New Ostomy? Don’t Worry! You’ve got this in The Bag!
Empowering new beginnings is our mission at The Bag Lady Co. We know living with an ostomy can be challenging, but it doesn't have to limit your life. Our innovative solutions help you regain confidence and easily incorporate your ostomy into daily routines. With our helpful techniques and support, we encourage you to embrace adventures, rediscover your passions, and live boldly.
With over 15 years as a registered nurse, Katherine has dedicated her career to enhancing the quality of life for ostomy patients through specialized care. Her journey began as a homecare nurse in the community, eventually leading her to a prominent Boston hospital. There, she spent over a decade working intimately with patients in need of ostomy support. Katherine holds a wound, ostomy, and continence certification from the Wound Ostomy Continence Nursing Certification Board, which underscores her commitment to providing expert, compassionate care. Her extensive experience enables her to unique challenges faced by ostomy patients. In launching The Bag Lady Co., she aims to bridge the gap for ostomy patients who may lack access to specialized nursing supporting their local areas. She strives to empower individuals to transition from ostomy patient to person with an ostomy. By offering the right tools and resources , Katherine is dedicated to helping individuals with ostomies live confidently and authentically, ensuring they are equipped to navigate their journey with resilience and grace.
Disclaimer: The advice, tools, and troubleshooting techniques we offer will only be within the scope of Katherine’s nursing specialty. We may suggest discussing certain medications (or other interventions that need to be prescribed) with your physician or surgeon. You should always reach out to your surgeon or doctor’s office if you are experiencing any fevers, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or ostomy output that is more than 1200ml in a 24 hour period, or if you experience no output for 24-48 hours accompanied by abdominal pain and/or vomiting. Our goal is not to replace your doctor or surgeon’s office but to be an extra resource especially when a Certified Ostomy Nurse is not available at your facility.
Presurgical Ostomy Education and Planning
$75
There are several different diagnoses corresponding and surgeries that may involve creation of an ostomy. Preoperative ostomy teaching will give you and/or your family member the tools to succeed after surgery. We will also discuss if you have been pre marked for the optimal ostomy site prior to surgery. This would entail you meeting with either the surgeon or the ostomy nurse at your facility prior to surgery to discuss and mark with a skin marking pen the most optimal locations for a stoma. If this step is skipped it can lead to a stoma being placed in a suboptimal location such as a crease which is very difficult to pouch properly. Having these discussions prior to surgery helps give you more control over where the stoma will be placed as well as confidence that there will be less location related pouching issues postoperatively.
$100
60 Minute telephone or Zoom call to discuss your specific ostomy challenges, thoughts, and concerns. We will develop a plan to help resolve any leakage or skin issues you may be experiencing. We will assess the stoma and surrounding skin using photos and by listening to your experience thus far. We will start by recommending specific products to be sent to you as samples from the ostomy pouch manufacturer. Once any issues have been resolved by finding the correct pouching system and/or correcting any skin issues, guidance will be given about how to order supplies through an ostomy pouch distributer which is generally covered by your insurance plan.
Resources for Ostomy Patients:
United Ostomy Association: support group finder, local ostomy nurse finder, educational resources, donating extra supplies, and much more
Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation: Provides education, support groups, information about local events, and much more
Colorectal Cancer Alliance: Offers support, education, support groups, and other resources for patients and families faced with a colorectal cancer diagnosis
Friends of Ostomates Worldwide: A volunteer, non profit organization that supplies education and supplies to patients outside the US.
Contact Us
Please provide the necessary information, and we will reach out to you shortly. We look forward to connecting with you.