The meaning of the new way of life of individuals with permanent intestinal ostomy

Abstract

The research aims to identify and analyze the main modifications that affect the way of life of an ostomate, and strategies developed to face the situation of having an ostomy. The method used was oral history of topic life. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with permanent ostomates. For data analysis, the method used was thematic content analysis. Five themes emerged from the analysis of the interviews: the experience of signs and symptoms and the need for an ostomy; learning to live with an ostomy, the pouching system, and the search for alternatives to replace the usage of the pouching system; facing the changes caused by an ostomy in terms of feeding, clothing and sex life; the search for social reintegration, the challenge of facing death, and the search for future perspectives; the search for a social support network: religious and spiritual beliefs, family and the ostomates association.