Ever since I regularly work in an external clinic, I noticed people ask me a lot of questions. I talked about a few in my previous article, and this time I'll focus on one particular question that I think is very important. This question is mostly asked after an appointment. When should I see my ET nurse again?

This question is extremely important as a lot of people wait too long before they come see me again. It's important to go see your ET nurse if your ostomy device leaks often. If your skin is irritated, make sure to get an appointment as soon as possible. Why, you ask? Because we need to find a solution that won't mess with your daily activities, will help you have healthy skin, and won’t cost you too much. Changing your ostomy device can become pricy if you have to do it often. You need to come see us if your ostomy is bleeding, or if there's blood in your stools. Maybe you have what we call a prolapsed stoma. This means that your ostomy created a protrusion. This complication is common for people with a colostomy. It's not a serious complication. Sometimes, some problems may appear with your device. That is why you need to come see us if it seems like your ostomy device is damaging your stoma. We will need to readjust it.

For those of you with a urostomy, you need to see a doctor if you have urinary tract infection symptoms. These include dark, cloudy or foul smelling urine, fever, nausea or vomiting, lower back pain, and loss of appetite. You need to see an ET nurse if your skin is irritated urine often infiltrates your urostomy system, for the same reasons mentioned above. It's important to tell your ET nurse or your doctor if there is blood in your urine or if your stoma is bleeding.

The most important thing I want you to remember from this article is that you should make an appointment with your ET nurse when you notice something about your stoma is wrong. And if nothing's wrong, you'll be reassured. If something worries you, then you should see your specialist. You will have the best medical follow-ups possible.

Véronique

Brought to you by : Ultra Médic