Putting a Face to Stoma Complications

Both and have published articles of their February issues on stoma management and complications. I read these articles with great personal interest but wondered where these articles were 10 years ago?

My oldest daughter was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when she was 7 and despite aggressive treatment for the disease; she required a complete colectomy, temporary ileostomy and ileoanal anastomosis when she was 12. As a nurse I assumed I used to be prepared to look after her ileostomy; oh how fallacious I used to be. I had experience caring for hospitalized patients with stomas, but I quickly learned that caring for somebody who was energetic was a complete different story. Those 3 months she had the ileostomy were hell! She developed a ton of complications and we tried several several types of devices before we found one which fit her and didn’t fall off when she moved around. The nurses who helped us were good, however it was clear they didn’t understand the way to cope with energetic patients, let alone children and their complications.

I’m grateful that my daughter is doing well. If you ask her, she is going to inform you that the date of her surgery was the start of her recent life. But she may also inform you that living with a stoma was probably the most difficult experience she has ever had. Thankfully, we now have access to information and equipment that may improve the experience of living with a stoma for energetic people.