What is the bowel preparation process for patients with a colostomy?
The hospital or unit where the procedure is performed will normally give you a diet sheet, bowel preparation medication and some instructions for use. The diet will need to be started several days in advance. Medications (e.g. iron tables) that you may normally take may need to be stopped a week before, so lease read the instructions carefully. You will need to use a drainable pouch when you start your bowel preparation, so that the frequent diarrhoea can be emptied from the bottom of the pouch. Once you start drinking the bowel preparation fluid, you will need to be close to a toilet. Use a self-adhesive “long bag”; these can be drained directly into a toilet. (Sometimes you may be asked to do this part of your preparation at the hospital, so that they can help you and supervise the results, but it is quite reasonable to do it in the privacy of your own home.) Apply the “long pouch” so that the long, drainable end hangs downwards. Remove the adhesive backing paper and stick the wafer
