New Member

Hi Friends,

First of all, I would like to say I am so glad that I found this site as it has answered some of my great concerns, particularly in regards to the release of mucus. I had a permanent colostomy done on the 3rd of July, 2012. I am 25 years old, from the tiny island Republic of Fiji, where we certainly lag behind in medical infrastructure. My case is rare, if not, almost unknown here. I had to have my surgery done in India where I spent 6 months of long, gruesome, and intensive treatment. After the surgery, I went through intensive chemoradiation, which was the hardest and most difficult part of the entire treatment.

Nonetheless, I somehow managed to pull through and now life is carrying on, but not like what it used to be. I find it so difficult to sustain myself, especially with the increasing cost of sourcing the ostomy materials from overseas as we do not have them here. I have tried several brands and found out that Covatec's 2-piece system works the best for me. I also do irrigation and it helps a lot, especially when I am at the office.

One of the other major problems which I face is skin irritation around the stoma. It becomes so bad at times that it gets almost impossible for the wafer to stick to the skin and I have to heavily plaster it with adhesive bandages. I would very highly appreciate any suggestions/solutions for it.

I thank you all for taking out your valuable time to read my post.

I hope to hear from you good people.

Take care and keep up with your health.

Regards,
Jabid

PS: Please do not mind my English. English is a second language for me. :)

Hello Jabid. Welcome to the site! I used to have the same sort of problems with skin irritation and the wafer not sticking. The skin problem eased with a combination of aloe vera- fresh from the plant ( but don't leave the skin on when applying as it has some very sharp edges)and barrier spray.also I make sure the area is washed and thoroughly clean after irrigation is finished.The problem with the wafers was resolved when I made up a device to hold and support my hernia just behind the stoma. Basically it's a piece of half inch thick plastic skirting board cut about 2 X 3.5 with the appropriate sized hole cut in the middle for the stoma to poke through. This has some velcro on the outside for the elastic strappting to stick to and on the inside I use double sided carpet tape to get it to stick to the wafer/plug in the right position so that it doesn't 'drift' during the day. If you are irrigating and use plugs this should be a reasonable way to resolve the non-sticking wafer problem as the plugs will keep it in position and the support will keep it attache d to the skin.This little device took about five prototypes before I got it to be a reasonable fit for mu situation. I therefore believe that each of us needs to experiment to find the most effective and comfortable solutions for ourselves rather than relying of commercial products that have a one-size-fits-all approach. Best wishes Bill

Hi Jabid, nice to hear from you. I am from Northern Ireland, which is a long way from Fiji. I had a colostomy almost 6 years ago because of bowel cancer. I find the no-sting carrier wipes made by Clinimed, which are called LBF barrier wipes, very helpful. But I guess you have to ensure the skin around the stoma is well healed up. Kind thoughts are with you, and I hope you get sorted out.

Hi Jabid. It's nice to hear from you. It must have been very difficult for you dealing with this without much support in your country. I have an ileostomy not colostomy so I can't help with that but I do have a belt that goes around the body and fastens with Velcro and it has a unit attached that sits over the site to protect the stoma it is rigid with a deep hollow and is comfort lined. We aren't allowed to give out details on line but if you check with the team who run this website they may be able to give me your details so that I can send it to you.Also contact as many different companies as possible for samples and ask for a few weeks supply so that you can really try out the products.Lastly try contacting a medical charity to help you get a regular supply of bags, wipes and other products. One I can think of is the hand of hope. Joyce Meyer is the CEO and would welcome a request for help. She is a kind Christian woman who provides practical help all around the world as it's needed. She will also lift your spirits if you visit her website. God Bless you and keep you.

Hi Jabid, I might suggest that you learn to irrigate your stoma. Your life will be much better and fuller.

My Ostomy Journey: Bruce | Hollister

Hello there, yes - I am irrigating and it certainly helps a lot! Thanks a lot anyway.
Regards,
Jabid