, and very feminine. I am at complete ease with my ostomy and feel confident about myself in being with other people. No one would know that I have an ostomy unless I were to tell them.
Honestly, from my perspective, your mother has a better chance of feeling hygenically clean with a possible colostomy than she feels now with an inflamed and angry anus and rectum. Your mother's emotions are likely heightened now due to the stress of treatment and fear of the unknown. Your mother's unknown also includes the concept of an ostomy.
There are any number of sterotyes and mis-truths about ostomies. One reason I participate in the forum is to help dispel negative stereotypes and perceptions of an ostomy and stoma. I do so out of loving memory to my friend, Belle.
You may want to read Belle's personal blog about her decision to request a permanent colostomy. Her blog is a 3 part series archieved on this forum in the Blog Section. Her series is titled "The Colostomy Columdrum" (or similar title). Belle takes openly about her personal decision to opt for a colostomy after a disruptive life and bowel embarrassment after an ileostomy takedown for rectal cancer. Her narrative is raw and personal and a valuable contribution to this forum that lives on in her name.
Feel free to go to the United Ostomy Association of America web site and discussion support forum. You will meet a wide swath of people living full and engaging lives with an ostomy.
http://www.uoaa.orgDo not be afraid or fearful of the prospect of a possible colostomy for your mother. Her quality of life may well be better with an ostomy than with damaged anal sphincter muscles and incomplete sphincter control.
Karen
Dear friend to Bella Piazza, former Colon Club member (NWGirl).
I have a permanent ileostomy and offer advice on living with an ostomy - in loving remembrance of Bella
I am on Palliative Care for broad endocrine failure + Addison's disease + osteonecrosis of both hips/jaw + immunosuppression. I live a simple life due to frail health.