Returning to Work with an Ostomy Bag - Need Tips and Advice!

I just had my boss on the phone, checking to see if I was okay. Trying to find out how long my recovery time would be and when I would be fit to come back to work.

I know I really do want to go back to work, I'm getting seriously bored of being cooped up and being off work for 6 months already. Daytime TV is getting worse by the day and there is only so many cookery and antique shows I can handle without wanting to throw my TV out of the window!

What concerns me is the 'bag'. I have no idea how to handle work and the bag at the same time. I'm still trying to get my diet balanced to control the frequency/gas/smell. I don't know if the frequency of my movements will settle down.
I've had 2 'blowouts' already due to excess gas and both times were embarrassing as hell. I don't think I would be able to cope if that happened at work.

I work with a lot of people in close proximity in a very unventilated room, which concerns me greatly.

Any tips for a newbie in distress? Do I hang a car freshener tree from my bag and try to go for the new car smell?

Please, please help!...........or a list of any good jokes, puns to explain the smell and noise to my colleagues?

What do you do? Will you be sitting all day? Will you be close to a bathroom? If you feel up to it physically, don't let your bag stop you from something like your job! I got married a few months after my surgery...in a big lace wedding dress...I was nervous, but I had also been testing out product and practicing how my day would go. I would recommend starting to do your day at home as if you were at work, as best as you can. Notice if you must go empty every hour to be safe. It might feel embarrassing, but just say, it's part of the surgery and leave it at that. As far as smell, are you worried about smells in the bathroom, or are you having smells leak from your bag when it is secure?

I have been trying the Na Scent product advertised on this website. With it and the crystals I'm using, the odor has completely gone. The big test will be when I change my base plate and bag tomorrow. I also got sent a sample product with an extra large charcoal filter and a gas vent. On their ad, it said you can enjoy eating things like baked beans again with their pouches. I had to get them to try but won't be able to until I heal more. It was an "omnigon" product.

To bubbles2010:
I work in a lab, it gets pretty crowded and very warm. Sadly, we don't have air conditioning or vents. I do sometimes have trouble with gas escaping, but I'm still trying to get my diet right. I have an appointment with my ostomy care nurse to discuss changing bags to ones with a bigger charcoal vent or larger flange. Quick access to toilets can sometimes be a problem. It's something I need to take up with my boss.

To cattters:
I've had a look at their website and am being sent some free samples of sprays and granules. I'm going to give them a try and see what happens. Thanks for the tip.

Thanks, guys.

Hmm, that's got me thinking~ not so much a car freshener but what about keeping some dryer sheets close to your bag. Seriously, you really shouldn't have any smell as long as you have a good seal. You will be the first to know before anyone if something "smells" not right. I have experimented with some odor-reducing products and the best I found is one called One Drop. I found it at Walmart on what is called a clip strip (a Department 82 product that most associates would understand what that means), it is usually hanging in the toilet paper aisle. You use one drop in the toilet before you empty and it creates a seal so when you empty, the smells stay under the water. I have even used it in my pouch but I am not advising you to do it. It is NOT made for inside the bag!! Anyway, I use it sometimes when I know it will NOT come in contact with my stoma. Never when lying down. I also spray quite a bit of body spray on my bag and around the area where my pouch is, I have heard Tic Tacs do a good job in the bag and even those melt-away Listerine thin breath fresheners might be a good idea. Some have even suggested some liquid clothes softener.
But really, whatever you choose, be careful and be wise to what you are using. Who needs any extra irritation to deal with?
It is best to also keep extra supplies for a change in case of an emergency! Try not to stress too much about it, it only creates more anxiety!

Getting Support in the Ostomy Community with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

Hi Kevs. Alyce (Mrs. A) makes a great point about keeping a good seal. I remember how nervous I felt when I returned to teaching only three weeks after acquiring a bag. I would walk up and down the aisles hoping my ostomy equipment would not let me down. As things turned out, all went well. My fears were understandable but unwarranted. I think it was Winston Churchill who once said that we should never pass up an opportunity to use the loo. Well, armed with that great thought, I have never waited until I have to empty my bag regardless of fullness. Being proactive will head off trouble at the pass. If you can take steps to eliminate leaks, you can be confident you won't smell. On the plus side, we need not worry about farting anymore. Now, keeping in mind that readiness is all, go out and have a life.
PB

Thanks guys, it really does help knowing there are people I can look to for advice who have the experience to actually know what they are talking about.

I've decided to be honest with my workmates and tell them outright what is wrong with me and what it entails and means. I'll tell them I'll need regular use of the bathroom and may be gone for a while if need be... I may be able to use it as an excuse to get out for a few moments when it gets busy.
If any of them has questions about it, I'd be more than happy to answer honestly.

Again, thanks to all of you for your guidance. I can't always get hold of my care nurse or doctor, but knowing you guys are here with the answers and suggestions is a great relief.

Have you considered irrigation? I had my surgery six years ago. I started irrigating six weeks after surgery and went back to work three weeks later. I irrigate every other day. Irrigation takes about 45 minutes. I am a clinical counselor, so I work one on one in a small room. In the beginning, I did notice odors, until I changed to Coloplast products.
I work, travel a lot, and have joined a water exercise group. I pretty much eat whatever I want, even nuts. I do drink at least eight glasses of water a day. The only thing that I have trouble doing is staying any longer than one night at someone else's home. I have chosen not to tell many people about my condition, hence I do not want to explain to someone why I need to use their bathroom for an hour.
Hope you can get back to work soon.