The Digestive System

The Digestive System

Each time you eat or drink, the food travels down a long tube (the oesophagus) into your stomach. Once there, it is broken down into smaller pieces and the digestive juices start to liquidise it. The stomach contents then move into the small bowel (ileum). It is here that digestion occurs and your body absorbs the nutrients it requires to provide your energy and to allow growth and the building of new cells. When digestion is complete, any waste and roughage is left behind. This then moves on into the large bowel (colon) where your body absorbs more fluid so that the waste becomes more solid. ​The waste is then pushed into your rectum by the muscles in the wall of the colon. From the rectum, the waste passes out of your body through your anus as stool.

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The Urinary System

Every time you eat and drink, your body takes what it needs from the food to maintain all bodily functions. Waste products are then left behind in the blood and bowel. The urinary system removes a type of waste called urea from your blood, which is carried in the bloodstream to the kidneys. Urine is made by your kidneys and travels down two tubes- called the ureters- to your bladder. Nerves in the bladder let you know when it's time to urinate as the bladder fills. Your urine then exits the body through the urethra.

The Urinary System

What is a Stoma

A stoma is the result of an operation that is meant to remove disease and relieve symptoms. It is an artificial opening that allows faeces or urine either from the intestine or from the urinary tract to pass.
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The stoma is created of an end of the intestine, which is brought to the surface of your abdomen to form the stoma (opening).

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3 Types of Stoma

Colostomy
(from the large bowel)

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Ileostomy
(from the small bowel)

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Urostomy
(urinary stoma)

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                                        What does a stoma look and feel like

Your stoma will look a bit like the inside of your mouth and it will be soft to touch. It will be pinkish-red in colour and should be moist. The stoma may be flat to your abdomen or it may stand out slightly.

There is no sensation in stoma, and it is not painful. It is likely to be swollen at first and will take a few weeks to reduce in size. There will be small stitches around the edge of the stoma, which will usually dissolve.

There is no sensation and no pain