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What is a Regulated Colostomy? A regulated colostomy is when a person uses ostomy irrigation to regulate their stomal output. Ostomy irrigation is a medical procedure that Colostomates can use to control their stomal output. It takes time and patience and should be overseen by your medical team. If you are interested in starting ostomy irrigation, contact your ostomy nurse or your physician so you can discuss with them if it is right for you. Ostomy irrigation is intended for people who have a colostomy, if you have an ileostomy then it would be difficult to have success with ostomy irrigation. The benefits of having a regulated colostomy would be controlling your stoma output which would mean you would not have to necessarily wear an ostomy pouch all of the time. Instead you can wear a stoma cap, mini pouch, or a stomaseal dressing.

Why Use Toilet Seat Cushions? Bedsores — also called pressure ulcers and decubitus ulcers — are injuries to skin and underlying tissue resulting from prolonged pressure on the skin. Bedsores most often develop on skin that covers bony areas of the body, such as the heels, ankles, hips and tailbone. People most at risk of bedsores are those with a medical condition that limits their ability to change positions or those who spend most of their time in a bed or chair. Bedsores can develop quickly. Most sores heal with treatment, but some never heal completely. You can take steps to help prevent bedsores and aid healing. Mayo Clinic: Bedsores & Pressure Ulcers An important step you can take to avoid developing a pressure ulcer is to use a cushion that redistributes pressure evenly. This careful redistribution of pressure is what ROHO air cushions

A pre-lubricated catheter is an intermittent catheter that is ready to use right out of the package. Before inserting a catheter into the urethra of a man or a woman, the catheter needs to be lubricated. There are several ways you can accomplish this, use a separate sterile lubricant like Surgilube, use a pre-lubricated catheter like Cure Ultra, or you can use a hydrophillic catheter like Coloplast SpeediCath. Pre-lubricated catheters are covered in a gel like sterile lubricant that is immediately ready to use once the catheter is opened. The entire catheter is coated in a "no drip" lubricant. This is different from the hydrophilic style of catheter lubricant because there is no sterile water or sterile saline, the lubricant is actually a lube so it is more gel like and it won't drip water from the packaging. The Cure Ultra catheter also offers another design bonus, the funnel is designed so it won't roll. This is important because when you place your catheter down on a sterile surface, like the underpad found in catheter insertion kits, you don't want your sterile catheter to roll off the counter and hit a floor that is decidedly not sterile. The texture of the Cure Ultra funnel as well as the texture of the gripper sleeve work well even if you deal with dexterity issues in your hands. Personally, I think that Cure catheters do a great job paying attention to details. No roll funnels, grippers that are substantial and easy to hold, lube that doesn't drip, catheters that aren't made with DEHP, BPA, or natural rubber latex, all of these details add up to a catheter that is designed to be used by people with spinal injuries and/or limited dexterity.

When you have an ostomy, your ostomy is with you all of the time. It doesn't go away when you are shopping, working, or running. As an ostomate you will need to find ways to make your ostomy work in every situation. Not just when you are in the comfort of your own home. You will need to change or empty your ostomy system while you are away from home. In order to change your ostomy pouch in a public restroom you will need to plan ahead. This is an important achievement to unlock for anyone with an ostomy. Having an ostomy does not mean your life is reduced to your home, you will be able to do all the things you enjoyed before. Learning how to care for your ostomy takes time and patience but it is worth it.

What is a Urinary Leg Bag? A leg bag is a device used to collect and hold urine. It is worn on the leg and it can be worn above or below the knee. Leg bags can be attached directly to a Foley catheter or an external condom catheter. If you would rather wear your leg bag on your calf, the leg bag can be attached to extension tubing which would then connect to your catheter. Leg bags are versatile. They are available in many different styles and sizes. Even the straps come in many different styles. There are button closures, Velcro, and leg bag straps that close with Velcro but the bag itself attaches to the straps with buttons. Don't be afraid to try different styles until you find the leg bag set up that works best for you. If you don't like straps at all, consider a leg bag holder.

What is a Compression Bandage Self Adherent Wrap? A compression bandage wrap that is self adhering means the bandage sticks to itself. You will also see these types of compression wrap bandages called "cohesive bandages". So a cohesive bandage IS self adherent and when you wrap the bandage around, it will stick to itself without any fasteners or clips making Coban and CoFlex easy to use. 3M Coban and Andover CoFlex are both examples of brands of cohesive bandage wraps and they are available in different widths and colors. Another important quality to Coban and CoFlex is that the bandage wrap does not stick to other things, it won't leave any kind of adhesive behind so there is no sticky mess when you unwrap it. It is convenient to use a cohesive bandage because it is a sticky bandage that sticks to itself and nothing else.

What are Colo-Majic Liners? Colo-Majic liners are a flushable liner for ostomy pouches. The liners are intended to be used in closed-end two-piece ostomy pouches. They are made of a thin material that comes in two varieties, one is biodegradable and the other is not. They are both flushable and stop you from having to empty and drain your colostomy or illeostomy pouch. The liner is put inside the pouch you are already using and once it is 3/4 full, you take the liner out and then flush the liner and it's contents.

Sigvaris Performance Compression Socks Sigvaris Performance are true medical-grade graduated sport compression support socks and they are now available in blood orange, lime, red, blue, pink, and as always white and black. These are calf length sports recovery compression socks. They are comfortable socks for active adults, the compression works to ease tired achy legs and helps to improve blood flow. The high quality fabrics provide thermal control which helps keep your feet cool, dry, and comfortable, even when running or walking. Sigvaris makes many different compression stockings and socks. They have designed the Sigvaris Performance line of compression socks to be worn before, during, and after work outs and runs. The achilles tendon protector works to reduce vibrations which can help protect vulnerable ligaments. The foot-bed and toe area of the sock are cushioned to help prevent blisters and discomfort.

What is Xeroform? Xeroform is a sterile wound dressing that is non-adherent, which means it won't stick to the wound so dressing changes are less painful and trauma to the wound is minimized. Xeroform is an occlusive dressing which means it doesn't breathe and it is made of a absorbent fine mesh gauze. The gauze is impregnated with a 3% bismuth tribromophenate petroleum blend formula that provides bacteriostatic protection. Xeroform also deodorizes because it works to reduce wound odor.

Adult Diapers & Adult Pull-Ups: An adult diaper or adult pull-up is a disposable garment worn instead of underwear to help alleviate leaks from urinary or fecal incontinence. Sometimes adult diapers or pull-ups are only worn while sleeping but this is not always the case. They can be worn during the day or night and they can be worn by anyone regardless of age or gender. There are many different incontinence garments on the market today. How can you determine how well an adult pull-up or adult diaper will work for you? The labels on incontinence garments are confusing because it seems like they all use different standards. What does "super" or "supreme" even mean? Adult diapers and adult pull-ups are something that if you need them, you need them to work. No one wants leaks or accidents because they accidentally chose "super" or "extra" and you should have picked the one that said "super extra great". Thankfully, there is a company that organizes their incontinence products in a way that makes sense. Tranquility