"With some care, we can go on": experiences of people with ostomy

Abstract

The aim of this study was to learn how care takes place in the lives of people with ostomy in a municipality in the countryside of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. A qualitative, descriptive study was conducted. Six people with definitive intestinal ostomy, who were registered in the municipality's program, participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews were used for gathering data. The obtained data were subjected to a thematic content analysis, from which the following categories emerged: "I am really well treated, everyone helps"; "My life is a little different"; and "It is necessary to go on, stopping is out of question". The study revealed that care is present in the daily lives of people with ostomy; changes in their lives are clear, related to social interactions, to how they take care of themselves and to eating habits. Ostomized patients learned how to live with these changes, aiming to going back to daily activities and getting involved with chores in their routines.