{"id":12054,"date":"2024-11-22T14:43:08","date_gmt":"2024-11-22T14:43:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/?p=12054"},"modified":"2024-12-16T17:24:41","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T17:24:41","slug":"why-we-need-to-dispel-myths-about-stomas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/bladder-bowel\/why-we-need-to-dispel-myths-about-stomas\/","title":{"rendered":"Why we need to dispel myths about stomas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"background-color:#f2f2f2;color:#32373c\" class=\"wp-block-atomic-blocks-ab-profile-box round ab-has-avatar ab-font-size-14 ab-block-profile ab-profile-columns\"><div class=\"ab-profile-column ab-profile-avatar-wrap\"><div class=\"ab-profile-image-wrap\"><figure class=\"ab-profile-image-square\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"466\" height=\"466\" class=\"ab-profile-avatar wp-image-12055\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2024\/11\/22143752\/NC-Headshot-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2024\/11\/22143752\/NC-Headshot-1.jpg 466w, https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2024\/11\/22143752\/NC-Headshot-1-125x125.jpg 125w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px\" \/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ab-profile-column ab-profile-content-wrap\"><h2 class=\"ab-profile-name\" style=\"color:#32373c\">Natasha Creenan<\/h2><p class=\"ab-profile-title\" style=\"color:#32373c\">Country Manager Ireland, Coloplast<\/p><div class=\"ab-profile-text\"><\/div><ul class=\"ab-social-links\"><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><em>If you have a stoma, professional medical support is always available to help you adjust, solve any issues and live life to the fullest.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>On social media, people seem to be very happy to discuss every intimate aspect of their lives. Money, jobs, sex, relationships: nothing appears off limits. Yet, for some reason, in the non-virtual world, it\u2019s still taboo to talk about the normal human functions of emptying your bowels and bladder.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"healt-865650273\"><div class=\"healt-adlabel\">Advertisements<\/div><div id=\"healt-2503637371\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><a data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.coloplast.ie\/care-ie\/?utm_source=Bowel_and_bladder_report_article&#038;utm_medium=Print&#038;utm_campaign=Care_sign_up&#038;utm_id=BBReport_Dec24\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"a2t-link\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Coloplast desk\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2024\/12\/12105806\/Coloplast-desk.jpg\" alt=\"\"  width=\"750\" height=\"250\"   \/><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-open-bladder-and-bowel-conversations\"><strong>Open bladder and bowel conversations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPart of our mission is to have a more public conversation about bladder and bowel issues,\u201d says Natasha Creenan, Country Manager Ireland at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.coloplast.ie\/care-ie\/?utm_source=Bowel_and_bladder_report_article&amp;utm_medium=Print&amp;utm_campaign=Care_sign_up&amp;utm_id=BBReport_Dec24\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Coloplast<\/a>, a company that manufactures medical devices and services related to ostomy, urology, continence and wound care. \u201cTalking openly could help people who have a stoma to empty their bowels or a catheter to empty their bladder \u2014 because it\u2019s just another way to go to the toilet and nothing to be ashamed of.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Part of our mission is to have <br>a more public conversation about <br>bladder and bowel issues.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-living-an-independent-and-normal-life-with-a-stoma\"><strong>Living an independent and normal life with a stoma<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A stoma is a surgically created opening in the abdomen wall that allows urine or faeces to be diverted out of the body and into a bag. Patients may need a stoma for various reasons, including colorectal cancer, Crohn&#8217;s disease, ulcerative colitis, diverticular disease, birth trauma or a neurological condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe idea of a stoma can be daunting,\u201d admits Emer Molloy, Clinical Nurse Manager at Coloplast. \u201cPeople do have to adjust to it, but if they\u2019ve been unwell because of a particular condition, it can give them back independence and improve quality of life.\u201d People can live completely normally with a stoma. \u201cThey could run a marathon, go to the gym, swim, go on holiday, eat a varied diet and have sex,\u201d insists Creenan. \u201cThey can do everything they did before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"healt-4263507389\"><div class=\"healt-adlabel\">Advertisements<\/div><div id=\"healt-2373941257\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;\"><a data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.coloplast.ie\/care-ie\/?utm_source=Bowel_and_bladder_report_article&#038;utm_medium=Print&#038;utm_campaign=Care_sign_up&#038;utm_id=BBReport_Dec24\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"a2t-link\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Coloplast desk\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2024\/12\/12105806\/Coloplast-desk.jpg\" alt=\"\"  width=\"750\" height=\"250\"   \/><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-nursing-services-reduce-fears-and-help-patients-adjust\"><strong>How nursing services reduce fears and help patients adjust<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It is, however, normal for new stoma patients to have worries and questions. \u201cFor example, will the bag smell or make a noise? Will people notice it? Could it leak?,\u201d says Molloy. \u201cThankfully, expert <a href=\"https:\/\/www.coloplast.ie\/care-ie\/?utm_source=Bowel_and_bladder_report_article&amp;utm_medium=Print&amp;utm_campaign=Care_sign_up&amp;utm_id=BBReport_Dec24\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">support is available<\/a> to help people adjust. In hospitals, stoma care nurses do an amazing job supporting and educating patients in the early days post-surgery. There\u2019s also lots of expert support available in the community, to help resolve any clinical issues and advise on lifestyle adjustments.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s recommended that patients have regular check-ins with their stoma team, ideally on an annual basis. This progress check may include a review (via telephone or face-to-face appointment) of skin health, device used, routines and self-care. \u201cIf you haven&#8217;t seen a specialist for a while, you may be experiencing common problems \u2014 such as leaks or sore skin \u2014 that are not normal and could be solved with specialist support,\u201d says Molloy. \u201cPlease don\u2019t hesitate to contact Coloplast Nursing Service for help with signposting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><div style=\"text-align:center\" class=\"wp-block-atomic-blocks-ab-button ab-block-button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.coloplast.ie\/care-ie\/?utm_source=Bowel_and_bladder_report_article&amp;utm_medium=Print&amp;utm_campaign=Care_sign_up&amp;utm_id=BBReport_Dec24\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"ab-button ab-button-shape-rounded ab-button-size-medium fb-pixel\" style=\"color:#ffffff;background-color:#004990\">Click here to learn more<\/a><\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you have a stoma, professional medical support is always available to help you adjust, solve any issues and live life to the fullest. On social media, people seem to be very happy to discuss every intimate aspect of their lives. Money, jobs, sex, relationships: nothing appears off limits. Yet, for some reason, in the &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/bladder-bowel\/why-we-need-to-dispel-myths-about-stomas\/\">Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":12057,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5955],"tags":[5956],"class_list":["post-12054","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bladder-bowel","tag-bladder-bowel-2024"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2024\/11\/22144142\/Coloplast-Ireland-nurse-team-standing-600x400.jpg","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2024\/11\/22144142\/Coloplast-Ireland-nurse-team-standing-600x600.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"henryphillips","author_link":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/author\/henryphillips\/"},"vicky_index_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12054","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12054"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12054\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12138,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12054\/revisions\/12138"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12057"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}