Ileostomy For Beginners

By Sam Upwood

Ileostomy For Beginners is the definitive guide to living with an ileostomy.

Fully illustrated and with clear instructions, you too can master the proven techniques on how to achieve comfort in your daily life - including pouch preparation and fitment, emptying-out techniques, avoiding leakage and irritation, diet myths and lots more.

Ileostomy For Beginners is essential reading for those with an ileostomy or are about to have one.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sam Upwood
• Release date: Nov 11, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223915317

Book preview

Ileostomy For Beginners

By Sam Upwood

Copyright © Sam Upwood 2019

The contents of this book both text and illustrations are the sole intellectual property and Copyright of Sam Upwood and may not be copied reproduced transcribed or performed in any medium in whole or part and in any language without the written consent of Sam Upwood

Disclaimer

Always consult your Doctor before deciding which vitamins and how many to take. Always consult your Doctor before taking Loperamide. The author and publisher of this book accept no liability whatsoever regarding the use of vitamins and or Loperamide or other drugs or supplements and it is the reader’s responsibility to first seek a Doctors advice. Always consult a doctor or qualified dietician regarding kidney stone formation and or related supplements. The self help advice and guidance in this book are offered with a view to improving the readers understanding and practicality when using physical ileostomy products only and no guarantees are made to the reader as to the outcome. Furthermore no guarantees are made as to the quality or functional performance of any products that may be mentioned herein. The author and publisher have no affiliation with any manufacturers or suppliers mentioned herein. The illustrations show a generic pouch design.

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My sincere thanks to Michael Weisberg MD for his valuable input and assistance

Forward

After reading Sam Upwood’s book on ileostomies, Ileostomy For Beginners, I have a whole new appreciation for the ileostomy itself and for the proper way to maintain it. As a gastroenterologist practicing in the United States for twenty-nine years, my entire exposure to the ileostomy has been limited to writing an order on the hospital chart after the surgery has been performed, asking the ostomy nurse to see and evaluate the patient. Although I have worked with the same nurse for twenty-nine years, and feel comfortable with her approach and teaching, I personally know very little about the care of the ileostomy.

What happens if there is a problem with the ileostomy outside the hospital leading to a three am phone call that involves a leaking pouch or a bleeding stoma? I usually refer those patients back to the surgeon who created the ileostomy, but often they are not immediately available or their initial plans don’t work.

Sam Upwood’s book, Ileostomy For Beginners, changes all that. He does a superb job of explaining what the ileostomy is and how it functions. He then gives a detailed, step by step approach to taking care of the ileostomy to avoid having problems. I think that patients with ileostomies would have significantly decreased problems if they followed his precise instructions.

These instructions are easy to follow because Upwood includes accompanying Illustrations which are easy to interpret but detailed enough to explain the solution to the problem .

If a problem does develop, the book gives workable methods on diagnosing the problem and then fixing it. The book in written in language aimed at the patient, not the health-care provider. I think that it is essential reading for anyone who is contemplating an ileostomy or who has an ileostomy. The book should be included in the ileostomy supplies that are given to the patient on discharge from the hospital. The book will help ease the patient’s mind regarding taking care of the ileostomy, and will serve as an invaluable resource for both patient and doctor when problems arise. I truly believe that all health-care professionals involved in ileostomy care should read this book.

Ileostomy For Beginners should be stocked in all hospitals where ileostomies are performed, and I thank Sam Upwood for taking the time to write this incredibly helpful work.

Michael F. Weisberg, M.D.

Gastroenterologist

Introduction

If you are considering an ileostomy or have recently had one fitted then this book is for you. It is the only book that offers complete instructional guidance to living with an ileostomy.

I have written it based on my own personal experiences and wanted to share my knowledge for the benefit of others. I am not a clinician but in deference to the many professional people out there who do a marvellous job, there really is no replacement for actually going through it all yourself.

On writing this book I had obviously looked at many others, particularly when I was going through the early days of living with an ileostomy and was in desperate need of help. All I could find was plenty of ‘My Journey’ stories, endless blogs and forums, and several books that were so exhaustive that they covered everything from the history of ileostomies to a catalogue list of every single product available.

None of these offered a solution. I just wanted a way to get through this, become comfortable and secure, with no leaks or sore, itchy or burning skin.

So for those of you who already have an ileostomy, this book is designed to be just that. A solution. I call it the Upwood System.

For those who are considering an ileostomy, this book will provide you with a very clear and accurate insight to what you will need to do to achieve a comfortable, daily routine. It is the only book that fully explains what you will physically have to do to look after yourself properly.

I choose not to catalogue the myriad of products that are available, but instead focus on the type that I know works. You can try other types later on, once you have got over the hurdle of getting yourself comfortable and competent. So this book offers a single solution, not a vast array of possibilities.

My illustrations are mostly looking straight at the person, while some, (where indicated) show a view when you are looking down at your own tummy. The text is written in the context that you already have an ileostomy, otherwise I would be switching back and forth throughout.

I hope that you read this book in