Protect the stoma
The visible opening of the Indiana pouch is actually the lining of the small intestine. Nature never intended for it to be exposed to the environment for years but it does hold up pretty well in spite of that. There are a couple of reasons to keep it covered.
The cells that make up the lining of the intestine produce mucus constantly. It may not be much and it can easily be absorbed by a cotton round or 2 x 2 gauze pad. The former is a little more gentle on the exposed mucosa and the surrounding skin. Some Indiana pouches leak more than others; the cotton round or gauze are at least a little protective.
Having never been without the cotton round or gauze I don’t know how susceptible the stoma is to the chafing of clothing but I’d rather not cause any irritation there.
Some IP-ers add a little more protective absorbency with nursing pads or sections of feminine napkins. The former are more expensive but they work out well for those who only have to replace them every couple of days.
If any readers can suggest alternatives to these ideas, feel free to reply to this blog.
the IP opening size will shrink slowly over the years,it was kind of scary when I first noticed it, but it still works the same,and still bright red.
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