My bum is tired and abused and has seen better days. It’s time for a new bum!
When I first made the decision to have the surgery I knew about what would be involved and about the stoma that I would have. I presumed that the entire procedure from removing the infected bowel and connecting the end of the large intestine to the outside world would all be undertaken by the surgeon but I soon learnt that they aren’t responsible for the entire procedure.
A stoma nurse, whose is a specialist in advising and looking after patients with an ostomy before and after surgery, is responsible for determining the ideal location for the stoma. Prior to surgery they will mark the spot that they think best suits the patient.
I had read about the ‘Stoma Siting Procedure’ prior to seeing my stoma nurse and I was expecting something complicated but instead she took a quick look, had a feel of my abdomen, checked how I wore my jeans and then drew a square on my stomach with a permanent marker. I had expected to be little bit further over but she knows best. I was disappointed that I ended up with a square rather than a big ‘X’.
Next up, surgery!
