Staying active

Keeping hydrated

People with ileostomies need to actively stay hydrated and the NHS have a useful brief description as to why this is....

"You're at an increased risk of becoming dehydrated if you have an ileostomy because the large intestine, which is either removed or unused if you have an ileostomy, plays an important role in helping absorb water from food waste. This makes it important to make sure you drink enough fluids to keep your urine a pale yellow colour to prevent complications of dehydration, such as kidney stones and even kidney failure."

The below from Stomawise is another good description to understand why people with ileostomies are at risk of dehydration…
"Dehydration can occur after ileostomy surgery as the purpose of the large intestine is to absorb water from the indigestible waste and then expel the waste material from the body through bowel movements. During ileostomy surgery, a part or all of the large intestines is removed, which prevents the body from absorbing water from the waste before it is excreted from the body. Dehydration can occur when the person does not drink enough fluids to replace the fluids lost as the waste moves through the stoma and into the attached bag."

What symptoms show you are dehydrated?
Increased thirst, dry mouth, dry skin, decreased urine output, urine which is dark or strong smelling, fatigue, shortness of breath, confusion stomach cramps, dizziness

How can you stay hydrated? 

Stomawise recommended ‘a daily intake of fluids should be 8-10 (8 oz.) glasses per day and can be of any liquid containing water to help meet your daily requirement.’

It’s important to note that a range of drinks should be consumed on a daily basis. When the colon is removed, there is a greater risk of electrolyte imbalance and drinking water on its own will not replenish this. There are a range of food and drink items that can help this and replace potassium and sodium.

Items to include in your diet to help absorb electrolytes and stay hydrated…

·         Milk

·         Fruit juice or cordial

·         Herbal or fruit teas

·         Sports drinks

·         Celery

·         Cheese

·         Fish

·         Bananas

·         Oranges

·         Strawberries

·         Potatoes

·         Tomatoes

·         Cabbage

·         Cauliflower

What I do to prevent dehydration...

As I am fairly active I have learnt to prevent dehydration rather than treat it when it has already happened and am getting better at remembering to do this. 

I take a multivitamin daily as well as using hydration tablets in water bottles that I drink throughout the day and whilst exercising, this does more to miminise the risk of hydration than water on its own.

I drink lots of different fluids throughout the day including fruit juices, cordial, water and milk and I always have a drink with my meals.

I also carry sachets of Dioralyte with me in case I become dehydrated and I have one if I have been drinking alcohol as well as regularly drinking them when I am in a hot country to prevent dehydration.

There is a well known solution that you can mix yourself at home to stay hydrated, the recipe is below…

St Mark’s Electrolyte Mix is a glucose-electrolyte solution, also known as an oral rehydration solution. This is a specially formulated drink which is high in salt to help your body absorb fluid and reduce losses from your stoma. The electrolyte mix needs to be made up freshly every day.

To do this you need to measure out the following powders:

20g (six level 5ml spoonsful) of Glucose

2.5g (one heaped 2.5ml spoonful) of Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda)

3.5g (one level 5 ml spoonful) of Sodium Chloride (salt)

This needs to be dissolved in 1litre of cold tap water. It is recommended that you drink 1litre of the electrolyte mix each day. 

      Jogging 

I started doing a 5K on a Saturday when I found out about Parkrun which is a fantastic free to get involved in initiative that takes place at most parks at the same time on a Saturday. I've progressed to adding another 5K onto this by doing the same course again once I've completed the 5K. I'm getting into trail running and my goal at the moment is to increase the amount of trail runs I have done and improve my 10K time. I don't do too much running during my working week as I spend any time I have for exercising at gym classes/in the gym but during the summer months I am hoping to have more time to run in the evenings. 

What's great about jogging for ostomates is that it is low intensity and I feel that I am on more of a level playing field as a stoma doesn't hold me back from how much I can achieve jogging/running compared to other people. It also doesn't really feel like exercising when you're enjoying the great outdoors! 

GO TRI event 

I’ve always been relatively fit and enjoyed exercising. After two major operations for Crohn’s Disease which ended up with me needing a stoma bag, I started to gain weight from the medication I was taking and became determined to lose the weight.

I had to adapt how I stayed fit as I was recovering from major surgery and in a longer term as I had developed a hernia during the first operation which meant that I had to be careful with some abdominal exercises and weights to prevent another one forming.

During my post-operative recovery, I started jogging. This lead to me jogging 5K every week and I also started to swim more than I had before. It meant that I managed to build up my stamina and fitness without putting too much pressure of the hernia and wound. Swimming provided me with a full body workout whilst supporting the body enough without pressure.

I wanted to sign up for an event which would provide me with motivation and give me something to aim for. This is when I discovered GO TRI which is part of Triathlon England and aims to make events accessible at a grassroots beginners level. I found a local event near me and I quickly registered to enter. I opted for an aquathlon as it combined the two disciplines which I had been doing during my recovery. I hadn’t found anything else that just focused on swimming and running, so I was thrilled.

Participating in a GO TRI was a huge achievement for me. Events are a real mix of disciplines so there is something for everyone. I’m looking forward to taking on more GO TRI challenges that are of a greater distance than my first and to improve on my time as well as showing that people with stoma bags can lead an active life.

You can find out about GO TRI activities to participate in here. 

Volunteering

Here I am demonstrating firefighting gear for the Brownies

I’m a volunteer with Girlguiding and help with a Brownies unit weekly as well as at any fun events that we plan for the girls! I was a Girlguiding member myself when younger and it’s great to be able to do something to inspire another generation of girls. Because I am able to donate an evening of my time once a week, it doesn’t impact greatly on my lifestyle or my fatigue and I find it manageable. I mentioned that I work full time and am managing IBD when I registered to volunteer and a unit was found local to me so I don’t have a lot of extra travel time after a working day. 

If you are interested in volunteering with Girlguiding, you can find out more and register here.

I also volunteer on a weekly basis with an organisation funded by Macmillan to support people than have been affected by cancer. I visit an individual and have a general catch-up with them about how their week has been, how they're feeling, what their worries are and I take their dog for a walk. Find out about supporting someone in your community through volunteering here.