So you just got an ostomy surgery. This means that your life is going to change a little bit. You have probably been hit with an overload of information and are afraid of doing anything without making a huge mess. Take a breath. Hold on, because everything is going to get better. Trust me, there is a whole lot to learn, but it all becomes habit soon enough. This means that all the things you are thinking about will be in the back of your mind and you only need to focus on the best parts of life. I highly suggest you keep your hopes up because most people live the very same lifestyle as before and sometimes people go crazy and live insanely active lifestyles with a stoma. So I think it is important to stay active and enjoy your life to the fullest. My own life has been full of activity after my surgery and I think that it due to the fact that I love the outdoors. Being outside and being active is part of what brings me joy and I didn't want my stoma to stop me from doing that. The fact is that unless your doctor says not too you are probably fine to be active and enjoy a full life. But obviously, ask your doctor about your shape and what your capabilities are because they know you best and are your primary healthcare provider. Now that the technical parts are out of the way, I would suggest learning all you can about your stoma and how to effectively use gear to allow you to be active. My own journey led me to start asking questions in a place that I deemed was safe. I first got into a good stoma conversation outside of the doctor's office with my pharmacist. I started asking about gear that could use a little more ruggedly and we got into a long conversation about hiking and hunting with a stoma. He had heard so many stories from his customers and had lots of personal knowledge about people with stomas and was willing to share a lot of information. I was so grateful to hear about all of the awesome things he knew and he gave me ideas about gear to use and how to trim down my bags and ad some belts to keep things close to my body. He also suggested I talk with the makers of the gear too, because they designed gear to do certain things. I loved it and thought that I now had the confidence to call up one of the big online companies and see if they had any gear that would directly help me. What I found was a lot of helpful people who gave me lots of ideas and even free samples to try and see if they would fit my body well. It was a super cool time and I learned a ton of things and was able to try them all out in my yard and my local parks to make sure they worked well. Now I have a really cool small bag and belt setup that I am able to go hiking, jogging, and even play basketball in. The ability to be active and stay happy with the gear I am using has been a life-changing joy. I hope these tips help you on your journey as well.
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Lenard Rockwell
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