Update :)

Hiii peoples :) First of all, just want to say thanks to everyone who has posted with advice and support on my previous blogs, really appreciate it! My stoma nurse came over the day after my painful first night at home and gave me some powder& paste for it, plus some of those adhesive rings that go on before the bag. It's MUCH less sore now, and the skin is slowly healing, apparently they are basically acid burns as this new stoma is from intestine closer to my stomach. I'm keeping up the fast recovery, apart from having friends visit the house ive been out for two fairly long walks and just had my first day out with my favourite boys (I have 3 top mates, all male, two are flaming gays. I ADORE them. Total Fag Hag :) ) S nurse is coming tomorrow afternoon to check on the burns again, and if there's anything I find interesting I'll post about it. One question, if you've used the powder,paste&rings, did you find that the bags end up leaking quickly? I think I'm just putting on too much paste so it's not sticking, if anyone has any tips on how to apply the stuff quickly and safely please let me know! xx Noodlepip

I use either the paste or the rings; my preference by far is the rings, and no, no issues with leakage. They're wonderful for me. I am so very, very glad you got the help you needed and are feeling better.

Thanks, Kat :) I don't have an issue when I'm only using the rings, a leak every now and then, but that's when I eat too late or something. It's the paste that's messing me up; it's only temporary though, so it'll be fine. I'll ask my nurse tomorrow too.

So-o-o-o glad you're doing better, my friend. I agree that the paste is the culprit. My love introduced me to the ring, and wow, what a gift!! The paste is not only messy, it builds gas in your pouch and stinks, but worse, it's easy to break its seal and leak, causing skin irritation and breakdown. I do still have the powder and will use it occasionally, should I have a slight skin breakdown. It also reduces wear time but helps with the overall healing process. As usual, you leave me with a smile on my face. You're such a fighter (be it stubborn or otherwise, lol), I think you are terrific!! You always face life with such a great attitude; I admire that about you. Thanks for the updates, and keep them coming, okay? Just one member of your Fan Club, Salute,.....BEG

I have found that when I use the rings, the more steps I put between the flange and the skin, the higher the failure rate! My stoma is almost flush with the skin, and so I have a horrid area that is totally eaten away by the acidic drainage. :( The powder first on the area and then I use the skin prep square and just touch it all over the powder so it stays in place. The powder will cause failure as it does not allow good adherence of the flange. (Sorry, too wordy for my first post!)

My Ostomy Journey: Kimberly | Hollister

If you are having leakage with the rings but don't like the paste, try to cut the ring in half and then mold it back together (I only use about 1/3 of a ring, forming it back into a ring myself). Sometimes the less you use, the better seal you get. If the opening of your stoma is close to the skin, try a lot less paste. It expands with the heat of your body, so as it enlarges, it can raise up past the opening of your stoma and cause the stool to go under the wafer instead of into your bag. That was the issue I was having. My nurse tried it with just a teeny-tiny bit of paste, and it held a seal for a week.

Hi Clumsy, good advice there for Noodlepip. Now I've learned something new about rings and paste, like I'm going to try that one. It would be great to keep things in place for a little longer. Thank you for sharing that. Take care, Ambies.

Hi, all. Generally, when I write, I'm either bitching or babbling. It feels good to have some constructive things to say for a change. 1) I used to get maybe 3 days of wear for a barrier; now I can sometimes go a week and a half. I found if I put a ring on the barrier instead of on my body and size the ring so the opening is smaller than the barrier opening, then push the inside of the ring around the inside of the barrier (I think it's called turtlenecking), it makes a big difference in wear time. It's kind of like making the ring act like a stoma collar, which seems like a terrific idea, but for some reason the collars don't work for me.2) I haven't seen anyone else mention barrier strips (Genairex). Never thought I could love anything having to do with a stoma, but I love this product. They're sticky on one side and can be used around the outer rim of the barrier, basically extending the size of the barrier and cutting down on leaks. Sometimes I use 3 of them, putting them around the whole barrier and sometimes I only use one or two on the spots which tend to leak.3) When I was in the hospital right after the surgery, I got some terrible acid burns from leakage. I was given Ilex cream for the burns. I haven't used it under the barrier, since I think it would keep the barrier from adhering well. Every once in a great while, if I sleep through a leak and wake up with a burn beyond the barrier, Ilex immediately soothes the burn.Hope this helps someone else.