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Adapting to life with an ostomy can take time, but once you are fully used to an ostomy bag, you can live pretty much the same way a person without an ostomy would live.

After, and maybe before, colostomy surgery, you may have a lot of questions in your mind. Can you go back to your workplace? Can you eat anything you want? Can you engage in sports and fitness activities? Can you have a social life?

We are going to find answers to these questions in this article.

An ostomy doesn’t stop you from eating your favorite foods

An ostomy indeed alters the length of your bowel, and it may seem to restrict you to a specific diet for some time, but you can start eating your favorite foods as soon as your bowel recovers from surgery. You may have to ask your doctor before adding your favorite foods in your diet. That’s because some foods may cause gas or blockage. You will want to prevent these issues from putting you in discomfort.

Another ostomy related issue that occurs due to food choices is the odor. Certain foods can result in a stronger odor emitting from the stomal output. You will also want to avoid or limit such foods.

You can engage in physical activity with an ostomy

You can engage in any sports or fitness exercises with an ostomy unless there is a risk for injuries. An injury to the stoma site can result in quite uncomfortable complications, which can leave an undesirable impact on your ostomy management regimen too.

You will also want to avoid lifting too heavy dumbbells because they can cause stress and strain in your abdominal muscles, resulting in the risk of stoma complications. Make sure to consult your physician or nurse before deciding to return to your fitness routine.

You can go back to your workplace

You can go back to your workplace after your bowel recovers after ostomy surgery. You may ask your employers for a limited work schedule until you are more confident. You may have to take a few extra precautionary measures to protect your stoma if your job requires a lot of lifting. You may want to wait a bit more until you are fully ready to get back to work.

You can hide your ostomy

Your ostomy bag could become the center of your attention. It will make you think that everyone you meet will see your ostomy bag and hear the sounds coming from it. The fact of the matter is that your ostomy bag will remain your hidden feature unless you choose to tell about it.

It is necessary to stick to the best ostomy bag management practices. For instance, you will need to empty your pouch when it is one-third full. To manage odors, you can use ostomy bags with filters. These filters allow the gas to escape but not the odor. You can work with an ostomy care nurse to find an ostomy pouching system that fits your requirements accurately.