Running with a stoma

Now I get that his title could be taken in several different ways.  It could be taken in the worst way where you have a gear failure and your stoma starts leaking.  That has happened once to me and it was a terrible and yet funny situation. But that all worked out just fine because I was well prepared.  What I am actually talking about is the more active running and the ability to still be an athletic and active person when you have a stoma.  Many people think that your active life simply ends when you get an ostomy bag attached to your hip for life.  But the reality is that your life doesn't change that much and that ostomy gear is so good these days that you can absolutely keep your active lifestyle up.  I have even improved a whole lot on my cardio and that was not because I have a stoma, but because I worked hard with it to increase my capabilities as a human.

 

I want you to know that getting a stoma does not mean you simply shut down and stop being an active and fun person.  Movies have portrayed people with a stoma pretty poorly and let's face it that is where we get the majority of our information from before we actually do some research.  There are always nerdy, sad, and non-active people with ostomy bags looking like life is passing them by and that is simply not true in real life.  So get those silly thoughts out of your head and start thinking big.  I mean think as active or as crazy as you would like.  You can climb mountains, run marathons and swim just fine with a stoma. 

 

Now the first thing that really comes to mind is that you should not just jump right into full-on running after surgery.  That is generally just common sense, but hey we all have that blond friend and it maybe you.  I personally can be a little blond at times, but I decided to follow a lot of the research I did and start back to getting into athletic cardio shape slowly after my surgery.  I wanted to learn the basics of how my stoma would work in everyday life and learn to get the right gear for the right situation.  You may end up with a whole different ostomy bag set up for active activities and I would highly suggest it.  I slim down and strap up when I work on my cardio and switch out my bag for a much more efficient system for running. 

Now each and everyone of us is different. Our stoma shapes are different and we may need different setups to be comfortable and safe while being active.  So ask your Doctor, Ostomy Nurse, and healthcare providers about what you will need.  You can also ask your pharmacist and usually get some great information as well.

 

But starting slow is a big key point and it means you need to work your body up to the cardio activity.  Your muscles need to grow and heal at the right speed and I would suggest getting a plan from your doctor to work with your current capabilities.  I also suggest working on your running gate to eliminate extra bounce or impact.  I started shifting the impact all to my legs by barefoot running.  Hope these tips help!