Don’t Hold Your Breath! - Patients leaving hospital after abdominal surgery are often advised not to lift anything heavy.  This note explains why, and points out that the warning refers to any form of straining, not just lifting.  It also introduces the Grunt Rule, which could help a patient to avoid the risk of a hernia.

Don’t Give Yourself a Hernia - Ten tips for avoiding a parastomal hernia

Irrigation Notes - Written to supplement the Colostomy Association booklet on Irrigation, this is an account of Adrian’s personal experience over many years of irrigation, and his suggestions and advice based on that experience.  It will probably be found most useful for those who have already been irrigating, who can compare his views with their own experience, but should also be a practical resource for someone contemplating irrigation to discuss with their stoma nurse.  (Updated 25/1/09)

Optimising Your Irrigation Technique - Irrigation has long been recommended as a more satisfactory way of managing a stoma than simply catching what comes out, but to obtain the maximum benefit requires a little attention to determining the best technique.  This article explains how to go about it, and explains the practicability of achieving an interval of three days in between irrigations.  It also draws attention to the benefit that young persons can derive from irrigation:  by being just like other people for days at a time.  (Updated 14/02/10)

Using the Braun Irrimatic Pump - A set of notes intended to enable a user who is experienced with irrigation by a suspended bag to assess the potential advantages, and a few minor disadvantages, of switching to the Braun Irrimatic electric pump.

Nutrition Notes - Intended to supplement the excellent Colostomy Association leaflet entitled Healthy Eating, which is available for download on the C A Publications page, they are more a series of disconnected jottings than a logically developed account, but it is hoped that nevertheless some useful ideas will be found in them.

Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer - A link to a massive (537 page) report produced jointly by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research covering a huge range of topics, and which demonstrates the importance of a good diet and adequate exercise, particularly in relation to colon cancer.  Not for downloading!

Ostomates Moving to France - Anyone moving from the UK to France has a number of bureaucratic hurdles to negotiate, but an ostomate will have some which are related to any long-standing medical condition.  These notes should enable the expatriate ostomate to avoid unpleasant surprises, and includes helpful information about some little-known potential electrical problems.  Although originally written for the French website www.stoma.fr, this is included in the belief that it may be useful to an ostomate considering a move to France.

Cookery Corner

A short selection of straightforward recipes, all having the theme of healthy eating, and requiring minimal preparation time. 

Salmon with Shallot and Basil Sauce - Adrian’s favourite fish dish.

Lemon Chicken  - A modern version of an Italian classic, requiring little preparation or attention during cooking, and as near fat free as you can get.

Instant Spaghetti Bolognese - When you have a really urgent need to provide a nourishing meal, try this.  The recipe warns that the first thing to do is to put a plate to warm, or it will still be cold when you are ready to dish up!

Home Made Muesli - A healthy breakfast cereal containing minimal fat and added sugar.

Adrian’s Salad - An easily prepared salad incorporating a variety of flavours, colours and textures.

Keeping and Cooking Broccoli - If you want to be able to serve the broccoli you bought last week, in perfect condition, try these suggestions.

A Cheese Sauce for Steak - It was an assistant at the cheese counter in a French hypermarket, with whom I was discussing the rump steak that I had just bought, who suggested that I might like to try a Saint Agur sauce with it.  I tried it, I liked it, so here is the very simple recipe that I contrived.