Going into hospital when you already have a stoma can be a daunting prospect. It creates questions like how many supplies should I take? How and where am I going to change my bag? Will I be able to get to the toilet? Will I have to change my bag in bed? What will I do about the smell of the bag if I have to change it whilst in bed? What will the other patients think? How am I going to have private conversations when all they do is pull a curtain around the bed?
These are natural questions and thoughts, and it is good to have those thoughts as it allows you to prepare. Before going into hospital make sure you discuss with your medical team how long your stay is likely to be; if you are having further surgeries ask about what are the possible complications that could arise during surgery and how long will that add on to how long you will be in hospital. By knowing these answers, it helps you understand how many supplies to take with you. Never assume it will be alright not to take much because you think the hospital will have supplies, this is not the case, they have a limited supply of bags and may not have the bag you use so never assume they will have your exact supplies. My general rule is take double, so if you are going in for two days take four days worth of supplies.
If you are someone that gets very anxious about surgery or being in hospital, ask the medical team to show you the ward before going in, this will allow you to familiarise yourself with the ward and layout, and ask to see the toilets and showers. This will help reduce any anxiety when you go in on the day.
If you are having surgery which may lead to you being in bed for a couple of days, practice at home changing a bag lying down – it is actually quite easy! Of course, you will need your supplies close to hand or someone to pass them to you. As I say it is easier than you may think, go on give it a go! If you are worried about any smells, Respond have a couple of great neutralising sprays, they work really well and my particular favourite is cinnamon and sandalwood. They really do help eliminate odours so if you are worried about the smell whilst changing your bag in a ward, make sure you have something like this. If you are changing your bag whilst in bed or sitting at the bed, ask the staff for a bin to be closer to you, or better still, ask the nurse to take the bag away once you have finished and placed everything in the disposable bag. I have found that seeing the disposable bag sitting there waiting to be taken away causes me anxiety, as soon as I see a nurse I will ask them to take it away, and they do.
Something else to consider is hospital routines: many things have set times, such as breakfast, lunch, dinner, meds rounds, doctor walkarounds, ward cleaning, bed changing, shift change overs etc. These can all have an impact on you if your home daily routine is vastly different to the hospital routine. Again, ask about times before you go into hospital. If you have any requirements, make sure these are known before you go in, as your requirements may have an impact on the hospital routines. You may need to work out a compromise, so it is best to raise any of these before you go in to avoid any upset to yourself.
Another major thing to think about before going in is your diet – do you have a special diet? Are there foods you cannot eat? Are there foods that could cause you pain or discomfort? Again, never assume a hospital will be able to cater for all your dietary needs, the most likely case is they will not be able to. I have found this problem myself during a stay in hospital. I was only able to eat certain foods and the hospital could not cater for it! If you have dietary needs, discuss this before going in, and if they cannot accommodate your needs make sure you have someone that can bring in food for you.
Above all, what you must remember is that you are the patient – if you feel like something is not right then raise it, by not raising it, it makes your stay uncomfortable and can create anxious feelings – you need to be as relaxed as possible whilst in hospital. Also by not raising an issue, it could have an impact on other patients there and then and in the future. We can raise things in a polite way and they should accept and welcome the feedback. I have politely raised a number of issues that I know would benefit others as well as myself.
This is also the same when the consultants and doctors are talking to you. They often use medical terminology that we do not understand. If they do that then ask them to stop and explain things in a simpler manner, you are absolutely entitled to understand what is happening with your care – never feel you cannot ask them to change how they speak. You are also entitled to privacy – in hospitals, they just pull the curtain around and all of a sudden they think the world cannot hear what is being said, I jokingly call it the ‘curtain of confidentiality.’ That is the last thing it is, you are entitled to go somewhere quiet to have discussions about your health, it is your health not everyone elses!
A couple of other top tips: for your supplies try and find a bag that has a hook on it, that way you take your bag of supplies to the toilet and hang it up so it is not touching any surfaces and is easy to use. Always have a packet of anti-bacterial wipes in your supplies, the number of times I have gone into a toilet in a hospital to change my bag and found the toilet area to not be very clean is crazy! Along with the wipes, maybe have a few pairs of disposable latex gloves – these are ideal for wearing when cleaning a surface to put your supplies on.
Hospitals can also be a noisy place so make sure you take headphones and have your favourite music downloaded onto your phone or tablet, also download some TV programmes or films before going in. Time goes very slowly in the hospital so take a variety of things to keep your mind occupied. If you just listen to your music you will be amazed how quickly you get bored of that so variety is the key! I never sleep well in the hospital so I take ear plugs to help cancel out some of the noise.
It is never easy being in hospital and I am a firm believer that we do our healing at home, if you follow the hints and tips of this blog it will make your stay a little more comfortable.
If you are going into hospital I hope this blog helps, and feel free to share it with others.
