New Stoma - Wax Ring Issues and Bag Sticking to Stoma - Need Advice

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JustMeRLB
Dec 02, 2023 3:46 am

Hi friends. My surgery went well! I came home on Wednesday night.
So… my pants were a bit snug that I went home in and when I was sitting I didn't notice that the waistband was directly over my stoma. The wax ring got malformed and started smushing out between the wafer and stoma. I have some what looks like sticky wax on the top side of the bag and it looks like it's sticking to the stoma and wax ring on the bottom part of the plastic. I've also noticed the bag like suctioning to my stoma and when this has happened, I have very little output. I am wondering if this has happened to anyone else and if I should just go ahead and change the bag. The HH nurse said it was fine and I should just wait to change. I'm a bit worried as I know my stoma isn't like a geyser, and don't know if it's preventing stool from passing.
TIA!
Attached a pic.

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AlexT
Dec 02, 2023 3:59 am

Do you have a filter on your bag?

14jax71
Dec 02, 2023 4:01 am

Hi, 

I have a urostomy, and mine will stick. I have a two-piece, so when it happens, I will unsnap the top of the bag from the flange to get a little air in. That way I can get the bag unstuck. 

Posted by: iMacG5

Hi Crossley. Ya know, I think it’s all about feelings. I don’t mean the pain feelings which could control everything. I mean the feelings inside our heads, our hearts and even our souls. I mean the feelings of who we are now compared to who we were; how we accept our situation or maybe we don’t. My wife asked how I felt and I said, “like crap”. She asked what hurt and I answered, “Nothing hurts, well, everything hurts, I don’t know, It all sucks.” That was a long time ago. You question if your feelings are normal. How normal is it to relocate your butt hole to your belly where it’s usually in the way of your belt and, you know. But that’s where we are and for lots of us we are so much better off than we were before, physically. Emotionally, psychologically, well, that might be a different story. I believe talk therapy is wonderful if we could find a real empathic or sympathetic listener. So guess what! I found MAO and began “talking” with a keyboard with some of the wisest, kindest most sympathetic and compassionate folks on the planet. Regardless of where we’ve been, lots of folks here have been there and worse places and found their way back healthier and happier. We really do help each other.
Keep “talking”,
Mike

14jax71
Dec 02, 2023 4:08 am

I also meant to say that I'm happy your surgery went well.

IGGIE
Dec 02, 2023 4:15 am

Do you have an ileostomy or a colostomy? Ileostomy flows more than a colostomy.

 

Tips on Hernia Prevention with Collin | Hollister

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Beachboy
Dec 02, 2023 4:26 am

Output will usually push my sticking bag aside, even with lots of pancaking (when poop sticks to the bag on top of the stoma).

Do you have a one or two piece flange/bag setup?

JustMeRLB
Dec 02, 2023 4:37 am

Yes, I do. I haven't received supplies yet, just stuff from the hospital. So I didn't get any of those stickers to cover it yet.

JustMeRLB
Dec 02, 2023 4:38 am

Thank you so much. Still in pain… but that will go away soon.

JustMeRLB
Dec 02, 2023 4:39 am

Ileostomy feels like the stoma is not able to flow around the wax on the top of the bag.

JustMeRLB
Dec 02, 2023 4:41 am

It's a one-piece… I will probably change to a two-piece when I am able to order.

Justbreathe
Dec 02, 2023 12:27 pm

I frequently have the wax ring pieces on my stoma and into the bag - I hate it when this happens. It's a result of not matching up the barrier ring with the edge of the hole in the bag. If I take great care in matching those up and then squeezing them tightly together around the hole, the wax stays put doing its job. Not to fear though - the wax floating around, sticking to the stoma, or stuck to the bag is harmless.
I cannot answer the flowage question, only to say once up in the early a.m., no output at all until my cup of coffee… just like the old days after coffee - drink one cup, pee five cups, only now it mostly exits through my stoma. My coffee has creamer going into my mouth, but the exit is brown water… I have a loop ileostomy, not a colostomy. jb

ron in mich
Dec 02, 2023 2:58 pm

Hi RLB, glad to hear the surgery went well. It's a steep learning curve from here on, but there are a lot of good people here to answer any questions you might have. As for the flange riding up on your stoma, just use your finger and go around your stoma and gently push on the waxy part to get your stoma to stick out.

eefyjig
Dec 02, 2023 3:23 pm

Glad all went well with your surgery. Open up the end of the bag and blow some air in, then close it up. I do this occasionally, but I have an ileo, so my own gas and looser output seldom cause your issue.

AlexT
Dec 02, 2023 3:51 pm

You can use tape, and once your filter gets clogged, having it suck to your stoma won't be an issue. Get some air in the bag and use lubricant to keep the bag from sticking to itself.

IGGIE
Dec 04, 2023 12:06 pm

I think you should try a two-piece convex bag. I like Hollister, and it works well for my ileostomy. My bag is the Hollister 18183. The wafer is the Hollister 13505, which has a pre-cut hole of 29mm. The seal I use is made by Salts, and it has a collar. Again, my size is 29mm, so I order Salts DC29. You will have to measure your stoma and order as required. The image is of the Salts seal with a collar. Regards, IGGIE
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danp5791
Feb 16, 2025 8:38 pm

14jax71, I do the same as well. Have you ever had any white crystals around your stoma? If so, how do you deal with them? I'm new here, so any help would be appreciated. I also have a urostomy.

NicGiy
Jul 21, 2025 12:20 pm

I've had a urostomy for 5 years; generally, it's kept me healthy and I've found ways to live a normal life. But the pain of my life is the wax seal. On a regular basis, I find wax seeping out from under the patch. I'm blocking the full urine often in the middle of the night because the drainage bag causes a lot of suction on the stomach, and then what you have is urine coming out under the patch, and then you've got a wet mess in the middle of the bed. I've tried everything, including periodically cleaning the wax out from around the stoma so it doesn't get covered up, but if you have anything better that I can do, I would appreciate it.

14jax71
Jul 25, 2025 2:33 am

I use a convex flange because my stomach doesn't protrude outward that far. I wear a belt all day and night to hold the flange close to my body. I haven't had any problems with the nighttime bag. How many days are you getting before you need to change?