Urostomy Care

A urostomy changes the way you pass out urine. Although this urinary diversion tends to change your routine a bit, it doesn’t mean that you have to remain unhealthy for the rest of your life. You can be your healthy self without letting your urostomy become a problem. In this article, we will discuss how you can have a healthy and active life with a urinary diversion.

Diet after urostomy surgery

Having a urostomy doesn’t require you to follow a specific diet plan. You can eat anything you want. Nevertheless, foods such as asparagus may cause your urine to look and smell differently.

Drinking plenty of water

You will need to drink plenty of water to prevent odor from urine. It will also help you steer clear of dehydration. Dehydration is a condition referring to the loss of too much fluid from your body, and it can result in less urine flowing out of your stoma. This condition can also make you feel week and thirsty. Here are some tips to deal with such conditions.

• Make sure to drink at least eight glasses of water every day.
• You may have to increase your fluid intake even further if you are susceptible to getting dehydrated.
• If you are unable to keep the fluids down due to an upset stomach or vomiting, contact your doctor immediately.

Taking bath or shower

It is entirely up to you whether you want to take bath or shower with or without the urostomy pouch.

• The best time to bathe without an ostomy pouch is the morning when there is less urine output. Keep in mind that urine may still flow out of your stoma while taking shower. There is no way you can control when to pass out urine while bathing.
• Showering is a better option compared to bathing because urine flowing out of the stoma will run down the drain. You can take a shower any time during the day.

When to go for a checkup

It is necessary to see your healthcare provider every few months after urostomy surgery. Follow this routine for a few months. You can then go for a checkup once a year after that.

• Your healthcare provider will take a urine sample from your stoma whenever required. He or she will use a catheter to draw urine out through your stoma.
• Make sure to keep extra supplies with you while going for the checkup. It can be helpful in case you need to change your ostomy pouch.
• Whenever you feel any problem with your urinary tract or stoma, contact your healthcare provider right away.

Getting support

Adjusting to urostomy will take some time. Getting support to adapt to this change in the body may be the most crucial thing for you. For this reason, you may want to discuss your feelings with a closed one. You may also call your doctor if you have any concerns. If you are just worried that you now have a urinary diversion that has taken back the control over urine evacuation from you, you may want to join an ostomy support group.