September- The Month of New Beginnings

Summer 2021 in the UK is pretty much over… or at least the weather seems to think so. But for many the end of Summer and start of September means new beginnings. Whether that’s starting a new job, going back to school or packing up and starting your university adventure, many ostomates find having a routine helps them, so finding and adjusting to a new routine and environment can be challenging.

Be prepared

In the lead up to your new routine, try to be prepared. Ensure you have all the supplies you need to keep at home and in your bag while out and about. Here are our suggestions for getting prepared:

1. If you haven’t already, join a home delivery service for ostomates such as SecuriCare. Most are able to deliver directly to your door, or office, even halls making sure your stoma supplies are always on-hand.

2. Make sure you have enough stoma supplies for when you’re at home as well as away from the house. If the change to your routine might mean longer days speak to your doctor or stoma care nurse about adjusting your prescription.

3. It goes without saying that we recommend you have enough stoma pouches to last the day (and some spares) but don’t forget your stoma care accessories including adhesive removers, deodorising spray, and barriers (check out our LBF range from our sister-company, CliniMed) all of these accessories can be sampled for free.

4. Preparing a bag of spare stoma care products to take with you while you’re out, will help you feel more comfortable while you get used to what facilities you have in your new school or office and where they are.

Speaking to your school, uni or new employer

Sometimes lots of change can be a bit daunting and you might put off telling your organisation about your medical condition. When it comes to talking to your school, uni, or employer about your stoma, it’s important to remember they might’ve spoken to someone with a medical condition before and made accommodations for them or even just given them a map on where the nearest loos are! If you have any ideas on adjustments, they could make to help you, don’t be afraid to voice these, they are important and could help others too!

Mental Wellbeing

Making changes to your routine or starting at a new job or school can make you feel stressed, and this affects you physically as well as mentally. When getting used to your new routine, try to pencil in some time to practice self- care and look after your mental wellbeing. If you’re short on time, aim for small goals such as ensuring you get enough sleep or drink enough water. Look out for apps to help you too, there are lots of mindfulness apps available for smartphones, many of them are free.

Telling new friends

Telling people about your condition. Try not to feel pressured to tell others about your condition, until you’re completely comfortable. If you aren’t wanting to talk about it, then you don’t have to! But if you are ready to talk to new friends about your ostomy and how your condition affects you, check out Anita’s blog where she talks about her positive experience telling two new friends about being an ostomate and their reaction.

Finding Support

Starting a new job, school or venturing off to uni might mean that you’re no longer living in a place you’re used to. Moving can be a challenge and ensuring that you have a good support system in place can help you look after your mental wellbeing as well as help you meet like-minded people in your area. Try to approach organisations such as Colostomy UK who have an extensive list of support groups! We can also help you find nursing support in your area, just give us a call on 0808 256 5400.

We asked our wonderful blogger Jen about her experience of starting uni as a person with an ostomy. Jen covers lots of different topics that apply to both education and employment, click here to give it a read!

Remember to head over to our CliniMed website, to pick up your free samples of our products and see what works best for you before you stock up on your stoma care products!

The SecuriCare Team