They say the Dutch are the only people who can make money dealing with the Scots. While I don't think I'm cheap, I am frugal, and while I like spending money, I hate to spend money on useless items or activities. Consequently, I will invite any company that supplies ostomy supplies to send me samples and usually, I will respond to any queries regarding the use of their supplies. (It doesn't cost anything to do so and it'll justify their providing me their products free of charge, including shipping). Still, I hate spending money for bodily functions, although come to think of it, my water and sewer bill is astronomical, which is strange since this country (Canada) has more fresh water than any other country in the world. And not too far from where I live, there are several places where the water just comes out of the ground, is free, and runs continuously. So I am frugal, and hate to spend money on ostomy supplies. I have attempted to reduce the expense, which is considerably higher in this country than in our neighbors' country (in case you didn't know, USA). What I have found is that reuse of the flange is possible. After removing the flange or 1-piece, I clean it as much as possible with a hand shower, then place it in a baggie, fill the baggie with water, and leave it for a day or two, empty the water with the dissolved paste, clean the flange with a hand shower, and hang it to dry. To reuse, I use Coloplast strip paste (half) and Hollister Karaya paste and typically go for 4 to 7 days.
While some of you get your supplies free, I recently read about someone going through a month's supply in a few days, or another person ended up waiting for a delivery which didn't come in time. For those people, it might be a good idea to use this method and store the used flanges/1-piece in a box or bag for emergency use.
Of course, this is of little use for the someone I was told about who is so disgusted by the whole process that she discards everything when changing the flange, including the bag.
Oh, by the way, I am getting my supplies at Shoppers Home Healthcare, and using their Optimum card, they give me a 20% discount, which makes the cost of my supplies almost reasonable.
I wonder if my mother would have bought paper diapers if they were available then – probably not, the norm then was cloth diapers, which would have been considerably cheaper.
Ed
Ok, my friend... no one is answering. I wonder why... as you have some good ideas... but well, I think they were put off when you said you hate to spend money on bodily functions... and were wondering what your definition of frugal and cheap is... lol. Maybe you should rephrase it... lol. But I must admit, if your ideas work, it will save some here some money...
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Yeah a year ago I wouldn't have known what to ask to find out I had a parastomal hernia. The only reason I knew about them is from this site. Thank goodness for this site. Otherwise I would still be clueless. If I hadn't though from stuff on here to ask my surgeon about having a hernia, then I would have never had the CT and I would have never known that she should have known about it a year ago.
It may be that the thought of cleaning a flange is not endearing to most people, such as the person who throws out everything rather than reuse, even the bag for a 2-piece. Frugal versus cheap, it's the same except frugal is positive—the glass is half full—whereas cheap is negative, the glass is half empty. Proof positive? I haven't heard anyone else using the same flange for three weeks. I may have changed to other flanges, Convatec, Hollister, but some, especially Coloplast 10021, I have used for a total of three weeks.
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The surprising part is that they seem to adhere better the second time around. By the way, my kids did not experience cloth diapers, not because it was cheaper, but because I didn't want to deal with washing them. LOL
They say the Dutch are the only people who can make money dealing with the Scots. That's quite amusing, Ed. May I use that one??
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They still do make reusable appliances if you're interested. I don't think it's ideal to reuse a product that's meant to only be worn once. Perma-type and are two brands that come to mind. You'd still use an adhesive or skin bonding cement to make it work, but you aren't throwing out so much plastic. As a fellow Canadian, I certainly understand that the high cost of supplies is pretty outrageous.
Great info. Once, my supplies didn't arrive on time and I just kept taping it on. Ended up with a skin infection.
Several years ago, a good friend at this site, who has since passed on, said she sometimes had to use baggies and duct tape to get by. Since then, I have always applauded any efforts at reasonable conservation and have always appreciated that these supplies still remain available under Medicare.
It's not that I can't afford to buy them, I just hate to spend $5 to $10 so I can look half normal (never really looked all that normal). When I was 12, I spent 6 or so months living on a farm. Running water was a pump, but it was inside. Bathroom facilities were an outhouse, but it was inside, and yesterday's newspaper was today's toilet paper. Most of the summer was spent canning meat and vegetables. I guess no wonder I have to pay for toilet paper, but I don't buy the newspaper, I read it online. I'd be interested in any reusable product. The skin infection was probably caused by the stool coming in contact with the skin. It is imperative that the flange be completely clean, and as I said, putting them in a baggie with water dissolves all the paste.
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Yes. Those bags go a long way. The most I will reuse is 2 days. Once I was short on bags. I had 1 left and was using it. I put a little bleach in the bag and took a cloth and cleansed inside. Of course, it never touches my skin. I did that in tough times. In the UK, you have socialized medicine, right? What percentage is paid for your ostomy supplies? I thought that was the best for people. My insurance gives me 10 bags a month. I usually have to kick in my own money for any additional supplies. What size are you? And what is a flange?
Excuse me... you live in Canada... had to correct myself. Holy $$$$... I thought you had the best healthcare system in the world! Have us Americans been lied to?
@Dinah334 We get our doctors, surgeries, etc. paid for, but not medical supplies or prescriptions, which might arguably be more expensive than the stuff we get covered.
No, it is a good system, just not as socialized as Europe is. My surgeon went to the MRI department at 8:30 AM. I went into the MRI department at 11:30 for X-ray (eyes) and 12:30 for MRI. So when they say there is a 6-month wait... And the provincial government pays me $300 twice a year for supplies, and the federal government gives me a $7600 tax deduction. And as a senior, I only co-pay a small amount for prescriptions after the first $100. I mainly use Coloplast 10021 or 10023 but like Hollister 14703 (I think).
It is a good system. The government runs it. What could possibly go wrong? :)
How about spending 50% of income on healthcare and going up? That's why they keep cutting back. But it is not as bad as our energy program where we pay some company $0.15 to generate wind power, which typically is superfluous, so we sell it to Michigan for $0.02. It only costs us a billion a year. Just like canceling two gas-burning generating plants cost us $1 billion. Ontario's electricity cost is the highest in North America. Given this, our healthcare system is beyond reproach, until it goes bankrupt. LOL
But John, I didn't have to pay a cent to spend 8 hours in the OR and receive all those pain-killing drugs. Or the 7 days spent in the hospital to have a gallstone removed. Elective surgery kept being postponed until the surgeon came back at 10:00 PM, in the OR at 10:30, finished at 11:00.
I have had my ileostomy for 37 years. Two years ago, I had to find another type of appliance as I was getting leaks out of the side of my reusable faceplate and pouch; a 2-piece system. You can check with Marlen company on pouches MDW-10-20. I used these for 35 years and you rinse and bleach them. One lasted about 3 weeks, changing once a week. The faceplate is a soft plastic like from Torbot #8404-09. The pouch was held on with a metal round clip, then I went to a plastic band-like and the end of the pouch was held on with a clip and rubber bands. I also had to put a paper sticky disc on the faceplate to stick it to the skin and taped it all around. So many steps involved, I did not know about the throwaway 2-piece I now use and like. But if you really want reusable, check with Marlen. Mine had to be ordered at the ostomy healthcare pharmacy here as I and one other lady were using this antique system. The ladies running it kept supplies on hand for us. Maybe they do not make the stuff now?
Ed, are you talking to me or are you talking to me? Keep in mind that some of us seniors are deficient in B-12. John (PB)
Hi Sooziq, glad you and others responded. I've never had so many comments on any blog. I briefly checked Marlen's website, but couldn't find anything. The blog was really started because of some incidents I heard about, about running out of supplies. I find leaks mostly occur due to the skin not being perfectly clean, which is sometimes hard to do when you have a stoma that behaves like a 2-year-old child: telling him/her not to do something means he/she will, mainly he. I suspect the reusable flanges have gone the same way as the dodo bird and cloth diapers. LOL