My Pouch Day Change Tip

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swiffer

I have had a colostomy for 6 years with no chance of undoing it. After a while, I figured I was on a 6-day patch and pouch change cycle. Now we are all used to a 7-day week that ends up on the same day every week, but when you go to a 6-day change cycle, the day to change will become blurred because it will fall on different days. I used to wonder, is this the day or not. Here is my crazy answer to all of that and it has served me very well for years now and does not cost much. In fact, you probably have the stuff around the house.
You will need a small board, small nails, magic marker, hammer, paint (if you want to get fancy), and some sort of small ring.
You put seven small nails in the board, put the weekdays on top of the nails, and put the ring on the day you changed your patch and pouch. That way, you know when you need to change. Example: If I change on a Sunday, I look at my board and see I need to change it the next Saturday, etc, etc, etc. This way, I also know not to eat for 12 hours before I change. Anyway, here is a pic of my board and excuse my Tuesday abbreviation, I was in a hurry that day. It hangs in my bathroom. Of course, you can also use it if your change cycle is different also.

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Past Member

Hey great idea, I always mark the calendar, but since the calendar is not in the bath..... anyhow great idea...going to make myself one.

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TWGMontana

I've had an ostomy for about 6 years now, and had no idea we had to schedule our changes! At first, I used Coloplast products, which didn't stick to my skin very well, so I ended up having to change every 3 to 4 days, if not sooner. It was pretty much whenever it would start to come off my skin, I would change it.
Now I use Hollister, with a different type of flange, and they stick to my skin much longer. I try to change it every 4 to 5 days and never more than a week in between. That is, unless it starts to come off my skin in between.
I guess I just take a look and see how it's doing. If it looks like it needs a change, I change it. I've never been on a "schedule".

swiffer

I found that 6 days was the limit for me. I stopped taking chances after a couple of accidents while sleeping. I do tend to roll around while sleeping. Which brings me to another thing I had made up. I went to the local upholsterers and had them make me a waterproof mattress cover out of waterproof boat cover material. It cost a fortune because my bed is an extra large king size, but a lot cheaper than a new mattress.

weewee

Walmart had the bed cover for me and yes, it works great for those nights that you wake up in a blowout. Just wash and go.

 
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bikerboy
Have to agree with TWG on this. What with the price of ostomy supplies, I go as reasonably long as I can before changing. I'm a very light sleeper and can tell when my bag's full, and I get up every 2-3 hours anyway. I always get a kick when I'm breaking in a new doctor and he wants me to get 8 hours of straight sleep. I tell him, "Okay, if you want to drain my bag for me while I sleep." They never read my chart first; they don't even know about my ileo. On top of it all, what's a little leak between friends.
While I'm here, I have a funny story about today. I was getting ready to weld in a tank on this ship that holds CHT (crap), and while this other company was draining it, I asked the foreman if he thought the tank smelled bad. He said no. So I moved about 5 feet away and cracked my bag. You would have thought a bomb went off as everybody in that space ran out of the room. I was sitting there laughing my a%s off. They didn't know what happened. When the foreman came back, he wasn't amused. But after a while, his gang started laughing. The foreman told me he was having gastro problems the past few weeks, and after telling him my story, he's going to get it looked at instead of blowing it off.
Well, see y'all soon.
Greg
bepositive

Easier solution is to have a calendar in the toilet and mark on it the next date for change, generally on the 7th day in my case. I feel that the Hollister wafer-pouch combination is a better option. No major problems for me since the last 4 years.

TB Cat

Write the date that you changed your pouch on the front of the pouch with a black magic marker. This works for me.

mate777

Mark change ed date on calendar. A no brainer.....: ) ;......

Past Member

Another trick when draining or changing the appliance: use a clothespin to hold your shirt/blouse up and away from the stoma area. It keeps the clothing from getting wrinkled and it doesn't get poop on it! Wood clothespins are better than plastic. The plastic teeth sometimes are too sharp and damage the clothing.

leah

Due to my OCD, I change my pouch at least 6/10 times a day.

Thank God I live in the UK, as I get all my supplies free and delivered every week.

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