UOAA Discussion Board

Hi

I am new to irrigation. I've had my colostomy for 8 months and finding out I will have it a little longer. Figured I have to gain control of this thing since I have to empty it constantly. I just started irrigating and have been doing it every other day for about a week. It doesn't last very long though. If I do it after my morning poo then I'll get til mid afternoon maybe 6-8hrs. If I do it in the late afternoon I get about 4 hours. Does it take longer than a week to get 24 hours ? I'm going back to work soon and would really like to not have to carry around a 10lb bolder on my side.

Thanks
Jen

Hi Jen,

The first thing to determine is whether you really have a colostomy. You evidently have a temporary ostomy, which you've had for 8 months and "will have it a little longer." Most temporary ostomies are ileostomies, not colostomies. There is, however, a widespread error in terminology, where lots of people, including many healthcare workers, use the name "colostomy" for all fecal ostomies, including ileostomies. If you "have to empty it constantly," it sounds like an ileostomy, although it could conceivably be a transverse colostomy, or maybe even a left-sided colostomy located pretty high in the descending colon. Where is your stoma located? If it's in the lower right part of your abdomen (same side as your right hand), it's almost certainly an ileostomy. Irrigation is typically usable only for colostomies located low on the left side. If you don't have a colostomy suitable for irrigation, you'll just have to keep emptying your pouch a lot for the remaining time you have this temporary ostomy.