Stoma: In medicine, a stoma (Greek - plr. stomata) is an opening, usually unnatural or surgically created, which connects a portion of the body cavity to the outside environment. Surgical procedures in which stomata are created are ended in the suffix ‘-ostomy’ and begun with a prefix denoting the organ or area being operated on.
From what I’ve heard from people, I’m sure that this is the first of many stoma incidents. If you haven’t seen a stoma, it’s really quite fascinating and amazing to me that we have the technology to do such a thing. I’ve heard of people totally grossing out, which is understandable, but I guess I did enough research to expect it and wasn’t too freaked. As she becomes more comfortable with it, she has said that I can take pictures of the stoma and scaring, but we aren’t quite there yet.
This morning, Holly asked me to help her change the bag. I wasn’t really expecting this, but sickness and health, right? So I jumped right in. I’m assuming that most people haven’t changed an -ostomy bag. It isn’t unlike replacing an oil filter and significantly less messy than changing your oil. You simply put together the new gasket and bag, take off the old one, clean the stoma and the area around it and reattach the new bag. If you don’t do it in that order, you are playing with fire. Kind of like changing a diaper without having a new one on hand.
I’ve always been a very careful and tender caregiver. When I need to apply Bandaids to scraped knees and scuffed elbows, I do so in the most ginger of ways. When cutting the gasket for the ostomy bag, I wanted to make sure that I had a perfect circle. I checked and double checked the connection on the bag. Since it was my first time, I it wanted to be perfect and when building things, I tend to be more of a finish carpenter than a framer. Take your time, do it once, right and perfect.
I get the bag all together. Carefully remove the adhesive and begin to apply the new bag. As I touch her skin, Holly lets out the loudest scream of pain.
I jumped about 3 feet in the air and when I land, she is laughing hysterically.
“Got you!!! That was a good one wasn’t it?”
Her humor is back.
Yay!! Holly’s home!!
And she just became my new favorite person for her evil sense of humor.
Welcome home Holly! I know your glad that whole surgical procedure is behind you for now. It’s good you have an extra set of hands for a while, but I’m sure it’s still tough because kids always want “mommie” first and I know you want to do as much as you can.
It’s good that you have a sense of humor surrounding your stoma. I know there will be other stoma stories to follow-sometimes they can be a “pain in the ‘ole stomach” shall we say!
I wish you could just blink and be in your new house because I know it will be exhausting trying to get things all back the way you want them. Let me know if there is anything I can do!
I’m so proud of you Holly! “You done good, kid” Oh, and of course, you too, Scott. Take care.
Love, Lou
*giggle* love Holly’s sense of humor!
Holly, you’re so delightfully evil … but go easy on the husband of the year. Mike and I are good at taking directions and moving household items if you want to lie around, use the old stoma excuse, and have some free labor. All our love to you and the family.
the Serverians
ROTFLMAO.
Love it! Go Holly!
Oh, and Scott…be sure to let us know when the ‘rents take off…remember Paula’s offer on the phone…”will walk with food.”